Symptoms And Causes Of Irritability: Answering The Question "Why Am I So Irritable?"

Most of us probably know what it's like to be irritable. Sometimes there are things that seem to get under your skin and people who seem to irritate you no matter what you may do. 

There can be a lot of reasons why you might experience irritability, particularly if it’s something that occurs regularly. Understanding these reasons can help you learn how to overcome the challenges that can accompany irritability in a healthy way.

About irritability

When you feel irritable, your emotions may stem from a variety of sources. This might include things like fluctuations in blood sugar, underlying health conditions, and physical or mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, and chronic pain. Additionally, factors like sleep deprivation and premenstrual syndrome (PMS) can significantly impact your mood and lead to irritability.

Seeking medical advice for diagnosis or treatment can help identify and manage these issues effectively. A medically reviewed approach ensures you receive reliable guidance tailored to your specific needs.

Why am I so irritable?

Feelings of irritability and stress, along with their inherent symptoms, generally flare up when life becomes challenging. For instance, if you frequently interact with people who are disrespectful or otherwise difficult to work with, irritation may seem to set in and grow each day. Feeling a lack of control over these sorts of circumstances and stress-inducing changes is also likely to cause irritation.

Stress and irritability

Stress is arguably the most common reason behind irritability, and it tends to crop up when we're faced with demands and threats. You may also experience stress when you feel out of control, which might lead to irritability. Think about it — when was the last time you experienced irritability? What caused it? Were you stuck in traffic, unable to connect with a loved one, or faced with a seemingly impossible challenge? Each of the circumstances described above can show how stress and irritability are often closely linked and relatively common.

Even though occasional irritability can be normal, constant irritability can have adverse effects on our relationships and daily experiences. Continually snapping at friends after the slightest affront, for instance, may damage those friendships. Being grumpy toward your coworkers may alienate them while breeding a hostile work environment. Furthermore, being short with family can make your family life very unpleasant. One of the best ways to curb irritability, then, is to minimize your stress as best you can.

Mood or anxiety disorders

While stress is perhaps the most common reason behind irritability, mood and anxiety disorders can be a close second. Often, people underestimate the importance of mental health and its impact on our emotions. Anxiety disorders and bipolar disorder are just two examples of common mental illnesses that can produce regular feelings of irritability. In fact, the American Psychiatric Association cites irritability as one of the prime symptoms of overall anxiety disorders. 

Medical conditions

Irritability often accompanies various medical conditions. Unfortunately, people faced with conditions ranging in severity from Alzheimer's disease, Grave’s disease, and diabetes to the flu, and other ailments may experience feelings of irritability in addition to their other symptoms. Chronic illnesses can also create a sense of irritation due to the challenges that can come with frequently managing symptoms.

Symptoms of irritability

Anger, confusion, rapid breathing, sweating, and an increased heart rate may all act as symptoms of irritability. While fleeting feelings of irritation and these symptoms can happen at any time, prolonged or habitual feelings of irritability may lead to stronger symptoms. Knowing the symptoms of irritability may be only partially helpful, though; it can also be crucial to look within and discover the root cause of your irritation.

You may want to take a close look at the patterns of your daily life. When are you at ease? When do feelings of stress or irritability surface? Are you calm or agitated when you're alone, or with company? Are there specific people, situations, locations, or circumstances that irritate you more often than not?

Do not feel pressured to evaluate your life by yourself if you're uncomfortable doing so or aren’t sure how to go about it. After all, pressure can contribute to further irritation! It's okay to seek help from friends, family, or other loved ones. Often, being with loved ones can combat feelings of stress, tension, and irritability, as well.

How to handle irritability symptoms

If you're wrestling with unwanted symptoms of irritability, there may be precautions and steps you can take to prevent, remedy, and decrease them. Reducing caffeine or alcohol intake, warding off nervous energy, and pinpointing the source of your irritability can all work wonders.

Reducing caffeine/alcohol

Despite the popularity of alcohol and caffeine, these beverages can increase irritability for many people. This doesn't mean that one should never drink a cup of coffee or enjoy a glass of wine, but habitual consumers of alcohol and caffeine might benefit from cutting back.

Getting rid of negative energy

Negative energy tends to fester, especially when left unchecked. Sometimes a jog down the block, an intense workout at the gym, or even a hot, steamy shower can help you release negative energy that might have otherwise increased your irritability. If exercise isn’t appealing to you in the moment, you can try reading a book, practicing simple mindfulness, or even taking a nap to help reset yourself.

Pinpointing your triggers

Despite the merits of the above tips, one of the most effective ways to prevent irritability is to find the source of the problem. If you can stop irritability before it starts, you might find that boosting your mood becomes much easier. 

Sometimes, tackling irritability is as simple as finding the underlying cause. For instance, do interactions with a particular individual often dampen your mood? Is your job or current occupation doing more harm than good? When was the last time you went on a vacation, took a day off, or spent some quality time with a loved one? Have you been finding time to engage in hobbies that you enjoy and find fulfilling? 

Questions like these can be beneficial things to ask yourself if you're experiencing persistent irritability. In many cases, all you need to do is take a step back to regroup and evaluate the situation to find a solution that works.

Using therapy to help

In some cases, working with a certified and licensed professional can be the best way to manage chronic irritability. You deserve to be happy, prosperous, and fulfilled in your daily life. Irritability can be a sign that there’s something going on beneath the surface that might need to be addressed.

Few resources make receiving mental healthcare as attainable as online therapy does. Sessions can be conducted anytime, anywhere, including in the comfort of your own home. The online nature also means that it tends to be cheaper than conventional therapy, as you don’t have to commute to and from sessions.

In addition, research has found online therapy to be just as effective overall as in-person therapy. In fact, a study conducted by the University of New South Wales explored online therapy’s efficacy in treating anxiety and depression, both common side effects (or sometimes causes) or persistent irritability. They found that 3 months post-treatment, 80% of users could no longer be diagnosed with anxiety or depression – showcasing that online therapy can actually be more effective than conventional therapy for some.

Takeaway