Irritability, irritability, excitability and aggressiveness are the common terms for particular reactions of the body and mind. Especially in relation to social interactions and environmental stimuli, irritability or excitability play a central role.
What is irritability and excitability?
Causes of irritability can include stress and social stimuli. If we look at irritability or excitability in general, we can see that people react to environmental stimuli or social stimuli from other people. For example, people quickly react irritably if they are constantly exposed to too much noise or racket (e.g., from construction workers, air traffic signs, or children). In this case, the sensory organs pick up the stimuli and transmit them via the nerve fibers to the brain for further processing. Only here are the social or environmental stimuli evaluated. Since these processes take place unconsciously and very quickly, humans do not notice them directly. Only if too many stimuli overload the processing described above in the brain, it comes to an irritability, irritability, excitability or even aggressiveness.
Causes
The causes of unnatural irritability or excitability are mostly due to the overload of the nerves. If the sensory organs are overloaded with external and internal stimuli so this is often reflected in increased irritability. Causes are mostly stress, negative environmental stimuli (such as noise and bright light) and social stimuli (such as relationship problems, problems and fears). However, various diseases and symptoms, such as depression, rabies and polio, can also lead to increased irritability. Irritability can also occur in the course of menopause, as hormonal changes here throw the entire organism out of balance and strong physical changes take place.
Diseases with this symptom
- Anxiety disorder
- Burnout syndrome
- Premenstrual syndrome
- ADHD
- Rabies
- Dissocial personality disorder
- Polio
- Borderline Syndrome
- Menopause
Complications
Irritability often leads to complications when dealing with other people. The negative reactions can promote quarrels, cause misunderstandings or make it difficult to work together. Closer friends and family members, in particular, may react with irritation to the sudden change in nature. If the irritability persists over longer periods of time, the social impact is often greater. Relatives sometimes find it difficult to perceive the psychological symptom as a sign of illness rather than as a personal fault of the person affected. In some cases, irritability promotes aggressive behavior. Depending on the character and life situation, critical situations can arise from this, which in some cases also lead to the use of violence. In addition to social conflicts in private life, everyday professional life is often affected. Irritability may lead to disputes with superiors, colleagues, business partners and customers. Indirectly, work performance may also suffer as a result of irritability. In addition, negative or dismissive reactions increase the likelihood of complications affecting mood. If irritability is due to a neurological disorder, other complications are also possible. Memory problems, difficulty concentrating, and disorientation may manifest in this context. Such complications are especially likely if the cause of the irritability is in the central nervous system. Brain and meningitis, brain tumors or strokes can be fatal in the worst case. In addition, depending on the clinical picture, permanent consequential damage is possible, each of which includes its own complications.
When should you go to the doctor?
Irritability can be a sign of ongoing stress or overwork. It can indicate impending burnout or physical illness. People often feel increased irritability before a cold sets in. Women may also suffer from irritability a few days before their menstrual period. This symptom should be understood as a warning signal. Those affected should take a close look at their living conditions. They should rest more and, if necessary, seek medical help. Irritability can also be a symptom of psychological problems. Unprocessed trauma experiences or permanent stress can lead to irritability.In this case, seeing a psychologist is advised. Constant irritability of a person may mark depression or problems with conflict resolution. The overstimulation may have nervous causes. It can cause impatience or aggression. Those who cannot control their irritability on their own should see their family doctor. He or she will decide whether treatment by a psychotherapist is appropriate. Alternatively, increased irritability as an accompanying symptom may indicate inflammatory processes or pain syndromes. Therefore, attention should be paid to accompanying symptoms. These may be hormonal problems or thyroid problems that require medical clarification. Low serotonin levels may also be a cause of irritability. To rule out hypothyroidism or iodine deficiency as a cause of irritability, visits to the doctor are indicated.
Treatment and therapy
Irritability or aggressiveness should be treated depending on the cause. For this purpose, a physician should be consulted, who will make detailed examinations as part of his diagnosis for this purpose. If the cause of irritability is to be found in a disease, this should be treated. If the causes are more likely to be environmental or social stimuli, the person affected should try to end or eliminate these causes himself. If he does not manage it on his own, a psychologist or psychotherapist can also take useful treatment measures. These include, above all, autogenic training or progressive muscle relaxation and long conversations. The treatment of aggressiveness or irritability can be supported by plenty of sport and exercise in fresh air, as well as a balanced and healthy diet. Alcohol and nicotine should definitely be avoided. Herbal sedatives such as valerian have a very helpful effect.
Outlook and prognosis
Irritability of the body can occur in both mental and physical states, and in these cases leads to different symptoms and prognosis. In physical irritability, nerves, organs and extremities are mainly affected. Here, there may be pain or unpleasant feelings caused by touch and stress. As a rule, irritability of the body can be treated relatively well with medications or with ointments. It occurs mainly when certain parts of the body are overstressed. Irritability of the psyche often occurs due to stress and can lead to aggressive or generally disturbed behavior. This leads to depression, behavioral disorders and other social problems. Due to this problem, an ordinary everyday life and going to work are hardly possible for the affected person. Psychological irritability is treated mainly by talking to psychologists or with the help of medication; there is no surgical intervention. How well the treatment works depends very much on the extent of the irritability and therefore cannot be universally predicted. However, irritability is often associated with stress and can be prevented and limited by stress reduction.
Prevention
As noted in the treatment of irritability and excitability, unless other illnesses play a role, the best prevention is learning autogenic training or progressive muscle relaxation. Sports and exercise in nature as well as a healthy diet rich in vitamins and minerals are very good preventive measures. Herbal substances from valerian also have a preventive effect.
What you can do yourself
If irritability occurs in the psychological level, herbal medicines should be taken to calm it down. Valerian is recommended here. This can be taken in the form of tablets or teas. Stressful situations and heated discussions should be avoided at all costs, as irritability occurs especially in these. Often, conversations with close friends or with the family also help. If stressful situations arise, relaxation techniques should be used. The affected person must notice himself that an unpleasant situation occurs and try to control himself. Especially after the situation, even a few minutes of relaxation will help to minimize irritability. If an irritable state occurs in stressful situations, the patient must take a deep breath and concentrate on the situation. Often, unpleasant situations can be avoided here by self-control. This self-control can also be trained with friends.Especially after the occurrence of such situations, it is recommended to perform relaxation exercises. In women, high irritability may be caused by an incompatible birth control pill. This should be changed. If irritbarket leads to a serious problem in the family or in dealing with friends, it is advisable to talk to a psychologist.
