Hot and Bothered: Anxiety and Irritability

Lately the temperature has been increasing and my temper has been headed in the same direction. Whether it’s an anxiety disorder or PTSD, irritability is a very common symptom of people under stress for long periods of time. Sometimes this irritation is such a part of how you feel that everything bugs the hell out of you. It could be your girlfriend, boyfriend, spouse or even your dog that just drives you up the wall.

Clearly all people become irritated from time to time, but irritability related to anxiety disorder can be intense. I have had episodes were I literally imagine how I would have  hurt someone if I wasn’t civilized. There are times when I simply wish that I could enter a cage match with my boss to settle the score, but In all fairness to my boss, he could be saying something totally non-provocative and I will still snap at him. I tend to blow things out of proportion and take things very personally. My hypersensitive nerves have also given rise to hypersensitive emotions.

I become easily  annoyed and impatient with people and as a result I have to remove myself from certain situations so that I don’t insult anyone or become filled with rage. What’s up with all the sensitivity? Well simply put you and I are just tired or being tired. Having an anxiety disorder can be exhausting to your body and mind and so it follows that your annoyances build into a subconscious  rejection and hostility toward all sources of stress. You eat, sleep and breathe  stress, so when any external force applies any amount of additional stress you meet your limit for the day and explode (normally implode). That is why when someone says something silly or aggravating you tend to overreact. It’s not just the person that is irritating, but all the crap that you put up with over the past day(s), weeks and months.

A lot of the time you might feel like no one understands you and that people think your making this all up. The best line is “just get a grip”. Well guess what world, if I could I (you) would. Of course you and I know that the reality of anxiety disorders is much more complex and difficult to deal with then just wishing it away. Many of you have been diagnosed with this seemingly imaginary villain  – don’t lose heart though. It is real and you can cope better.

So how do you deal with your irritability?  I suggest you try to tone down the anxiety and therefore the irritation overtime. Try not to wait until you are ready to punch someone before you start doing a breathing exercise. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t if you need to, it’s only to point out that it is much better to reduce your stress as you feel it building up. You know exactly what I mean, you come home tired and annoyed about your day, too much going on, you feel frazzled, and short of breath and patience. It is at this point that you should find a quiet place to relax, breathe deeply and clear your mind. You can also try exercising to reduce stress and improve your mood. Otherwise you will bottle up all your tension and anger and snap on the first person that says something, well dumb. Don’t be afraid to ask for space when you need it. If you have a rough job or don’t like your co-workers, etc try coming home and asking those you live with to give you an hour of down time. No phone, no request, nothing. Just for an hour ask to be let alone, this will do wonders if you haven’t tried it. I understand your angst, but don’t let your irritability snowball and you will be much better at coping with it. Even with the heat and my anxiety symptoms I still manage to keep my cool and you can too.

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