9 causes of irritability and ways to cope with them

Irritation is one of the most common human emotions. And she's completely normal. This is how a nervous system on edge makes itself felt.

The most common cause is stress. More precisely, a defensive reaction to it, known as “fight or flight.” The adrenal glands release massive doses of stress hormones - adrenaline and noradrenaline - into the blood, the body mobilizes all physical resources to hit the offender or escape, and the nervous system at this time struggles to keep the body within civilized boundaries. She succeeds. But there is not much strength left to restrain oneself psychologically. This is where that irritability comes from.

However, sometimes there seems to be no obvious stress, but there is still a desire to lash out at others. In this case, we may be talking about some kind of malfunction in the body.

Lifehacker has collected nine of the most common, although not always obvious, causes of irritability. Analyze your lifestyle, diet, well-being, even the time of year - perhaps your condition is due to one of these factors.

You don't get enough sunshine

If irritability occurs in late autumn or winter, when daylight hours become shorter, we may be talking about so-called seasonal affective disorder (SAD). This is a type of depression, the development of which scientists associate Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) / Mayo Clinic with a lack of sunlight.

Ultraviolet radiation affects the body's ability to produce hormones important for mood - serotonin and melatonin. In addition, a lack of sunshine disrupts the internal biological clock. A person constantly feels depressed, sleep-deprived, and chronic irritability is only a consequence of these problems.

What to do

One of the best options is to take a vacation and move somewhere to sunnier climes. Preferably with a loved one in an embrace. If this is not possible, try to be outdoors as often as possible during daylight hours, and use bright light close to natural indoors. Well, don’t plan labor feats at work during the “dark” period of the year: they require effort, and your nervous system is already exhausted.

Let’s clarify right away: the recommendations above apply only to mild cases of SAD. Seasonal affective disorder is still a full-fledged depression, and sometimes it can only be corrected by taking antidepressants and psychotherapy.

Therefore, if you suspect that a lack of sunlight is hiding behind your irritability and depression, consult a therapist or psychotherapist.

Causes of irritability

Irritability occurs as a result of a combination of physiological, psychological and situational factors. It can manifest itself during certain periods of life - during stress, illness, increased workload - or be a feature of a person’s character. The causes of irritability are divided into three groups: physiological characteristics, psychological factors and various diseases.

Physiological reasons

Sudden reactions of anger and indignation often have a physiological basis - increased readiness of the nervous system, release of catecholamines and hormones, lack of compounds that ensure balanced self-regulation. This group of reasons includes:

1. Temperament.
   Temperament traits are based on the functioning of the central nervous system. People with a mobile and unstable type of nervous organization - choleric and melancholic - are prone to irritability.
2. Changes in hormonal levels.
   Hormonal imbalance is a lack of some hormones and an excess of others. It affects the functioning of the brain, in particular the functioning of the centers responsible for the manifestation of emotions. Therefore, irritability is common in women during menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause.
3. Fatigue.
   As fatigue accumulates, the ratio of excitation and inhibition processes in the nervous system changes, and the body's reactivity increases. A person’s ability to correctly evaluate incoming information and choose an adequate response deteriorates. The causes of irritability in such cases are everyday problems, communication with other people.
4. Lack of sleep.
   With inadequate sleep, the level of cortisol, the stress hormone, increases in the body. At the physiological level, the body becomes ready to fight - adrenaline is produced, glucose consumption increases, irritability and aggressiveness increase.
5. Vitamin deficiency.
   Hypovitaminosis and a lack of certain microelements negatively affect the functioning of the nervous and endocrine systems, causing mood changes, lethargy, apathy, irritability, and nervousness. Often these symptoms are triggered by a deficiency of B vitamins, iodine, zinc and magnesium.
6. Lack or excess of physical activity.
   Irritability and emotional imbalance can occur due to a sedentary lifestyle or when performing intense physical activity that does not correspond to the person’s level of training. In both cases, there is an imbalance in the processes of inhibition and excitation of the central nervous system.

Psychological reasons

Irritation is partly due to the characteristics of the human psyche, the ways in which he reacts to internal experiences and external events. Those most prone to increased irritability are those with unstable self-esteem, anxiety, and a low level of responsibility. The following factors can provoke increased irritability:

1. Stress.
   Daily mental stress, negative emotional experiences, and conflicts lead to the development of a stressful state. It is characterized by the mobilization of all body systems and the readiness to fight back against adverse influences. Increased irritability ensures a quick response to the slightest threat.
2. Frustration.
   With frustration, a person experiences a strong desire to take action to satisfy a need, but cannot carry it out - he encounters an obstacle, does not have enough resources (knowledge, time, money). As a result, he experiences disappointment, dissatisfaction, and irritation.
3. Neuropsychic exhaustion.
   A common cause of irritability is high emotional and intellectual stress, prolonged stress, which provokes a state of nervous exhaustion. At the same time, a person’s ability to work fully, communicate with people and relax is reduced. Instead, a feeling of hopelessness, irritability, and despondency grows.
4. Wrong upbringing.
   In some families, parents regularly show outbursts of irritation when communicating with each other and with their children. Gradually, the child adopts this way of responding to any unpleasant events. In adolescence and youth, irritability is consolidated and becomes a character trait.
5. Dissatisfaction.
   The inconsistency of any area of ​​life with the desired level is the cause of dissatisfaction, and as a result - irritability. Often people are not satisfied with their financial situation, conditions and content of work, and family relationships.

Mental and somatic illnesses

Irritability can be a symptom of mental disorders and somatic diseases. In case of mental disorders, the cause of irritability is the patient’s altered state of mind: emotional instability, decreased self-control, and inability to adequately assess current events are observed. In somatic diseases, there are two mechanisms that provoke irritability: primary – damage to the central nervous system or changes in the functioning of endocrine organs; secondary – long-term or severe course of the disease, worsening the quality of life. The most common reasons are:

1. Neurotic disorders.
   In neuroses, irritability is considered one of the leading symptoms; it is potentiated by insomnia and nervous exhaustion. Combined with anxiety, decreased performance, and depressed mood. Most characteristic of neurasthenia, depression, obsessive-compulsive neurosis.
2. Personality disorders.
   Psychopathy is a pathologically formed character with aggravated traits that interfere with social interaction. Patients with unstable, epileptoid and excitable type of disorder react to most situations too emotionally and impulsively: they conflict, get angry, and become irritated.
3. Schizophrenia.
   In schizophrenia, irritability often manifests itself in the prodromal period and during remissions. It is stimulated by a decrease in the ability to clearly perceive what is happening, suspicion of others, and loss of a sense of self-identification (Who am I? What am I?).
4. Epilepsy.
   In patients with epilepsy, the functioning of the brain changes, often affecting their character and behavior. A typical symptom of the disease is dysphoria - an emotional disturbance that is a combination of sadness, anger, anxiety and extreme irritability.
5. Organic lesions of the central nervous system.
   Demyelinating pathologies, neurodegenerative and vascular diseases, brain tumors, traumatic brain injuries, and intoxications constitute a group of organic neurological pathologies. In all cases, dystrophic changes in the nervous tissue occur and the functioning of neurons is disrupted. Often pathological processes cover areas of the brain responsible for emotions and behavior, as a result a person becomes irritable, impulsive, and whiny.
6. Endocrine pathologies.
   Hormonal diseases are accompanied by a violation of the humoral regulation of emotions. Depending on the nature of the hormone imbalance, the patient’s mood and behavior changes. Common causes of irritability are hyperthyroidism, diabetes mellitus, and Cushing's disease.
7. Alcoholism and drug addiction.
   In alcohol and drug addiction, irritability is caused, on the one hand, by intoxication - organic brain damage, on the other - by withdrawal syndrome, frustration of the need for the next intake of alcohol or drugs. Other symptoms are anxiety, wariness, unmotivated hatred of people.
8. Long-term serious illnesses.
   A long-term disease that limits a person’s activity, accompanied by pain, becomes a provoking factor of emotional disorders. Patients experience depression, despondency, melancholy, followed by periods of irritability and anger.

You don't get enough sleep

Sleep is critical to mental health in general and mood in particular. If you don't get enough sleep for any reason, be it night work, insomnia or sleep apnea, daytime fatigue and irritability are the predictable consequences.

What to do

If you're having trouble falling asleep or suspect you're having trouble getting a good night's rest (for example, feeling sleepy all the time), talk to your doctor. Lack of sleep has many causes, including those that require medication. And only a doctor can select the necessary therapy.

However, you can try to normalize your sleep using home methods. General rules:

• Go to bed at the same time every day.
• Make sure the bedroom is dark and well ventilated.
• Stop using gadgets (including TV) at least half an hour before going to bed.
• Don't eat too much dinner.
• Provide yourself with physical activity throughout the day.

general characteristics

Crying is a psychophysiological reaction that is accompanied by the release of tears, a sharp change in the rhythm of breathing, blood pressure and heartbeat, and involuntary contraction of the superciliary and periocular muscles.
In origin, it is a strong one-time mental experience that occurs in response to intense negative or positive stimuli. From a social point of view, crying is a way of expressing strong emotions. In childhood, physical pain is a common cause of tears. As you get older, this reaction weakens, but can persist in women with increased emotional lability. The term “tearfulness” refers to a character trait or temporary feature of the emotional-volitional sphere. It manifests itself as emotional imbalance, tearfulness: a person cries every day, the tears are caused by random memories, a tense conversation, the unpleasant intonation of the interlocutor, a scene from a movie. Often, tearfulness reduces social activity, interferes with maintaining close relationships, and provokes irritability and misunderstanding on the part of others.

Tearfulness is more common in women and children than in men. This is explained by biological reasons: women have more pronounced hormonal fluctuations (pregnancy, childbirth, menstrual cycle), children have a labile nervous system, so they easily become agitated even to minor stimuli. The cultural factor also influences increased tearfulness in women compared to men. Sensitivity and tearfulness are recognized as feminine traits, while men's tears are seen as a demonstration of weakness.

You eat too many sweets

Sugar is also an addictive drug. How Sugar Affects Your Mood / International Bipolar Foundation. It stimulates the areas of the brain that are responsible for pleasure. With regular consumption of sweets, the brain gets used to the stimulation, its sensitivity decreases - and as a result, we need more and more sugar to get the same dose of joy.

To process a large amount of sweets, the body begins to release a lot of insulin into the blood - a hormone that causes cells to actively extract glucose from the blood. Because of this, blood sugar levels drop sharply. Since its rapid fall means a threat to life, the body immediately releases adrenaline. This stress hormone triggers the notorious “fight or flight” response - we described its consequences above.

What to do

Try to figure out if you are consuming too much sugar. “Too much” is, of course, a flexible concept, but there are still some officially established limits.

For example, the American Heart Association insists How Much Sugar Is Too Much / American Heart Association:

• men should consume no more than 9 teaspoons (36 g) of sugar per day;
• women - no more than 6 teaspoons (24 g).

The American Dietary Guidelines are a little more humane: they limit the Dietary Guidelines 2015–2020. Executive Summary / US Department of Health and Human Services maximum sugar intake is 10% of daily caloric intake. For a person consuming 2,000 kcal per day, the maximum allowable dose of sugar is 200 kcal, or 50 g.

Please note that a standard can of cola contains 10 teaspoons (about 40 g) of sugar. If you drink one such jar every day, you are already exceeding the maximum dose established by cardiologists.

Therefore, try to reduce the usual amount of sweets - perhaps this is what will help you overcome irritability.

Talk to your inner child

Don't dismiss this advice. According to psychologist Margaret Paul, being angry at another person can be a signal that you're not taking care of yourself in a difficult situation. Talking to your inner child will help you identify what is wrong and be kinder to yourself.

“Imagine that the angry part of you is a hysterical child who really needs compassion,” Paul advises. - Imagine hugging him with kindness and compassion. Ask him why he is angry with you. Didn't you stand up for yourself? Made a concession instead of honestly expressing your opinion? Are you ignoring your negative experiences? Once you understand the cause of your anger, it will be easier for you to let it go.

You have a hormonal imbalance

Dozens of reasons can throw your hormonal balance out of balance. Here are the most common Irritability Causes / Healthline:

• premenstrual syndrome (PMS);
• polycystic ovary syndrome;
• menopause;
• hyperthyroidism - increased production of thyroid hormones;
• diabetes.

What to do

If irritability hits you on the eve of your period and goes away after it ends, you don’t need to do anything special. Just note to yourself that this is exactly your reaction to PMS, and try to reduce physical and emotional stress these days.

But if the period of irritability drags on for weeks or even months, it is worth consulting with a therapist. The doctor will conduct an examination, ask you to take blood and urine tests and, if necessary, refer you to a more specialized specialist.

Survey

Determining the causes of tearfulness is carried out by specialists from various fields - psychiatrists, neurologists, endocrinologists. Primary diagnosis is carried out using clinical methods, including interviewing the patient and his relatives, as well as observing behavior. In most cases, patients are able to critically evaluate their experiences, so they independently report to the doctor about frequent crying, emotional sensitivity, mood swings and other symptoms. A conversation with relatives helps to clarify the duration of the symptom and its causes. To establish the etiology of tearfulness, the following is used:

• Study of the emotional sphere of personality.
  Comprehensive psychodiagnostic testing allows us to determine the presence of depression, leading character traits and personality traits that are the basis of tearfulness. Various questionnaires (MMMPI, Cattell questionnaire) and projective techniques (color choice test, drawing of a person) are used.
• Laboratory studies of hormones.
  If a conversation with the patient does not reveal the psychological causes of tearfulness, but there are signs of an endocrine disease, a blood test is performed to determine the content of hormones. The concentration of hormones of the adrenal glands, thyroid, pancreas, parathyroid and/or gonads is examined.
• Instrumental studies of the brain.
  If the patient complains of emotional disturbances and there are signs of organic damage to the central nervous system, a neurological examination, CT and MRI of the brain, ultrasound of cerebral vessels and other diagnostic procedures are performed. The results make it possible to determine pathological changes in cerebral structures and tissues.

You are too tired physically

A lot of physical labor or training and little time for recovery - this is the right recipe. Are you getting too much exercise? / MedlinePlus fatigue and bad mood. When your body is overloaded, the stress hormone cortisol begins to be actively produced. Among other things, it causes irritability and anxiety.

What to do

Slow down. Rest at least 6 hours between workouts and be sure to give yourself a full day off (completely free from physical labor) at least once a week. If you feel that your irritability may be due to physical fatigue, take a longer break. For example, take a vacation.

Techniques to help you calm down during an attack

It is very difficult to notice your irritation and stop it. This requires training and good self-knowledge. You can neutralize an attack using special techniques, but you need to prepare in advance.

Don't be discouraged if you don't succeed the first time. I succeeded for the first time after about 2-3 months of regular practice.

Use supporting images

Professor James Gross from Stanford University proposes the “helping elements” technique. These could be pictures, notes, or safe words.

Pick the chorus of a fun song and start singing it when you feel like you're getting excited. If you're annoyed that your children don't want to fall asleep in the evening, hang a poster with a motivating phrase on the wall in their room. For example: “Set an example of restraint.” When I start to get angry, I remember a phrase from the Soviet film “The Irony of Fate” and say to myself: “Calm down, Ippolit, calm down.”

A change of scenery

Leave the room so as not to lash out at your children and husband. Take a bath. Allow yourself to drink a cup of coffee instead of continuing the annoying cleaning. Go out onto the balcony and get some fresh air.

The focus of attention shifts, and you can do the practice to calm yourself or just distract yourself. Try changing your occupation. For example, if you find it annoying to hang out your laundry, dust it off and then get back to your clothes.

Sewerage of emotions

Irritation is also energy. You can release it with a little physical activity: squats, jumping, warming up.

In some cases, screaming into a pillow or hitting a punching bag helps. But if you have a lot of suppressed aggression, then this raises a new wave of excitement, so do not abuse it this way.

Other good and safe ways:

• tear up old newspapers;
• inflate a balloon;
• wash with ice water;
• massage your feet.

This is a useful way to release emotions.

Visualization of irritation

This exercise is suitable for people with a well-developed imagination. You need to imagine the irritation as an image and then erase it from your thoughts when you feel the emotion.

For example, imagine that your consciousness is a blank sheet of paper. And the irritation is the black drawings on it. To remove it, remember how an eraser erases a pencil from a sheet of paper. Visualize this picture until you calm down.

Marsha Linehan, who is the author of Dialectical Behavior Therapy, offers another metaphor where your mind is a Teflon frying pan. And irritation is burnt food on it. Imagine how easily the char is removed from the frying pan and relax.

You are trying to give up cigarettes, coffee or alcohol

When you try to say goodbye to a particular habit to which you have already developed an addiction, withdrawal syndrome occurs (also known as abstinence, or withdrawal). The brain became accustomed to the effects of psychoactive substances that came with nicotine, alcohol, coffee, and drugs. And it takes time for it to start working without regular outside help.

Withdrawal symptoms include depressed mood, sleep problems, anxiety, and irritability.

What to do

Wait. When your body is rebuilt, that is, the dependence on the bad habit is overcome, you will regain peace of mind.

Why do we get irritated and angry

Anger arises when someone does something differently than we imagined. System-vector psychology says that without understanding the general principles of the structure of the human psyche, we are aware only of ourselves, we look at everyone through our own prism and expect people to realize their desires.

At every stage of interaction, we strive to get something from someone. If we don’t receive it, hostility, aggression, resentment, anger, and indignation arise. There is a way to mathematically accurately understand the difference between expectations and opportunities and determine their points of contact.

You are beginning to have a mental disorder

Irritability is one of the first symptoms of:

• anxiety disorder;
• bipolar disorder;
• schizophrenia;
• depression.

What to do

Mental disorders have other symptoms as well. For example, mood swings, loss of interest in activities that previously fascinated you, deterioration of memory and concentration, suspicion, isolation, character changes. If you observe something like this, contact a psychotherapist as soon as possible.

Exercises after an attack

After we have lost our temper and yelled at our household members, a feeling of guilt and an unpleasant aftertaste arises. Thoughts appear: “Why did I get so angry over a little thing?” To calm down, you need to get down to business.

Also, be sure to ask the person for forgiveness if you have taken it out on him. Explain your feelings, that you are tired or upset, and then engage with your thoughts.

Cleaning

A great way to get rid of anxiety and irritation is to organize the space around you. I like to sort through the contents of my desk cabinets, fold my clothes, and clean my bathroom.

By putting order in space, we put order in our thoughts, so this is a good way to understand ourselves.

You can also arrange books by author's name, color or thickness, and iron things. In general, any household chores will do. But this is good only for those who like to arrange their home.

Sports activities

Switching from emotional to physical stress is beneficial for our nervous system. A walk will lift your spirits, and a set of exercises will also improve your figure. After training, you will feel light in your body, you will be proud of yourself for doing something useful, and the irritation will go away.

Sports release the hormone endorphin in the body. If there is a lot of it, then irritation does not occur at all.

Yoga is also a great help, as it combines exercise and breathing practices. You can study at home using a YouTube video or join a group where you can also communicate with new people, which will charge you with positivity.

Drawing

Any creative process fills us with energy, so it is very useful to draw after an attack of irritation. After all, anger takes away our vitality. You can imagine what this emotion looks like, what size and color it is, and draw it on a piece of paper. Coloring books, painting by numbers and drawing simple patterns are also suitable.

There is even a separate direction in psychology - art therapy, useful for solving a variety of emotional problems. So be sure to try this method to balance your condition.

Are you taking medication?

Some drugs can affect your mood. Especially if you do not follow the dosage. For example, this applies to thyroxine, a medicine prescribed for insufficient production of thyroid hormones. Or prednisone Why am I so irritable? / The Healthy, used to combat allergies and asthma.

What to do

If you are taking any drug on a regular basis, look at the instructions, which list its side effects. If you find mood swings, anxiety, irritability among them, contact your doctor. He may be able to find an alternative medicine for you.

Diagnostics

Diagnosis of irritability is carried out by psychiatrists, psychotherapists, and psychologists. As a rule, identifying this problem is not difficult - patients or their relatives report changes in behavior, communication difficulties, and increased conflict. To collect complete information about the emotional state, the following methods are used:

• Conversation.
  During the interview, the doctor clarifies when the outbursts of irritability began, what situations cause them, how they affect the patient’s life, and whether the irritability has causes that are not related to psychological characteristics (somatic illnesses). More often, patients are critical of changing their emotions and are willing to talk about problems.
• Observation.
  During communication, the specialist notes external signs of irritability: changes in voice timbre, acceleration of speech, restlessness, fussiness, abruptness of movements. This condition can be caused by waiting for an appointment, questions from the doctor, or the surrounding environment.
• Psychodiagnostic questionnaires.
  Tests are used to study emotional and personal qualities. The level of irritability is assessed using the Bass-Darkey questionnaire, Cattell personality questionnaire, MMPI and other methods.
• Projective tests.
  If irritability is denied, the patient is asked to perform projective tasks that help identify hidden or unconscious personality traits. To diagnose irritability, the Wagner hand test, the Rosenzweig frustration test, and a drawing of a non-existent animal are used.

Comprehensive psychodiagnostics allows you to determine the causes of irritability