We live surrounded by stimuli that generate different emotions in us and, sometimes, we react with joy or amazement to unforeseen or planned situations. On a general level, we connect with the world through the sensations and thoughts we have throughout our daily lives. However, there are times when we believe that unfavorable consequences occur for us. Given this, anger is a response in which a disagreement is expressed. Anger is a basic emotion that human beings possess and can occur at certain specific moments. However, there are people who live with permanent anger and this produces consequences that harm their actions on a daily basis.
Maybe some of this sounds familiar to you or you know someone who has these characteristics. Having concrete data about this issue can help us address this problem more effectively. If you want to know more about this, in this Psychology-Online article, we will provide you with information about the Irritability: what it is, causes, symptoms and how to control it.
What is irritability
When we talk about irritability, we are referring to a tendency of people to react with anger or annoyance in certain situations. According to the Royal Spanish Academy, this word is related to the bodily sensations that produce excitement in an individual. In other words, changes are generated in the body that refer to irritability.
Sometimes, irritability occurs as a result of a clinical condition called intermittent explosive disorder. According to the DSM-V, intermittent explosive disorder has the following characteristics:
- Loss of control of aggressive impulses
- Verbal and/or physical attacks
- Impulsive situations are disproportionate to the factors that trigger it
To determine that we are talking about this clinical picture, these qualities must be present in people six years of age or older during a period of twelve months.
Causes of irritability
When a person suffers from irritability, it is crucial to determine the causes in order to effectively address the problem in question. Below, we will present the main main causes of irritability.
Genetic factors
If you wonder what the cause of irritability is, you should know that there are certain neural connections that take place in the cerebral cortex that are linked to reactions of anger and rage when certain stimuli are presented. Genetic inheritance plays an important role here, since genes are transmitted from parents to children.
If you want to better understand the genetic causes that we have just mentioned, we recommend that you consult the following article on .
Environmental factors
On the one hand, the causes of irritability can be attributed to unpleasant experiences in the past. It is possible that situations have occurred that triggered great anger that could not be expressed at the appropriate time. As a consequence, this produces irritable behaviors.
On the other hand, imitation has its importance in the formation of human behavior, since people usually imitate family models that are adopted as patterns. For this reason, there is an association between the emergence of irritability and having had parents with the same behavioral traits.
Symptoms of irritability
One of the most important aspects to take into account are the symptoms that arise in the presence of irritability. This will allow the problem to be detected and solved using the available alternatives. So, below, we will show you what are the symptoms of irritability:
- Palpitations.
- Incrise of cardiac frecuency.
- Sweating.
- Tremors.
- Screams.
- Distress.
- Anxiety.
- Depression.
- Muscle tension.
- Hyperventilation.
- Stomach ache.
- Accelerated movements.
If you suffer from anxiety or anguish, we recommend you read this article about . First of all, it should be noted that the presence of any of these symptoms does not necessarily imply that we are dealing with irritability. It is important that the diagnosis is made by a health professionalsince he will be in charge of evaluating the patient’s clinical conditions and observing the evolution.
How to control irritability
Despite the negative consequences that irritability produces in the lives of people who suffer from it, there are some ways that allow it to be controlled effectively. Next, we will describe how to control irritability.
Psychological therapy
When faced with episodes of irritability, both long-term and shorter-term therapies provide tools to combat them. Short-term therapies work on gradual exposure of the patient to the triggering situation of irritability. This allows you to learn to react differently to certain stimuli.
As for more extensive therapies, the approach consists of locate the origin of the symptoms so that the person can act differently when faced with stimuli that cause irritability.
Meditation
If you’re wondering what to do to combat irritability, this approach works on current thoughts and body sensations with the goal of downplay the importance of past events. The guided and continuous practice of meditation generates beneficial effects for people who suffer from irritability.
If you want to know more, in this article you will find information about .
Psychiatric medication
If you want to control irritability, there are some medicines that act on the chemistry of the brain and produce modifications in the neuronal connections that are carried out in the cerebral cortex. This generates a inhibition of reactions associated with irritability. First of all, this procedure must be supervised by a health professional.
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
If you want to read more articles similar to Irritability: what it is, causes, symptoms and how to control itwe recommend that you enter our category.
References
- American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V). Arlington: Panamericana Medical Publishing.
Bibliography
- Busto Garrido, M. (2017). Irritability as a symptom in child and adolescent psychiatry. University of Malaga, department of public health and psychiatry.
- Salazar-Saavedra, Y., Saavedra-Castillo, J. (2019). Factors associated with irritability in adults with a depressive episode in Metropolitan Lima. Neuropsychiatr. Magazine, 82 (1), 37-54.