Irritability is a temporary reaction or a permanent character trait, which is based on increased responsiveness to external and internal influences, a tendency to intense reaction to weak negative stimuli. Another flash of irritation can provoke a bright light, a loud sound, the actions of other people, their own thoughts. Irritability is manifested by anger, anger, aggression, increased heart rate and breathing, muscle tension. Diagnostics is carried out during the conversation, psychological testing. Treatment includes psychotherapy, sedatives, and antidepressants.
Causes of irritability
Irritability occurs as a result of a combination of physiological, psychological and situational factors. It can manifest itself at certain periods of life - with stress, illness, increased stress - 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 causes
Sudden reactions of anger and indignation often have a physiological basis - an increased readiness of the nervous system, the release of catecholamines and hormones, a lack of compounds that ensure a balance of self-regulation. This group of reasons includes:
- Temperament. Temperamental traits are based on the features of the functioning of the central nervous system. People with a mobile and unstable type of nervous organization are prone to irritability - choleric and melancholic.
- Change in hormonal background. 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 characteristic of women during menstruation, pregnancy, menopause.
- Fatigue. With the accumulation of fatigue, the ratio of the processes of excitation and inhibition in the nervous system changes, and the reactivity of the body increases. A person's ability to correctly evaluate incoming information and choose an adequate response is deteriorating. The reasons for irritability in such cases are everyday problems, communication with other people.
- Lack of sleep. Inadequate sleep in the body increases the level of cortisol - the stress hormone. At the physiological level, the body becomes ready to fight - adrenaline is produced, glucose consumption increases, irritability and aggressiveness increase.
- Vitamin deficiency. Hypovitaminosis and lack of certain microelements negatively affect the work of the nervous and endocrine systems, causing mood changes, lethargy, apathy, irritability, nervousness. Often these symptoms are provoked by a deficiency of B vitamins, iodine, zinc and magnesium.
- Lack or excess of physical activity. Irritability and emotional imbalance can occur with a hypodynamic lifestyle or when performing intense physical activity that does not correspond to the level of a person’s fitness. 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 peculiarities of the human psyche, the ways of its response to internal experiences and external events. The 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:
- Stress. Daily mental stress, negative emotional experiences, conflicts lead to the development of a stressful state. It is characterized by the mobilization of all body systems, the readiness to fight back against adverse influences. Increased irritability ensures a quick response at the slightest threat.
- Frustration. With frustration, a person experiences a strong desire to take an 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, discontent, irritation.
- 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 fully work, communicate with people and relax is reduced. Instead, a feeling of hopelessness, irritability, and despondency grows.
- Wrong upbringing. In some families, parents regularly show temper tantrums when interacting 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 fixed, it becomes a character trait.
- Dissatisfaction. The inconsistency of any sphere 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, family relationships.
Mental and somatic diseases
Irritability can be a symptom of mental disorders and somatic diseases. With mental disorders, the cause of irritability becomes an altered state of mind of the patient: there is emotional instability, a decrease in self-control, and an inability to adequately assess ongoing events. In somatic diseases, there are two mechanisms that provoke irritability: primary - damage to the central nervous system or a change in the functioning of the endocrine organs; secondary - a long or severe course of the disease, worsening the quality of life. The most common reasons are:
- neurotic disorders. In neuroses, irritability is considered one of the leading symptoms, potentiated by insomnia and nervous exhaustion. Combined with anxiety, decreased performance, depressed mood. Most characteristic of neurasthenia, depression, obsessional neurosis.
- Personality disorders. Psychopathy is a pathologically formed character with exacerbated features that interfere with social interaction. Patients with an unstable, epileptoid and excitable type of disorder react to most situations too emotionally and impulsively: they conflict, get angry, annoyed.
- 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, loss of a sense of self-identification (Who am I? What am I?).
- Epilepsy. In patients with epilepsy, the work of the brain changes, often this is reflected in their character and behavior. A typical symptom of the disease is dysphoria - an emotional disturbance, which is a combination of melancholy, anger, anxiety and extreme irritability.
- Organic lesions of the central nervous system. Demyelinating pathologies, neurodegenerative and vascular diseases, brain tumors, craniocerebral injuries, intoxications constitute a group of organic neurological pathologies. In all cases, dystrophic changes in the nervous tissue occur, the work of neurons is disrupted. Often, pathological processes cover the areas of the brain responsible for emotions and behavior, as a result, a person becomes irritable, impulsive, tearful.
- Endocrine pathologies. Hormonal diseases are accompanied by a violation of the humoral regulation of emotions. Depending on the nature of the imbalance of hormones, the patient's mood and behavior change. Common causes of irritability are hyperthyroidism, diabetes mellitus, Itsenko-Cushing's disease.
- Alcoholism and drug addiction. With alcohol and drug addiction, irritability is caused, on the one hand, by intoxication - an organic brain lesion, on the other hand, by withdrawal syndrome, frustration of the need for the next intake of alcohol or drugs. Other symptoms are anxiety, alertness, unmotivated hatred of people.
- Prolonged severe illness. A prolonged illness that limits a person's activity, accompanied by pain, becomes a provoking factor in emotional disorders. Patients experience depression, despondency, melancholy, followed by periods of irritability and anger.
Diagnostics
Irritability is diagnosed by psychiatrists, psychotherapists, psychologists. As a rule, identifying this problem is not difficult - patients or their relatives report changes in behavior, communication difficulties, increased conflict. To collect complete information about the emotional state, the following methods are used:
- Conversation. During the interview, the doctor clarifies when the outbreaks of irritability began, what situations they are caused by, how they affect the patient's life, whether irritability has causes that are not related to psychological characteristics (somatic diseases). More often, patients are critical to changing their emotions and are ready to talk about problems.
- observation. In the process of communication, the specialist notes external signs of irritability: a change in the timbre of the voice, acceleration of speech, restlessness, fussiness, and sharpness of movements. This condition can be caused by waiting for an appointment, questions from the doctor, and the environment.
- Psychodiagnostic questionnaires. Tests aimed at studying emotional and personal qualities are used. The level of irritability is assessed using the Bass-Darky questionnaire, the Cattell personality questionnaire, MMPI and other methods.
- Projective tests. When irritability is denied, the patient is offered to perform projective tasks that allow revealing 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
Treatment
Group behavioral therapy
The main task of group trainings is to change the patient's behavior, get rid of the feeling of dissatisfaction, teach constructive ways of expressing grievances, claims, and comments. In the classroom, participants recreate conflict situations, try to use emotion switching techniques, and take the position of an interlocutor. After the main training, a collective discussion of experiences, including irritation, is carried out.
Individual consultations of a psychotherapist
In addition to behavioral methods, there are sessions aimed at mastering the skills of relaxation and distraction. The psychotherapist discusses with the patient the possible causes of irritability - stress, nervous exhaustion, problems in family life and at the workplace. Of the practical skills that help relieve stress, breathing techniques and auto-training are the most effective.
Medical treatment
With severe irritability against the background of somatic or mental illness, drug therapy is prescribed. The doctor selects drugs individually, focusing on a set of symptoms. Irritability, which is caused by depression and low mood, is eliminated with the help of antidepressants. Sleeping pills are used to normalize sleep, tranquilizers reduce anxiety and increase concentration.