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

And periods of bad mood happen in the life of every person. However, someone copes with such states effortlessly, in a matter of days, while the other is annoyed for weeks. What to do if you notice such outbursts of aggression behind you?

A correct assessment of the problem is the first step towards its solution.

When evaluating any psychological problems, it is important to assess their type and severity. “Everything infuriates and annoys me, what should I do?” - this phrase can be said by two people, trying to express a completely different state. It is a normal reaction to get angry and feel resentment after some kind of conflict in relation to the person who was a participant in it. In the modern pace of life, fleeting outbursts of anger, which are forgotten after a few minutes, can be equated with the “norm” as well. It is quite natural to get very angry at a person who stepped on your foot or got nasty for no reason.

You 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 to do?” - a very pertinent question.

We remove irritants

The easiest way to get rid of negative emotions is to remove from your life what causes them. Quit talking to people you don't like, change jobs or places of residence, start going to bed on time, and set your alarm an hour later if you don't like it. Negative emotions only harm us, therefore, 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 to be surprised by the answers. Everything can annoy: from the color of dishes or furniture to your own habits or manners of communicating with 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 perception

Probably, deep down, every person would like to live on the ocean in a beautiful house, not to work and communicate only with the kindest and sweetest people. But, unfortunately, it is not always possible to change your life so drastically. Are you infuriated by work, living conditions, your environment, and in general everything annoys you? What to do in such a situation, if more irritants cannot be removed from your life? Universal advice in any life situations: 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. If work is annoying, remember what advantages this place has and how much you can earn. A neighbor is arguing with you - remember that all these are household trifles, and your family is waiting for you at home, and she has been living all alone for a long time. Try to look for the positive side in any situation and remember that most of today's problems are just grains of sand on your life path.

What to do when loved ones annoy?

Unfortunately, the sources of negative emotions can be not only inanimate objects and random people, but also the closest ones. Hostility towards relatives and regular conflicts with them can deprive peace of mind for a long time. If people with whom you live separately are enraged, you should try to keep communication to a minimum. Do not suffer from guilt and try not to discuss the current situation in principle. It is likely that over time everything will work out, and you will be able to resume close relationships.

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

It is quite another matter if what to do with negative emotions in relation to the closest person? It all depends on age and related factors. If the baby is still very young, it may be postpartum depression, and for its treatment it is best to consult a specialist. Children can also be annoying at moments of transitional age - regular tantrums of three-year-olds, manifestations of independence of first-graders, and 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 everything is harder, do not hesitate to ask for help from your spouse, grandmothers and other relatives.

Peace, only peace!

What to do if you are irritated almost constantly? The simplest and most logical answer is to learn to calm down! The least prone to stress and bad moods are people who are happy and satisfied with their own lives. An excess of negative emotions directly indicates that something is wrong with the one 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 centuries-old tips. When you feel like your nerves are on the edge, silently count to ten before you get into a conflict or give free rein to emotions. You can also try to drink a glass of water in small sips, take a few deep breaths or go outside.

attention management

How to learn to be calm when everything infuriates and irritates? 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 difficult at all. Learn to meditate on the go: did you have a fight with a work colleague? Think about your upcoming vacation, shopping and activities planned for the weekend, or anything else that interests you. However, do not get carried away with this technique, otherwise you risk earning the fame of a person who constantly has his head in the clouds. However, this character is better than the one who always annoys everything. What to do if you can’t remember anything pleasant quickly? Remember, your main goal is to take your mind off the problem. Try to remember a poem you once learned, count the squares on your wallpaper, or do something else to keep you occupied. And you will see - there will be no trace of irritation.

Reboot of consciousness

Very often, increased irritability is a direct consequence of chronic fatigue. If you consistently do not get enough sleep and are daily subjected to high physical and mental stress, you should rest. The best option is to take a vacation, but if this is not possible, go to the spa on the weekend or just go to bed and stay in bed until you have had enough sleep. As practice shows, even a banal "sofa" rest can give calmness and a charge of vivacity. Indeed, if you spend a day or two in a relaxed position, reading or watching movies, you can feel much better.

Physical update

Quite 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 useful.

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

We get annoyed when we allow someone or something to tease us, or rather react to it. Why do we react? Because it has to do with us, hits the sick, contradicts beliefs, desires,. Based on this, the causes of 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 is preceded and dangerous by outbursts of anger. This is the first signal of the body that something needs to be changed, it is impossible to endure the current conditions further. The scheme of development of emotions is as follows: discontent (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 is an option.
In some cases, irritability is due to hormonal changes, for example, in adolescence, women during pregnancy or before menstruation. With other hormonal disruptions, 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 cases described do not cause such fears as the situation in which irritation turned into irritability and became a feature. The most popular cause of chronic irritability is a feeling of inferiority, loss of one's status, 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 grows, 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 whatever 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 let you know about yourself, but this complex inevitably signals a weakening of the body's defenses, the need to combat irritability.

The attacks of irritation themselves are manifested individually. Some people manage to keep external calm to the last, but boil inside (you can’t do this), others fall into tantrums and tears, others break down at everyone.

Irritability in women

Women suffer from irritability more often than men, 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 housekeeping.

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

tearfulness
sleep disorders,
depressed mood,

Hormonal problems are treated by an endocrinologist and a 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. If an internal feeling of dissatisfaction is superimposed on this, and a feeling, then the situation is aggravated.

Male irritability often results in outbursts of anger and becomes destructive. However, men can hold back irritation longer, endure, keep silent. Where a woman immediately starts screaming, a man will remain silent. But that is 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,. In addition, irritability can be a form of protest against parental overprotection or, conversely, authoritarian parenting.

Irritability is more emotional than in adults. Although the specificity of manifestations depends on the age of the child. For example, young children are more likely to cry, bite, scratch. Preschool children are stubborn. Younger students violate discipline. Adolescents show aggression, slam doors, withdraw into themselves. In addition to age, the reactions depend on the character (cholerics and melancholics are more prone to irritability) and other innate characteristics of the child.

How to get rid of irritability

You need to understand the causes of constant irritability. Probably, the matter is in the current, accumulated problems, locked emotions or fatigue. Assess your daily routine, nutrition, sleep. Is irritability caused by overwork? If so, then change your lifestyle. Perhaps it's not even fatigue, but one intrusive detail, for example, an uncomfortable chair. Remember when you first felt irritable, what discomfort could cause it.
If the reason lies deeper (dissatisfaction with yourself, life, work, complexes, anxiety, fear, stress), then honestly describe your desires and claims (what does not suit you). Next, 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, are also causes of irritability.
Set aside time every day to relax in the form of a favorite and useful thing. Write a list of 30 favorite things to do (more or less) and choose something from it every day.
Develop self-control. Learn to recognize when tension reaches its peak (the desire to scream and stomp, muscle tension is felt, the pulse quickens, palms sweat, and so on). Make it a rule at such moments not to make decisions, not to talk, but to practice (auto-training, relaxation, breathing techniques). And only after you calm down, it is rational to resolve issues.
Change. Refuse the phrases “another terrible day”, “nothing good will happen again”, “go there again”. Form and pronounce positive attitudes. Stop seeing 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 ignore what's bothering you. Don't try to avoid conflict or please everyone. Learn to communicate and have productive conflicts. To do this, it is enough to inform the interlocutor about your feelings in a calm tone: “I am annoyed by the commanding tone, please speak softer.” And then discuss the differences.
Throw out your annoyance at sports, singing at karaoke, shouting in the field, and the like.
Reduce portions of coffee, sugar and alcohol, of course, if the irritation is not caused by the rejection of them.
find yourself. Irritability is a defensive reaction of the body. What is he trying to protect you from and encourage you to at least some activity (in this case, destructive and aggressive)? Say thank you to him and start acting consciously.
Watch yourself, start a "diary of irritability", where you will record its appearance, intensification and weakening. Remove from life, if possible, all irritants (objects and subjects, after contact with which the irritation intensifies). Perhaps this is the most difficult stage. Especially when it turns out that you need to change jobs or break off relationships, to 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 to the situation.

If the situation does not lend itself to self-adjustment, then it is worth visiting a psychotherapist. Typically, irritability is treated with cognitive behavioral therapy. Its goal is to help the individual identify the causes of her behavior and learn to control these reactions, to understand and study herself.

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

Emergency help

If you need to urgently deal with irritability:

Use the count to ten, the method of switching attention to pleasant memories, the technology of changing activities and distractions (walking, running, cleaning), draw on paper and tear it up, wave your hands.
After that, write down on paper the possible consequences of irritation and its incorrect expression. Ask how it will hurt you. You need it?
Do an auto workout. 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 derive joy from friendly interaction with the world.” It is better to carry out this auto-training daily.
Do a breathing exercise. There are many methods of respiratory relaxation. For example, you can use this technique: take a prone position, inhale through your nose, rounding your stomach, exhale through your mouth, pulling in your stomach. Breathe slowly and deeply. Repeat no more than 10 times. Try another 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 a doctor first! For example, it is not recommended to resort to them for heart disease and at the time of a cold.

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

Of course, you are aware that they are often blamed for emotions and moods. There is a grain of truth here, and a significant one. And the main roles in the performance based on the novel "Infuriates" are played by this company.

1. Estrogen and progesterone are female sex hormones.

Their level and proportional ratio change during the cycle. Hormones give you a set of vivid sensations in the form of PMS. Or rather, not exactly them. Emotions - a reaction to a change in hormonal levels from the side of the central nervous system(CNR). I wondered why for some ladies the premenstrual syndrome passes relatively calmly, but for someone life is not sweet? Yes, the first ones are unpleasant lucky people, but that's not the only thing.

“If the central nervous system reacts so painfully to hormonal changes, there are some problems in the body,” explains the endocrinologist of 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 the 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 there it will be seen whether they will prescribe you anti-inflammatory drugs, prescribe COCs or refer you to a psychotherapist.

2. Thyroid hormones are thyroid hormones.

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

“An important detail: the person himself feels good at the same time, the mood is often upbeat. People around him will complain about him,” says Yuri. Therefore, if different citizens more and more often utter phrases like: “You have become unbearable”, “It is impossible to deal with you”, in relation to your wonderful person, there is a reason to turn to an endocrinologist. An additional incentive should be the accompanying symptoms: hair falls out, nails become brittle, constantly throws you into a fever, the cycle is broken, and the weight suddenly disappears.

By the way, a lack of magnesium in the body can also cause nervousness and irritability. Of course, you should not prescribe it to yourself (adverse and allergic reactions have been recorded, plus interaction with other drugs must be taken into account), but in which case it will not hurt to take tests and consult with a specialist.

Everything is annoying due to fatigue

The so-called manager syndrome (synonymous with chronic fatigue) is a common thing today. Workaholics, managers, perfectionists are used to living on wear and tear, ignoring their physiological needs, saving on food and sleep. How can you not growl here? " Gradually, this leads to the depletion of the body's resources, and asthenia may develop - a painful condition., which at the initial stage is just 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 resting in this state does not help, you need to go to the doctor and start an examination: it is possible that some kind of sluggish chronic disease is undermining 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), indigestion, increase the risk of thrombosis,” Alexander continues, “with hypertension, instead of a calming effect, it has a tonic effect, and sometimes lead to apathy. In general, taking something on your own is not the best option.”

Everything is annoying because of the psyche

Everything is in order with your health, there is no psychopathology, but you still live like on a volcano? Here is the definition of your emotions given by our expert psychologist, gestalt therapist, researcher at the Center for Secondary Education of the ASOU, teacher Victoria Chal-Boru: “ To piss off means to provoke someone to the extreme degree of anger.". The latter, as Vika explains, we need in order to survive, protect ourselves, and also establish social ties, 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, better use it, integrate it into life, or, conversely, push it away. "Then the extreme degree of anger may indicate that one of the processes described is running, some of the needs - to stay alive and / or be with someone - requires implementation." So rabies is a lot about relationships. Let's talk about them then.

Basically, it's natural to get angry. Especially in a society where there are so many people - and the requirements for the individual, respectively, are also quite a few. Plus rudeness and aggression at every turn. " We go berserk when we endure for a long time, consciously or unconsciously: we don’t know how to do it differently, we miss early signals from the psyche and we don’t make decisions about how to cope with what we don’t like, - says Victoria. “There are those who do not hesitate. I don’t like something, right away - I hit, shouted, moved, trampled. These people are easier. For them, relationships - in principle or with some specific person - are not a valuable thing. There is nothing to strain here, sent to hell - and there are no problems.

Another thing is if social connections are important or even overvalued (which is typical for neurotics): let's say you are terribly afraid of losing a friend or boyfriend. Either the hands are tied, for example, by corporate culture and it is impossible to send an idiot customer to hell. Then, in order to maintain relations, one has to take a patient position, be silent, adjust in order to be close to someone or not to lose a lucrative contract. And then all that's left is to suffer.

“When everyone and everything is enraged, it means that everyone and everything is very necessary, but it’s impossible to take something important from people or the environment. There is a lot, a lot of power that is not being used. It looks like despair associated with the inability to get through to people, ”continues Vika. But here a legitimate question arises. And if, for example, you snapped at the saleswoman, yelled at the boss, discussed with your friends the reptile who did not call, is this not a surge of energy? “In anger, it is important where and how to direct it., - retorts our expert. - Good for business. Having yelled at the boss, it is unlikely that you will be able to establish contact with him; get your way, even more so. When a person raises his voice, a discharge occurs and the tension seems to decrease a little. But everything else remains the same.” Moreover, a feeling of guilt is added: oh, maybe in vain I offended Sergei Petrovich!

Who has been forgotten? A manicurist who is so interested in your family's future. It would seem, that's really someone who, but she definitely doesn't mean anything to you. But it's annoying! However, with "unnecessary" people, you also have to build relationships and set the right distance. It is possible that you let the lady get too close - and now she is already invading your personal life, one might say, she comes to your house, sits on the sofa, drinks coffee. It is more convenient to analyze such cases at the reception of a psychologist. Why is everyone so important? Perhaps it's the lack of good close relationships: while they are not there, you bring anyone closer to you.

What to do if everything is annoying

“The beauty of the situation is that you have a choice, opportunities, and most importantly, the strength to change everything,” sums up Victoria Chal-Boru. And he offers to work productively with it. So when things get mad...

Stop, sit back, or even lie down.
Allow yourself to take time for yourself.(fifteen to thirty minutes).
Localize your feelings: feelings, tension, tingling, trembling.
Be honest about who and what you don't like. Don't forget anyone, including that guy in the elevator who didn't let you go ahead. Do not rely on memory, take a sheet of paper, but more, and write everything down.
Look what wonderful people- in some way 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: e.g., inner circle, buddies, far circle.
The hardest 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, the crowds in the subway are infuriating. This is a distant circle that maliciously invades your life twice a day during peak hours. What can you want in such a relationship? Of course, push a bunch of people away. But you understand: they will not move on their own. Choose what you will do: put on headphones or aggressive clothes - dirty, dirtying others; you start roaring at everyone passing by, pushing, meditating; buy a car or start walking; in the end, you will change jobs.
In the inner circle, the settings are thinner, although the needs may be similar. Move away or bring closer? Defend your borders from invasion or make closer contact? Again, decide for yourself. Ignore and endure, take risks and approach, be interested in a 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 you don't like about sex. At worst, ask him to convey something important to his mother: she is not a member of your family.
Colleagues and partners. Professional relationships are a separate area, with a special type of distance and rules that, alas, are not set 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: to obey and rage, to obey and accept, to obey and agree on possible changes in working conditions.
In the case when you want to enter into a relationship, to be in them, make up your mind and take a risk - start approaching people. Pay attention to them, note how different they are (and sometimes strange, yes), be interested, be curious, invite to communicate. Be sure that your "body movements" will not go unnoticed.
When you have already begun to take all these responsible actions, observe if something changes, and try not to devalue what is happening right away. 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 it's better to be angry than to endure changes in your life. And this is also your decision and your choice.

Irritability, nervousness, bad mood, discontent - all these sensations and unpleasant states can haunt a person, intertwining together. What leads to such a state?

Causes of irritability

It can be anything, from the wrong organization of working hours and free time, ending with minor domestic troubles. Very often you can observe people who are trying to throw out their negativity for any reason, even if it is the most insignificant. And they explain all this simply - with 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 deal with and treat.

It is clear that a tired person is quickly irritated. So that the work is not stressful, does not seem monotonous, everything possible should be done so that the workplace is not only comfortable, but also beautiful, because important matters are decided here. If you do not worry about this, then excessive irritability will not take long, 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, with banal overwork, can get out of balance. At the same time, serious problems become threatening to their health. Patience and self-control are out of the question.

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

How to get rid of irritability

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

Stronger individuals who know how to control themselves and their emotions are looking for a different approach: they do hard sports, take deep breaths, try to distract themselves in different ways. And it is right.

Of course, it is difficult to calm down in a stressful state, and breakdowns of the nervous system are quite difficult to recover. That is why, knowing all the pitfalls, it is best to try to make every effort and prevent this from happening. It is not difficult to do this, you just have to try to avoid these states, which means that you need to respect yourself, love, 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 side of symptoms, then it represents excessive excitability with the patient's tendency to show negative emotions. But the most important thing is that these same emotions exceed the strength of the very factor that caused them. In other words, we can say that even a small nuisance, on which you can not cycle and just forget it, causes an unjustified flurry of negative experiences.

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

We must not forget about such states of mentally unhealthy people. In this case, the main reasons are the increased reactivity of the central nervous system, which develops under the influence of factors such as heredity of character, hormonal disruptions, 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 restructuring of the body that “gives” women nervousness, irritability and other troubles.

How is irritability detected in patients

Self-diagnosis, and especially self-treatment, is completely impossible with such disorders. In a wide variety of diseases, where symptoms become a bad mood, drowsiness, irritability or nervousness, only a specialist can figure it out. After all, it is difficult to quickly determine the cause. Very often, a complete examination of the body is required with a complex of tests, which includes an ECG, ultrasound, urine and blood tests. Only in this way is it possible to identify the pathology and make the correct diagnosis.

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

Another specialist who deals with anxiety problems is a psychiatrist. Those who have no serious deviations in the outpatient examination were sent there, while the unbalanced state interferes with everyday life for everyone - both the patient and others. The psychiatrist evaluates all previous examinations, prescribes additional tests of memory, thinking and temperament of a person.

What diseases are associated with irritability syndrome?

Most often, this condition occurs with neurosis, depression, stress disorders after trauma, psychopathy, drug addiction and alcoholism. Quite often you can observe irritability before childbirth. The list goes on and on, and there will be schizophrenia, drug addiction and dementia.

Schizophrenia

Irritability in people with this syndrome should be a cause for serious fear of future psychotic conditions. 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 the result of insomnia, and in neuroses this is often the case.

depression

With depression, irritability in women and men will be accompanied by a bad mood, inhibition in actions and thinking, and insomnia. There is also the opposite state - this is mania. People suffering from this disease are irritable, angry, and their thinking is accelerated and disordered. And in fact, and in another case, there will be a deterioration in sleep. And constant fatigue causes even greater imbalance.

post-traumatic nervousness syndrome

Experiencing the strongest shock, most people experience a stress disorder. It's called post-traumatic. At the same time, irritability is intertwined with anxiety, nightmares, insomnia and obsessive thoughts, usually unpleasant.

Nervousness and withdrawal syndrome

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

dementia

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

Psychopathy

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

It must be remembered that almost any disease that affects the internal organs will be accompanied by an increase in nervousness. This also applies to diseases of the thyroid gland, and 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 remove increased irritability is to figure out where it comes from and remove its cause. It can be very difficult to do this on your own, so for this it is better to turn to. Other methods will only give a temporary effect, but sometimes this is not bad.

Exercise stress

Physical activity will help to release excess steam and burn hormones that affect aggressive behavior. Any sport or physical work is well suited for this. If you find a useful physical activity, then 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 just go in for affordable sports. The simplest is running or brisk walking.

Baths

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

Decoctions for drinking

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

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

Each of us at least once met people who overreact to ordinary everyday troubles. And sometimes we ourselves throw out a bunch of negative emotions for some insignificant reason. Then we say to ourselves - "I'm annoyed", "I'm freaked out." People who are often in such a state of mind, we call "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 a patient with a tendency to display negative emotions, while the strength of emotions significantly exceeds the strength of the factor that caused them (i.e., a minor nuisance causes an abundant flow of negative experiences). Each person has been in this state more than once, even the most mentally healthy person has moments of fatigue, poor physical health, periods of a “black 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 the point of view of physiology is the increased reactivity of the central nervous system, which develops under the influence of various factors: hereditary (characteristics), internal (hormonal disruptions, 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 such mental illnesses as depression, neuroses, post-traumatic stress disorder, psychopathy, alcoholism and drug addiction, schizophrenia, dementia.

At depression irritability is combined with a consistently low mood, some "inhibition" of thinking, insomnia. There is a condition opposite to depression - in psychiatry it is called mania. In this state, it is also possible to have increased irritability, up to anger, in combination with an inadequately elevated mood, accelerated to disorderly thinking. In both depression and mania, sleep is often disturbed, which can be the cause of irritability.

At neuroses irritability is quite often combined with anxiety, symptoms of depression, increased fatigue. And in this case, irritability may be the result 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, intrusive unpleasant thoughts.

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

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

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

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

Almost every disease of the internal organs can be accompanied by increased irritability.. But this symptom is especially characteristic of thyroid disease, menopausal changes in the body of a woman, 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, ultrasound to detect possible pathology of the 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 you to determine the state of the brain.

Patients with increased irritability come to a psychiatrist, as a rule, if the polyclinic examination did 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 data of the examination of the patient by the polyclinic specialists and, if necessary, may 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

Medical treatment of 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 ailment. For example, for depression, antidepressants (amitriptyline, Prozac, fluoxetine, etc.) are used, which improve mood, and with a rise in mood, increased irritability also goes away.

The doctor pays special attention to the patient's sleep, because insomnia is the most likely cause of irritability. To normalize the night's rest, the doctor will prescribe sleeping pills (for example, sanval) or tranquilizers (for example, phenazepam). For anxiety, "daytime tranquilizers" are used - drugs 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, soft drugs are used that contribute to the body's resistance to stressful situations. These are adaptol, notta, novopassit.

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

In folk medicine, you can find a good range of remedies to combat irritability. These are decoctions and tinctures from medicinal plants (coriander, fennel, valerian, borage, motherwort, etc.), spices (cloves, cardamom, cumin), some food products are also used (honey, prunes, lemons, walnuts, almonds). Often traditional healers advise taking baths with yarrow, motherwort, 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 a good result.

In the case of a 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 irritability without medication is yoga. They will help you better control your emotions and stay calm even in an emergency, not to mention everyday troubles.

Irritability cannot be ignored and attributed to difficult living conditions. A long stay in a state of irritation exhausts the nervous system and often leads to neurosis, depression, and exacerbates problems in a person’s personal life and work. There is a danger of alcohol abuse in order to relieve irritability, sometimes patients are overly addicted to junk food, and these addictions, although they bring a false sense of relaxation, ultimately only exacerbate the problem. Be sure to seek the help of a doctor if increased irritability has no obvious cause and lasts more than a week. If she is accompanied by anxiety, insomnia, low mood or strange behavior - a visit to the doctor should be urgent! Timely assistance from a specialist will help to avoid serious problems in the future.

Psychiatrist Bochkareva O.S.