Irritability - Peak Performance Hormone Institute

What is irritability?

Irritability is defined as feelings of aggravation, frustration, annoyance, and impatience in response to external stressors that would not typically provoke such strong reactions. It occurs when the threshold for what is considered annoying or frustrating is lower than normal.

Some key things to understand about irritability:

• It is a common symptom or side effect of many mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, PTSD, and hormonal imbalances. Irritability caused by mental health issues may require treatment for the underlying condition.
• Situational irritability can occur when dealing with stressful life events like conflicts with others, lack of sleep, grief, chronic pain, etc. This type of irritability often resolves when the situation changes.
• Irritability looks different for each person – some common signs are moodiness, angry outbursts, feeling on-edge, lack of patience, and overreactions to minor annoyances.
• For many, irritability leads to strained relationships with friends, family, coworkers and romantic partners due to frequent conflicts.
• Anger management strategies like taking breaks, breathing exercises, practicing mindfulness, and addressing the root causes can help reduce feelings of irritation.

If you find yourself feeling persistently irritable without an identifiable situational cause, it's a good idea to talk to your doctor or a mental health professional. Getting to the root of irritability often requires self-reflection and an expert assessment to determine if there are any biological factors or undiagnosed mental health conditions contributing to these feelings.

The hormone experts at Peak Performance Hormone Institute specialize in customized bioidentical hormone therapy to help both men and women find hormonal balance and relief from irritability and mood swings. Contact them today for a consultation! Balancing key hormones linked to irritability like cortisol, estrogen, progesterone and testosterone could be the solution you need to restore emotional equilibrium.

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