Why do i feel so irritable all the time

- Hormones can affect our mood and vice versa - mood affects the hormonal system. If there are no reasons for irritation, and a person is often quick-tempered and dissatisfied with everything in the world, in addition to a psychologist, it is worth contacting an endocrinologist. After all, this is one of the symptoms of a variety of disorders.

Most often, the thyroid gland is to blame for increased emotionality. Strong causeless irritability can be a sign of its increased function (hyperthyroidism). In such a situation, the thyroid gland can increase in size and produce an excess amount of thyroid hormones (T3 - triiodothyronine and T4 - thyroxine). Their excess production often occurs against the background of stress (chronic or acute) and occurs after childbirth (postpartum thyrotoxicosis). In this case, TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone) decreases as the main marker of changes in the thyroid gland. If these two points are excluded, it means that a certain hormonal failure has occurred in the body, which needs to be studied more deeply.

Testosterone can also act as an irritant, which makes men more courageous. Its large amount in the representatives of the stronger sex does not always cause aggression, but with women things are different. Increased testosterone can anger even a meek lady.

Other "characters" come into play in stressful situations. Let's say a car sped by unexpectedly. The adrenal cortex instantly releases a chemical “cocktail” into the blood, which includes adrenaline (which helps to quickly navigate the situation and make decisions) and norepinephrine (opens access to the power resource and turns on aggression).

If a person is under chronic stress, his level of the hormone cortisol rises, which, by the way, contributes to the accumulation of fat in the abdominal cavity. There is even such a thing as a “cortisol tummy”. And you can go to the gym as much as you like, but the extra kilos in this area will not disappear until you work on your emotional state.

Irritability is also a symptom of:

1. liver diseases;
2. Alzheimer's disease;
3. diabetes mellitus;
4. complex recovery process after a stroke.

— Everyone knows that adolescence is the age of protest and rebellion, why does this happen?

— During puberty, the pituitary gland (a brain appendage in the form of a rounded formation) begins to work actively in a teenager. He has many worries. It stimulates and builds the work of a number of "soldiers": sex hormones, thyroid hormones, FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone), LH (luteinizing hormone), prolactin, insulin and others. All this leads not only to physical, but also to psychological changes.

Parents need to understand and forgive this period, because until the teenage organism sorts everything out, the hormonal “storm” can provoke: aggression, whims, irascibility, stubbornness, mood swings and other unpleasant moments in the child's behavior.

— Is it true that every month many women become irritable due to premenstrual syndrome?

- Yes, PMS is a period that occurs 7-10 days before menstruation. And this is by no means a fictional condition, but a diagnosis approved by doctors.

Indeed, the syndrome can have an extremely negative effect on mood, and it manifests itself in 20-50% of women. Moreover, the older the fair sex, the more often this happens. The reasons are not fully understood, but the predisposing factors are known:

1. heredity;
2. body sensitivity to estrogen or progesterone;
3. deficiency of vitamins and microelements.

— What elements do we need for peace of mind?

— Deficiency of any elements affects both well-being and mood. I would pay particular attention to magnesium. Its lack can provoke tearfulness, apathy, sadness and, of course, irritation. As a rule, doctors prescribe it in tandem with vitamin B6, which also normalizes the activity of the nervous system.

The same elements have a beneficial effect on sleep. Therefore, do not rush to buy sleeping pills at the pharmacy (especially since some drugs have a bad effect on sleep phases). Better consult with experts. They will prescribe you a course of medicines containing magnesium and vitamin B6, which also help fight insomnia. By the way, pregnant women are prescribed magnesium in the early stages so that the fetal nervous system is properly formed.

— What other tips for inner harmony could you give?

— Be sure to observe the daily routine. This is really very important. You need to sleep in absolute darkness. Close the windows with thick curtains, try not to use nightlights. Only in complete darkness, a sufficient amount of the hormone melatonin is produced. It promotes the production of the happy hormone serotonin. Its maximum release occurs from 00:00 to 04:00, but even if a little light enters the closed eyelids, the amount of melatonin is reduced. As a result, waking up, a person feels overwhelmed and irritable, even if his night's rest lasted the prescribed 8 hours.

Move more. Physical activity also increases serotonin levels. Ever felt energized after a workout? Everyday problems no longer seem so terrible, and even physical fatigue seems pleasant.

Be careful with sedatives when you don't know the cause of your difficult condition. If irritability becomes too frequent your companion, consult a doctor and psychologist. The sooner you understand what's wrong, the sooner you solve this problem with minimal health risks.

Recommended daily magnesium intake by age and gender

Magnesium is found in animal and plant foods (mainly leafy green vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains and their products, such as whole grain bread.

Table with foods containing the maximum amount of magnesium, as an example.

What to do when everything is annoying. Psychologist's advice

Health

© Evie Shaffer/Pexels

Author Alexandra Egorova

July 14, 2020

Do you notice that you overreact to little things? Do you chastise colleagues and lash out at loved ones? Increased irritability can signal unresolved problems or be a symptom of an illness. In any case, irritability must be dealt with.

The material was checked and commented by Olga Kitaina — psychologist, founder of the service for the selection of psychologists Alter

What is irritability

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This state is often described as a mood. Unlike outbursts of anger or aggression, which are usually caused by specific events, irritability monotonously accompanies a person for some time. In everyday life, this is called "everything infuriates." Even the most minor everyday difficulties or setbacks — coffee suddenly ran out, a shoelace broke, a friend was late for a meeting — cause a distinct negative reaction [1], which seems too emotional.

Everything turns out one to one (only in a bad sense), a person does not expect anything good, and the next mistake is perceived with tired irritation and even gloomy satisfaction, since it makes it possible to express everything in the face of the first one who comes across.

Everyone can experience irritability, but it is not always a cause for alarm. We can talk about increased irritability, including in children and adolescents [2], if it interferes with normal life: it makes work difficult, overshadows communication with loved ones, and deprives them of the usual joys.

Causes of irritability

They can be divided into two large groups [3]: psychological and physiological. Unfortunately, this division does not give an answer in which cases you need to go to the doctor, and in which a person can handle it himself. The first group includes both temporary stress and serious psychological conditions that require attention from a specialist, such as bipolar disorder. The second also includes completely different conditions: lack of sleep and diabetes, unbalanced nutrition and toothache. Some conditions can be caused by infections (flu), others by hormonal disorders.

In women, additional causes of irritability may be premenstrual syndrome, menopause, polycystic ovary syndrome, and some others. In addition, irritability as a symptom of conditions common to both sexes [4] is more common in women.

In order to provide the doctor with the necessary information already at the first appointment or to cope on your own, it is worth observing your condition. Of course, as long as you don't feel any pain (like a toothache), you don't have a fever or other obvious signs that you need to go to the doctor immediately.

© Anastasia Shuraeva/Pexels

What can be done at home

When you visit a general practitioner or specialist, the doctor will probably ask about your habits, daily routine, nutrition and physical activity, stress level. He will ask you to tell about the diseases of your relatives and the drugs you are taking, because irritability can also be a side effect of taking medications [5].

If you don't get enough sleep on a regular basis, you don't move much, and you don't follow nutritional guidelines, you'll have to deal with it. Observations of oneself can be made the basis on which it is realistic to build physical and psychological comfort.

It is ideal to keep a diary of emotions and nutrition, note workouts and sleep time. Brief explanations will suffice, indicating probable causes (both physiological and emotional). In order to structure observations, you can indicate your state of one of the template marks. It can be, for example, a smiley or one of the pre-selected words. It is better to keep notes electronically, so you can quickly print your notes or email them to your doctor.

Psychological causes of irritability

• chronic stress;
• poorly developed coping skills;
• insufficient self-care (not enough sleep, food, time for hobbies and loved ones).

Irritability can also be a symptom of depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and other illnesses.

It is fundamentally important to understand whether you did not get enough sleep or do not tolerate being late at all? Headache unsettles you or are you sick of work? These states may overlap. And only observation and respect for yourself and others will help you figure it out.

How not to hurt the feelings of those who are dear to you

Honesty is the best policy both with yourself and with your loved ones. Tell what you are experiencing. Not necessarily in all the details - only what you are ready to share, and what seems appropriate to you. If you explain to relatives and friends that your irritability is not a manifestation of hostility towards them, but a consequence of circumstances or your internal processes, it will be easier for them to understand and support you. To learn how to pronounce problems and accurately determine your condition, it is useful to develop emotional intelligence.

Psychologist's comment

Olga Kitaina, psychologist, founder of the Alter psychologist selection service: “In a certain situation, irritability is useful - it signals that our boundaries have been violated, our values ​​are under threat, something is not going according to plan. We tend to think of irritability as something bad, while anger can be experienced positively as a feeling of vitality and energy. Irritability becomes a problem when it leads to a reaction that is inappropriate for a stimulus, which in turn can lead to difficulties at work or in personal life.

Feeling annoyed is a part of our life and it is absolutely normal, but we must remember that a certain reaction may be read by others as a violation of their rights and boundaries.”

How to cope with irritability when it becomes a problem

During an attack

• ). This breathing helps to relax.
• Distract - try to distract yourself with something that will take your thoughts away from the irritant.
• Ventilate emotions - you can “reset” emotions in a useful way: move to a place where no one sees or hears you and yells into a pillow, tear paper that no one needs, inflate a balloon. All this makes it possible to channel the emotional charge that has arisen without harming anyone.
• Transition to assertive behavior [6] - learning not only to act out an emotional reaction, but also to take steps that would help correct the situation that causes an acute reaction. We always have a choice of reaction, we need to learn to catch a pause between the stimulus and our response to it and make a choice that is more useful for us.

After an attack

• Develop awareness and acceptance skills. Mindfulness techniques will help you develop your ability to linger between stimulus and response and choose more appropriate behavior. And developing acceptance skills will help you not perceive more stimuli as annoying. How to learn it? There is a lot of literature on the topic of mindfulness, there are applications that help in the development of this skill, you can find specialized trainings and classes. Psychotherapy, especially Acceptance and Responsibility Therapy (TPO), is helpful in developing acceptance techniques.
• After you've shown irritability in a bad way, say offended someone, you might want to think about what you can do to minimize the damage, such as apologizing.

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