Increased irritability. How to quickly get rid of irritability: causes of dissatisfaction and their elimination

And periods of bad mood happen in the life of every person. However, some people cope with such conditions playfully, in a matter of days, while others are irritated by everything for weeks. What to do if you notice such outbursts of aggression in yourself?

Correct assessment of the problem is the first step towards solving it

When assessing any psychological problems, it is important to assess their type and severity. “Everything infuriates and irritates me, what should I do?” - two people can say this phrase, trying to express a completely different state. It is a normal reaction to feel angry and resentful after some kind of conflict with a person who was involved in it. In the modern pace of life, fleeting outbursts of anger that are forgotten after a few minutes can be equated to the “norm”. It’s quite natural to get very angry at a person who stepped on your foot or was rude for no reason.

We can talk about a serious problem if a person experiences anger and hatred too often or almost constantly. The number of sources of irritation should also be assessed. In situations where absolutely everything is annoying, “What should I do?” - a very relevant question.

Removing irritants

The easiest way to get rid of negative emotions is to remove from your life what causes them. Stop communicating with unpleasant people, change your job or place of residence, start going to bed on time and set your alarm clock an hour later if you don’t like it. Clearing your life of everything unnecessary from time to time is useful for every person. Negative emotions only harm us, so avoiding them is very useful. Removing irritants is not at all difficult. Take time for yourself, calm down and relax and try to remember everything that spoiled your mood during the week. Be prepared for the answers to surprise you. Everything can irritate: from the color of dishes or furniture to your own habits or the manner of communication of people around you. Of course, repainting a cabinet or buying new plates is much easier than changing yourself, but it's worth a try.

Changing perceptions

Probably, deep down, every person would like to live on the ocean shore in a beautiful house, not work and communicate only with the kindest and sweetest people. But, unfortunately, it is not always possible to change your life so radically. Are you annoyed by your work, living conditions, your surroundings, and everything in general irritates you? What to do in such a situation, if it is impossible to remove more irritants from your life? Universal advice in any life situation: if you can’t change the situation, try to change your attitude towards it. As soon as you feel hatred, try to analyze the situation rationally and somehow calm yourself down. If your job is annoying, remember what advantages this place has and how much you manage to earn. Your neighbor is arguing with you - remember that all these are everyday trifles, and your family is waiting for you at home, but she has been living completely alone for a long time. Try to look for the positive sides in any situation and remember that most of today's problems are just grains of sand on your life's path.

What to do when loved ones are annoying?

Unfortunately, sources of negative emotions can be not only inanimate objects and random people, but also those closest to you. Hostility towards relatives and regular conflicts with them can deprive you of peace of mind for a long time. If people with whom you live separately are annoying, you should try to keep communication to a minimum. Don’t be tormented by feelings of guilt and try not to discuss the current situation. It is likely that things will work out over time and you will be able to resume your close relationship.

But what to do if the person with whom you live in the same area is annoying? You can hate your own spouse or one of your parents, and your feelings cannot always be explained rationally. In this case, you should evaluate the ratio of positive and negative emotions, and try to understand whether your irritation is really caused by the person himself, or are you just “taking it out” on him? If there is more bad than good, it makes sense to seriously think about ending this relationship: you can always divorce your husband or wife, but living separately from your parents, even temporarily, will be useful for everyone.

It’s a completely different matter if What to do with negative emotions towards the person closest to you? It all depends on age and related factors. If the child is still very young, we may be talking about postpartum depression, and for its treatment it is best to consult a specialist. Children during adolescence can also be annoying - the regular tantrums of three-year-olds, the manifestations of independence of first-graders, and the completely unchildish pranks of teenagers. A parent can survive all this with minimal losses only if he learns to control his own emotions. But if things get harder, don’t hesitate to ask your spouse, grandmothers and other relatives for help.

Calm, just calm!

What to do if you are irritated almost constantly? The simplest and most logical answer is to learn to calm down! People who are happy and satisfied with their own lives are the least susceptible to stress and bad moods. An excess of negative emotions directly indicates that something is wrong with the person who suffers from them. And this is another reason to rethink your life and try to change something in it. If you need to calm down very quickly, try one of the time-tested tips. When you feel like your nerves are on edge, count to ten to yourself before getting into a conflict or giving in to your emotions. You can also try drinking a glass of water in small sips, taking a few deep breaths, or going outside.

Attention management

How to learn to be calm when everything infuriates and irritates you? What to do and how to properly extinguish aggression? It's simple: you need to learn to be distracted. Consciously managing your attention is not at all difficult. Learn to meditate on the go: had a quarrel with a work colleague? Think about your upcoming vacation, your weekend shopping and entertainment plans, or anything else that interests you. However, do not get carried away with this technique, otherwise you risk earning the reputation of a person who constantly has his head in the clouds. However, this character is better than the one who is always irritated by everything. What to do if you can’t quickly remember anything pleasant? Remember, your main goal is to take your mind off the problem. Try to remember a poem you once learned, count the squares on the wallpaper, or do something else. And you will see - there will be no trace of irritation left.

Rebooting consciousness

Very often, increased irritability is a direct consequence of chronic fatigue. If you consistently do not get enough sleep and are exposed to high physical and mental stress every day, you should rest. The best option is to take a vacation, but if this is not possible, go to a SPA salon on the weekend or just go to bed and don’t get out of bed until you get enough sleep. As practice shows, even a banal “sofa” rest can give you peace of mind and a charge of vivacity. And indeed, if you spend a day or two in a relaxed position, reading or watching movies, you can feel much better.

Physical update

Often quite calm and prosperous people say that suddenly everything has become annoying. What to do with such an unexpected feeling? If there are no real reasons, it makes sense to go to the hospital and undergo a comprehensive examination. and increased aggressiveness can be symptoms of various diseases of the internal organs. If during the diagnosis no pathologies were identified, you can try to overcome the problem of irritability at the physical level. Try to eat right and spend enough time in the fresh air; physical activity is also beneficial.

We hope our article helped you. In any case, now, if your friend comes to you and says, “I am often irritated,” you know exactly what to do.

We get irritated when we allow someone or something to tease us, or rather, we react to it. Why do we react? Because it has something to do with us, it hits home, it contradicts our beliefs, desires, etc. Based on this, the reasons for irritability are different, but the methods of struggle are approximately the same.

Irritation is a reaction in the form of negative emotions directed towards someone or something (internal or external stimulus). Irritation precedes and is dangerous outbursts of anger. This is the body’s first signal that something needs to be changed; it is impossible to tolerate the current conditions any longer. The pattern of development of emotions is as follows: dissatisfaction (disappointment), irritation, anger, anger, rage, affect. I think this makes it clear that irritation needs to be dealt with.

Irritation as a feeling is common to all people. This is fine:

For example, we get irritated when something doesn’t work out for us, or when we have a cold.
In addition, irritability can be an option.
In some cases, irritability is caused by hormonal changes, for example, in adolescence, women during pregnancy or before menstruation. With other hormonal imbalances, irritability also makes itself felt.
Irritability occurs at the moment (alcohol, smoking, coffee, sweets) or forced deprivation (hunger, poor hygiene, lack of sleep). The body rebels and demands to satisfy its natural need.

The described cases do not cause such concerns as the situation in which irritation turned into irritability and became a trait. The most popular reason for chronic irritability is a feeling of inferiority, loss of one’s status and place in life. Simply put, dissatisfaction with oneself and living conditions.

Symptoms of irritability

You can suspect the appearance of irritability if irritation occurs every day and more than once, namely:

irritation lasts more than 7 days;
because of it, relationships in the family, at work, with friends deteriorate;
the feeling of internal tension increases, it becomes chronic;
headaches appear;
every day a person seems to “get up on the wrong foot”;
discomfort is felt everywhere, no matter where you are and no matter what you do.

Additional symptoms of irritability include:

decreased memory and concentration;
sleep disorders;
general weakness, fatigue and apathy;
pain in muscles and joints;
migraine.

Other symptoms (individual reactions of the body) may also make themselves known, but this complex inevitably signals a weakening of the body’s defenses and the need to combat irritability.

The attacks of irritation themselves manifest themselves individually. Some people manage to maintain external calm until the last moment, but seethe inside (you can’t do that), others fall into hysterics and tears, and still others lash out at everyone.

Irritability in women

Women more often than men suffer from irritability, which is due to psychophysiological characteristics (increased emotionality, natural regular changes in hormonal levels) and greater workload. Most women have to combine work, raising children and running a household.

Hormonal changes during pregnancy and menopause contribute. In this case, irritability is accompanied by:

tearfulness,
sleep disorders,
decadent mood

Hormonal problems are treated by an endocrinologist and gynecologist. If the reason is fatigue or dissatisfaction, then you need the help of a psychologist and a change in lifestyle.

Irritability in men

In men, irritability is more often due to social reasons: workload, fatigue, difficulties in life. If this is superimposed on an internal feeling of dissatisfaction and a feeling, then the situation gets worse.

Male irritability often results in outbursts of anger and becomes destructive. However, men can hold back their irritation longer, endure, and remain silent. Where a woman immediately starts screaming, a man will remain silent. But that is precisely why their irritability looks more destructive.

Irritability in children

The causes of children's irritability are not much different from the manifestations of that in adults: psychophysiological characteristics, fatigue, fears, etc. In addition, irritability can be a form of protest against excessive parental care or, conversely, authoritarian upbringing.

Irritability manifests itself more emotionally than in adults. Although the specifics of the manifestations depend on the age of the child. For example, young children cry, bite, and scratch more often. Preschool children are stubborn. Younger schoolchildren violate discipline. Teenagers show aggression, slam doors, and withdraw into themselves. In addition to age, reactions depend on the character (cholerics and melancholics are more prone to irritability) and other congenital characteristics of the child.

How to get rid of irritability

You need to understand the reasons for constant irritability. It’s probably a matter of current issues, accumulated problems, locked emotions, or fatigue. Evaluate your daily routine, nutrition, sleep. Is irritability caused by overwork? If yes, then change your lifestyle. Perhaps it’s not even a matter of fatigue, but one obsessive detail, for example, an uncomfortable chair. Remember when you first felt irritability, what discomfort could have caused it.
If the reason lies deeper (dissatisfaction with yourself, life, work, complexes, anxiety, fear, stress), then honestly describe your desires and complaints (what does not suit you). Next to it, write down the causes and consequences (both the current state and the desired one).
Engage in self-knowledge, make a plan to meet current needs. Study temperament and character. Stubbornness, rigidity, perfectionism, intransigence, low self-esteem are also causes of irritability.
Set aside time every day for relaxation in the form of a favorite and useful activity. Write a list of 30 favorite things to do (more or less) and choose something from it every day.
Develop self-control. Learn to understand when tension reaches its peak (the desire to scream and stomp, you feel muscle tension, your pulse quickens, your palms sweat, and so on). Make it a rule at such moments not to make decisions, not to talk, but to exercise (auto-training, relaxation, breathing techniques). And only after you calm down, solve the issues rationally.
Change it. Give up the phrases “another terrible day”, “nothing good will happen again”, “go there again”. Form and pronounce positive attitudes. Stop noticing only difficulties, problems and failures, start seeing opportunities and alternatives.
Learn to express emotions in a socially acceptable way. At the very least, don’t hush up what worries you. Don't try to avoid conflict or please everyone. Learn to communicate and conduct productive conflicts. To do this, it is enough to tell your interlocutor about your feelings in a calm tone: “I am irritated by the commanding tone, please speak softer.” And then discuss disagreements.
Take out your frustrations in sports, singing karaoke, screaming in the field, and the like.
Reduce your intake of coffee, sugar and alcohol, of course, if irritation is not caused by avoiding them.
, find yourself. Irritability is a protective reaction of the body. What is he trying to protect you from and encourage you to at least some kind of activity (in this case, destructive and aggressive)? Tell him thank you and start acting consciously.
Observe yourself, keep a “diary of irritability”, where you will record its appearance, intensification and weakening. Remove from your life, if possible, all irritants (objects and subjects, after contact with which irritation intensifies). This is perhaps the most difficult stage. Especially when it turns out that you need to change jobs or break off relationships, look for the meaning of life. But it needs to be done. and harmony is not simple.
If you cannot remove the irritant, then learn self-control and change your attitude towards the situation.

If the situation cannot be corrected on your own, then you should visit a psychotherapist. Typically, irritability is treated with cognitive behavioral therapy. Its goal is to help an individual identify the reasons for his behavior and learn to control these reactions, understand and study himself.

If it is impossible to change external circumstances, a person learns to recognize, accept and adequately respond to traumatic circumstances and. In some cases, sedatives or antidepressants are prescribed.

Emergency assistance

If you urgently need to cope with irritability:

Use counting to ten, the method of switching attention to pleasant memories, the technology of changing activities and distractions (walking, running, cleaning), scribble on paper and tear it, wave your hands.
After this, write down on paper the possible consequences of irritation and its incorrect expression. Ask how it will harm you. Do you need it?
Conduct auto-training. Say: “I understand that irritation is a bad emotion. I control my emotions. I understand and accept the world around me in its diversity. I live harmoniously and without irritation. I get joy from interacting with the world in a friendly manner.” It is better to carry out this auto-training daily.
Do a breathing exercise. There are many breathing relaxation techniques. For example, you can use the following technique: take a lying position, inhale through your nose, rounding your stomach, exhale through your mouth, drawing in your stomach. Breathe slowly and deeply. Repeat no more than 10 times. Try a different exercise next time: inhale deeply and slowly through your nose, exhale sharply through your mouth and take 3 more breaths. Breathing exercises should be done carefully. It is better to consult your doctor first! For example, it is not recommended to use them if you have heart disease or have a cold.

Correcting irritability, like any other psychological problem, requires a personal approach. In general, we can only say that you need to look for the causes of fatigue and dissatisfaction, and then fight it. It is useful to check your health for hormonal imbalances. And of course, it is necessary to develop and master.

You, of course, are aware that they are often blamed for emotions and mood. There is some truth here, and a significant one. And the main roles in the play based on the novel “Besit” are played by this company.

1. Estrogen and progesterone are female sex hormones.

Their level and proportionality change during the cycle. Hormones give you a set of vivid sensations in the form of PMS. Or rather, not really them. Emotions are a reaction to changes in hormonal levels from the central nervous system(CNR). Have you ever wondered why some women experience premenstrual syndrome relatively calmly, while for others life is not pleasant? Yes, the first ones are unpleasant, lucky individuals, but that’s not all that matters.

“If the central nervous system reacts so painfully to hormonal changes, there are some problems in the body,” explains endocrinologist at the Atlas Medical Center, Ph.D. Yuri Poteshkin. – For example, there is not enough serotonin, which should be released in moments of joy, and the mood regularly tends to be depressed. Or pain on the eve of menstruation and other sensations in the body are so unpleasant that they give a reaction in the form of irritation.” Conclusion: with pronounced PMS you need to go to the gynecologist. And then it will be seen whether they will prescribe you anti-inflammatory drugs, prescribe a COC, or refer you to a psychotherapist.

2. Thyroid hormones are hormones of the thyroid gland.

When too many of them are produced (this is called “hyperthyroidism”), harshness, aggressiveness, and outbursts of anger appear. In the extreme, everything turns into thyrotoxicosis - poisoning of the body with excess hormones (a condition that is dangerous even for the heart). Fortunately, this usually does not come to this; the patient is “intercepted” earlier. However, he still manages to show himself in all his glory.

“An important detail: the person himself feels good, his mood is often upbeat. Those around him are more likely to complain about him,” says Yuri. Therefore, if different citizens increasingly utter phrases in relation to your wonderful you like: “You have become unbearable,” “It’s impossible to deal with you,” there is a reason to contact an endocrinologist. An additional incentive should be the accompanying symptoms: hair falls out, nails become brittle, you constantly feel hot, the cycle is disrupted, and weight suddenly disappears.

By the way, a lack of magnesium in the body can also cause nervousness and irritability. Of course, you shouldn’t prescribe it for yourself (adverse and allergic reactions have been recorded, plus you need to take into account interactions with other drugs), but if something happens, it won’t hurt to get tested and consult with a specialist.

Everything is annoying due to fatigue

The so-called manager's syndrome (synonymous with chronic fatigue) is a common thing today. Workaholics, managers, and perfectionists are accustomed to living at their best, ignoring their physiological needs, skimping on food and sleep. How can you not growl? " Gradually, this leads to depletion of the body's resources, and asthenia, a painful condition, may develop.“, which at the initial stage is characterized by increased excitability and irritability (and then lethargy, apathy, drowsiness develop, up to anxiety and depressive symptoms),” says Alexander Gravchikov, a neurologist at the Atlas Medical Center. If rest in this state does not help, you need to go to the doctor and start an examination: it is possible that some sluggish chronic disease is eating away at you from the inside or psychopathology is developing.

And by the way, be careful with sedatives. “Even seemingly harmless valerian can have side effects, including liver dysfunction (when there is such a predisposition), digestive upset, increase the risk of blood clots,” continues Alexander, “in case of hypertension, instead of a calming effect, it has a tonic effect, and sometimes leads to apathy. In general, taking something on your own is not a good option.”

Everything is annoying because of the psyche

Your health is fine, there is no psychopathology, but you still live like on a volcano? This is the definition of your emotions given by our expert psychologist, Gestalt therapist, researcher at the Center for Professional Education of ASOU, teacher Victoria Chal-Boriu: “ To enrage means to make someone extremely angry." The latter, as Vika explains, we need in order to survive, protect ourselves, and also establish social connections, distance in communication, build and regulate relationships with people and the environment.

If you're angry about something, it means it's important to you. And this feeling is the power to somehow adapt something meaningful to yourself, use it better, integrate it into life, or, conversely, push it further away. “Then an extreme degree of anger may indicate that one of the described processes has been launched, some of the needs - to stay alive and/or to be with someone - require fulfillment.” So rabies is very much about relationships. Let's talk about them then.

In principle, it is natural to be angry. Especially in a society where there are so many people - and, accordingly, there are also many demands on the individual. Plus rudeness and aggression at every turn. " We get mad when we endure for a long time, consciously or unconsciously.“We don’t know how to do it any other way, we miss early signals from the psyche and don’t make decisions about how to cope with what doesn’t suit us,” says Victoria. - There are those who don’t hesitate. If you don’t like something, you immediately hit, shout, move, trample. It's easier for these people. For them, relationships - in principle or with a specific person - are not a valuable thing.” There’s no point in straining yourself here, just go to hell and there’s no problem.

It’s another matter if social connections are important or even extremely valuable (which is typical for neurotics): say, you are terribly afraid of losing a friend or boyfriend. Or your hands are tied, for example, by corporate culture and it is impossible to tell the idiot customer to go to hell. Then, in order to preserve the relationship, you have to take a patient position, remain silent, adapt in order to be close to someone or not lose a lucrative contract. And then all that remains is to suffer.

“When everyone and everything infuriates you, it means that everyone and everything is very necessary, but you can’t take anything important from people or the environment. There is a lot, a lot of power that is not used. It looks like despair associated with the inability to reach people,” continues Vika. But here a natural question arises. And if you, say, snapped at the saleswoman, yelled at the boss, discussed with your friends the bastard who didn’t call, isn’t this a burst of energy? “In anger, it is important where and how to direct it, our expert retorts. - It would be good for business. By yelling at your boss, you are unlikely to be able to establish contact with him; achieve your goal - even more so. When a person raises his voice, a release occurs and the tension seems to decrease slightly. But otherwise everything remains the same.” Moreover, there is an added feeling of guilt: oh, maybe I shouldn’t have offended Sergei Petrovich!

Who did you forget? A manicurist who is so interested in the future of your family. It would seem that this is just someone, but she definitely doesn’t mean anything to you. But it’s annoying! However, you also have to build relationships with “unnecessary” people and establish the correct distance. It is possible that you let the lady get too close - and now she is already invading your personal life, one might say, coming to your house, sitting on the sofa, drinking coffee. It is more convenient to discuss such cases at an appointment with a psychologist. Why does everyone become so important? Perhaps it’s the lack of good close relationships: while they don’t exist, you bring just anyone closer to you.

What to do if everything is annoying

“The beauty of the situation is that you have choice, opportunity, and most importantly, the strength to change everything,” sums up Victoria Chal-Boriu. And he offers to work productively with it. So, when everything gets annoying...

Stop, sit down, or even lie down.
Allow yourself to spend time just for yourself(fifteen to thirty minutes).
Localize your feelings: feelings, tension, tingling, trembling.
Honestly clarify who and what doesn’t suit you. Don't forget anyone, including that guy in the elevator who didn't let you go ahead. Don’t rely on your memory, take a piece of paper, a big one, and write everything down.
Look how wonderful people are– in some ways they will all be similar. Group them according to the degree of rabies they cause or the qualities that offend you.
Analyze what type of relationship these groups symbolize, by distance: for example, inner circle, friends, outer circle.
The hard part begins. You will have to admit to yourself what specific things you would like in each of these types of relationships. And then show responsibility and do something.
For example, crowds in the subway are annoying. This is a distant circle that maliciously invades your life twice a day during rush hours. What can you want in such a relationship? Of course, move a bunch of people further away. But you understand: they won’t move on their own. Choose what you will do: put on headphones or aggressive clothes - dirty, dirtying those around you; you will start growling at everyone passing by, pushing, meditating; buy a car or start walking; Eventually, you will change jobs.
In the inner circle, the settings are more subtle, although the needs may be similar. Move away or bring closer? Protect your borders from invasion or make closer contact? Again, decide for yourself. Ignore and tolerate, take risks and get closer, be interested in your partner or ask him not to do something? Finally tell your husband: let him give you flowers at least once a month or pick up your child from school. Or take the risk of discussing with him what doesn’t suit you about sex. At worst, ask him to tell his mother something important: she is not a member of your family.
Colleagues and partners. Professional relationships are a separate sphere, with a special type of distance and rules established, alas, not by you. But you can still choose whether to follow them or not, realizing, of course, that this is only your responsibility. There are options: obey and get angry, obey and accept, obey and negotiate possible changes in working conditions.
If you want to enter into a relationship, be in it, make up your mind and take a risk - start approaching people. Pay attention to them, notice how different they are (and sometimes strange, yes), be interested, be curious, invite them to communicate. Be sure that your “body movements” will not go unnoticed.
When you have already begun to take all these responsible actions, observe whether anything changes, and try not to immediately devalue what is happening. Phrases like: “I do, I do, but nothing happens” quickly return you to your original state - and, of course, save you from change. Maybe that's what you need? Sometimes being mad is better than enduring changes in your life. And this is also your decision and your choice.

Irritability, nervousness, bad mood, dissatisfaction - all these sensations and unpleasant states can haunt a person, intertwined together. What leads to this condition?

Causes of irritability

This could be anything, from improper organization of work time and free time, to minor household troubles. Very often you can observe people who try to throw out their negativity on any occasion, even the most insignificant. And they explain all this simply - twitchiness and fatigue. But few people think that constant irritability very quickly becomes the cause of a whole bunch of mental disorders that are very difficult to combat and treat.

It is clear that a tired person quickly becomes irritated. So that the work is not stressful and does not seem monotonous, you should do everything possible to make the workplace not only comfortable, but also beautiful, because important matters are decided here. If you don’t worry about this, then excessive irritability will not take long to occur, and constant exposure to such conditions is fraught with even greater problems associated with the appearance of various diseases.

There are people with an unbalanced psyche who, due to simple overwork, can lose their balance. At the same time, serious problems become threatening to their health. We can no longer talk about patience and self-control.

Professionals in the field of psychology and psychiatry define this condition as follows. Irritability is a person's tendency to overreact to the normal environment. Every sane person should remember that there are different people around, different events are happening. Sometimes they are positive, but sometimes they are negative. Natural irritability is extremely rare, but acquired irritability becomes a sign that we are tired, bringing ourselves to such a state.

How to get rid of irritability

Everyone reacts differently. Irritability after childbirth brings its own troubles, and people with professions that require constant stress also endure it in a special way. It cannot be said that it is easier for some and harder for others. Some take up a cigarette, others snack on seeds or sweets. Thus, an understanding appears in the mind that these, even harmful actions, with a clear conscience can be considered a reward for the stressful state suffered. But tobacco smoke and extra calories are not beneficial. And everyone knows about it.

Stronger individuals who know how to control themselves and their emotions look for a different approach: they engage in intense sports, take deep breaths, and try to distract themselves in various ways. And that's right.

Of course, it is difficult to calm down in a stressful state and breakdowns of the nervous system are quite difficult to recover from. That is why, knowing all the pitfalls, it is best to try to make every effort and prevent this from happening. It’s not hard to do this, you just have to try to prevent these conditions, and this means that you need to respect yourself, love yourself, take time for yourself, and then the situation around you will also change.

Irritability through the eyes of physiology

If increased irritability is considered from the point of view of symptoms, then it represents excessive excitability with the patient’s tendency to show negative emotions. But the most important thing is that these very emotions exceed the strength of the very factor that caused them. In other words, we can say that even a small nuisance, which you can not dwell on and simply forget about, causes an unjustified flurry of negative experiences.

Everyone is familiar with this condition and no one will deny that the cause is fatigue, poor health, and troubles in life. Hence the nervousness and even tears. Very often you can observe how irritability and tearfulness go side by side, especially for the weaker sex.

We must not forget about such states of mentally ill people. In this case, the main reasons are increased reactivity of the central nervous system, which develops under the influence of factors such as heredity of character, hormonal imbalances, mental illness, metabolic disorders, as well as infections and stressful situations. And during pregnancy and after childbirth, during the menstrual cycle and during menopause, it is the hormonal changes in the body that “give” women nervousness, irritability and other troubles.

How is irritability detected in patients?

Self-diagnosis, and especially self-medication, is completely impossible with such disorders. In a wide variety of diseases, where the symptoms are bad mood, drowsiness, irritability or nervousness, only a specialist can understand. After all, it is difficult to quickly determine the cause. Very often a full examination of the body is required with a set of tests, which includes an ECG, ultrasound, urine and blood tests. This is the only way to identify pathology and make a correct diagnosis.

It happens that these examinations do not reveal any concerns, then the patient is referred to a neurologist, where he undergoes more in-depth MRI and electroencephalogram, which will help determine the condition of the brain.

Another specialist who deals with problems of nervousness is a psychiatrist. Those who are sent there are those whose serious abnormalities were not identified in the outpatient examination, while the unbalanced state interferes with everyone’s daily life - both the patient and those around him. The psychiatrist evaluates all previous examinations and prescribes additional tests of the person’s memory, thinking and temperament.

In what diseases does irritability syndrome occur?

Most often, this condition occurs in neuroses, depression, stress disorders after trauma, psychopathy, drug addiction and alcoholism. It is quite common to experience irritability before childbirth. The list goes on and will include schizophrenia, drug addiction and dementia.

Schizophrenia

Irritability in people with this syndrome should be cause for serious concern for future psychotic states. Sometimes observed during the prodromal period of the disease and during remissions. Very often, patients with schizophrenia show suspicion of everything, increased isolation, frequent mood swings and isolation.

Neuroses

In this case, along with irritability, anxiety, increased fatigue, and symptoms of depression will be observed. Irritability in this case will be a consequence of insomnia, and with neuroses this often happens.

Depression

With depression, irritability in women and men will be accompanied by bad mood, retardation in action and thinking, and insomnia. There is also the opposite state - mania. People suffering from this disease are irritable, angry, and their thinking is accelerated and disordered. In both cases, deterioration in sleep will be observed. And constant fatigue causes even greater imbalance.

Post-traumatic nervousness syndrome

When experiencing a severe shock, most people experience stress disorder. It is called post-traumatic. In this case, irritability is intertwined with anxiety, nightmares, insomnia and obsessive thoughts, usually unpleasant.

Nervousness and withdrawal symptoms

The causes of such irritability in men and women are the use of alcohol and drugs. Such conditions become the cause of crime, which complicates the future life of not only the sick person himself, but also his relatives.

Dementia

The most difficult condition. Dementia or acquired dementia occurs as a result of age-related changes, in older people, after strokes. If patients are still young, the cause may be severe traumatic brain injury, infections, as well as drug and alcohol abuse. In any of these cases, irritability, tearfulness, and fatigue will appear.

Psychopathy

Many doctors note that such irritability in children and adults is not considered a disease at all. These are innate character traits, so imbalance is inherent in them, especially if a period of exacerbation occurs.

It must be remembered that almost any disease that affects internal organs will be accompanied by increased nervousness. This also applies to thyroid diseases, neurological problems, and menopausal changes in the female body. Therefore, during the period of any illness, a person should be treated more tolerantly.

Ways to deal with irritability

The best way to eliminate increased irritability is to figure out where it comes from and remove its cause. It can be very difficult to do this yourself, so for this it is better to turn to. Other methods will only give a temporary effect, but sometimes this is not bad.

Physical activity

Physical activity will help release excess steam and burn hormones that influence aggressive behavior. Any sport or physical activity is good for this. If you find a useful physical activity, you will kill several birds with one stone: you will do useful work and let off steam and pump up your body. If there is no such work, then you can simply engage in accessible sports. The simplest thing is running or brisk walking.

Baths

Make herbal decoctions 2-3 times a week and take baths with them for half an hour, adding hot water from time to time. During the entire reception, the temperature should remain comfortable. Valerian, yarrow, and motherwort will have a beneficial effect. These baths are good for people of all ages - children, adults, and the elderly with various diagnoses. Both representatives of the stronger sex with male irritability syndrome and pregnant women who experience irritability after childbirth will be satisfied.

Decoctions for drinking

Infusions of coriander, fennel, motherwort, caraway seeds and the same valerian, which are prepared in a water bath, help well. Also, an infusion of motherwort with the addition of lemon juice will help restore balance and calm. Most amateur gardeners can observe cucumber grass in their dachas. It is very unpretentious and will help well with insomnia, irritability, neuroses and bad mood.

There are also more delicious natural remedies that will please every sweet tooth. These are prunes, honey, walnuts and almonds, lemon. Each of these products can be consumed in mixtures or separately.

Each of us has at least once encountered people who react too strongly to ordinary everyday troubles. And sometimes we ourselves throw out a bunch of negative emotions over some minor issue. Then we say to ourselves: “I’m irritated,” “I’m nervous.” We call people who are often in such a state of mind “nervous,” “crazy.” At the same time, sometimes such impartial epithets are not far from the truth - after all, increased irritability is often a sign of many mental disorders.

Causes of irritability

Irritability as a symptom of a disease is an increased excitability of the patient with a tendency to express negative emotions, while the strength of the emotions significantly exceeds the strength of the factor that caused them (i.e., a minor nuisance causes an abundant flow of negative experiences). Every person has been in this state more than once, even the most mentally healthy person has moments of fatigue, poor physical well-being, periods of “dark streak” in life - all this contributes to increased irritability. But we must not forget that this condition occurs in many mental illnesses.

The causes of irritability from a physiological point of view are the increased reactivity of the central nervous system, which develops under the influence of various factors: hereditary (character traits), internal (hormonal imbalances, metabolic disorders, mental illness), external (stress, infections).

It is hormonal changes that cause increased irritability during pregnancy and after childbirth, as well as during menstruation and menopause.

Diseases in which there is increased irritability

The most common symptom of irritability occurs in mental illnesses such as depression, neuroses, post-traumatic stress disorder, psychopathy, alcoholism and drug addiction, schizophrenia, dementia.

At depression irritability is combined with a persistently depressed mood, some “slowness” of thinking, and insomnia. There is a condition opposite to depression - in psychiatry it is called mania. In this condition, it is also possible to have increased irritability, even anger, in combination with inappropriately elevated mood, accelerated thinking to the point of disorder. In both depression and mania, sleep is often disturbed, which can cause irritability.

At neuroses irritability is quite often combined with anxiety, symptoms of depression, and increased fatigue. And in this case, irritability may be a consequence of insomnia, which is not uncommon in neuroses.

Post-traumatic stress disorder occurs in a person who has experienced a strong shock. In this condition, irritability is observed in combination with anxiety, insomnia or nightmares, and obsessive unpleasant thoughts.

People who are sick alcoholism or drug addiction are especially susceptible to irritability during withdrawal symptoms. This is often the cause of crimes, and always complicates the life of the patient’s relatives.

With such a serious illness as schizophrenia irritability can be a harbinger of an approaching psychotic state, but can be observed both in remission and in the prodromal period of the disease. Often with schizophrenia, irritability is combined with suspicion, isolation, increased sensitivity, and mood swings.

And finally, increased irritability is often observed in patients dementia- or acquired dementia. As a rule, these are elderly people whose dementia resulted from a stroke or age-related changes. In younger patients, dementia may occur as a result of severe traumatic brain injury, infections, or alcohol and drug abuse. In any case, people with dementia are prone to irritability, increased fatigue, and tearfulness.

Regarding psychopathy, then not all doctors consider it a disease. Many experts consider manifestations of psychopathy to be innate character traits. One way or another, irritability is definitely inherent in such people, especially with decompensation - i.e. during the period of exacerbation of symptoms.

Almost every disease of internal organs can be accompanied by increased irritability. But this symptom is especially characteristic of thyroid diseases, menopausal changes in a woman’s body, neurological problems.

Examination of a patient with irritability

Such a variety of diseases accompanied by irritability makes self-diagnosis impossible. Moreover, it is sometimes difficult for specialists to determine the cause of increased irritability, so a comprehensive examination of the body is necessary to clarify the diagnosis. It usually includes blood and urine tests, ECG, and ultrasound to identify possible pathologies of internal organs. If no pathology is found during a therapeutic examination, the patient may be referred to a neurologist, who may prescribe an electroencephalogram or MRI. These methods allow us to determine the state of the brain.

Patients with increased irritability usually come to a psychiatrist if a polyclinic examination does not reveal serious deviations in health, and irritability reaches such a degree that it interferes with the daily life of both the patient and his relatives. The psychiatrist evaluates the patient’s examination data by clinic specialists and, if necessary, can prescribe psychological testing to identify the characteristics of the patient’s temperament, the state of his memory and thinking.

How to get rid of irritability

Drug treatment for excessive irritability is prescribed by a specialist. If irritability is one of the symptoms of a mental illness, then the emphasis is on treating the underlying illness. For example, for depression, antidepressants are used (amitriptyline, Prozac, fluoxetine, etc.), which improve mood, and with a rise in mood, increased irritability goes away.

The doctor pays special attention to the patient’s sleep, because insomnia is the most likely cause of irritability. To normalize night rest, the doctor will prescribe sleeping pills (for example, Sanval) or tranquilizers (for example, phenazepam). For anxiety, “daytime tranquilizers” are used - medications that do not cause drowsiness (for example, rudotel).

If it is not possible to identify a significant mental pathology, but there is increased irritability that complicates the patient’s life, mild medications are used to help the body resist stressful situations. These are adaptol, notta, novopassit.

In addition to medications, various psychotherapeutic techniques aimed at relaxation (auto-training, breathing practices, etc.) or influencing human behavior in various life situations (cognitive therapy) are successfully used.

In folk medicine you can find a good range of remedies to combat irritability. These are decoctions and tinctures of medicinal plants (coriander, fennel, valerian, borage, motherwort, etc.), spices (cloves, cardamom, cumin), and some food products (honey, prunes, lemons, walnuts, almonds). Traditional healers often advise taking baths with yarrow, motherwort, and valerian. If irritability is caused by overload at work, troubles in personal life, pregnancy, menstruation or menopause and the person does not have a mental illness, then the use of traditional medicine can give good results.

In the case of mental pathology, treatment with folk remedies can be carried out with the permission of a psychiatrist, otherwise you can get the opposite result, for example, an exacerbation of the symptoms of the disease when taking hot baths.

An effective treatment for increased irritability without medications is yoga. They will help you better control your emotions and remain calm even in an emergency, not to mention everyday troubles.

Irritability cannot be ignored and attributed to difficult living conditions. Prolonged stay in a state of irritation depletes the nervous system and often leads to neuroses, depression, and aggravates problems in a person’s personal life and work. There is a danger of abusing alcohol to relieve irritability; sometimes patients become overly addicted to unhealthy foods, and these addictions, although they bring a false sense of relaxation, ultimately only aggravate the problem. You should definitely seek the help of a doctor if increased irritability has no obvious cause and lasts more than a week. If it is accompanied by anxiety, insomnia, low mood or strange behavior, you should consult a doctor immediately! Timely assistance from a specialist will help you avoid serious problems in the future.

Psychiatrist Bochkareva O.S.