Irritability is an ongoing issue that I experience. There are times when I feel extremely on edge, and it seems that nothing is going right in my day. Even a minor occurrence can throw me off my game, leaving me frustrated and upset. Although irritability has tried to get the best of me before, I am always learning new techniques to battle this overwhelming feeling. Through my personal experience, I have learned that there are many things we can do to control overwhelming irritability.
While living in a big city has many benefits, traffic often fuels my irritability. On most days, I am calm and collected, but when someone cuts me off in traffic, I sometimes take it personally. To add to the fire, I often listen to loud, high-energy electronica music in the car, which contributes to my anger. As a result, I’ve discovered that switching to soothing classical music helps to calm me down when I notice irritability creeping in.
It’s safe to say coffee is not a friend of my bipolar disorder. If I drink caffeine in the morning, even just a single cup, it can tip my brain into an irritable mode. So, instead of coffee, I just drink plain water in the morning.
My irritability also builds when standing in a slow-moving line. In such situations, I often forget that the world does not revolve around me and instead focus on why it’s taking the barista 15 minutes to make my drink. To counter this, I’ve learned to practice patience with others, regardless of how difficult it may be.
It’s impossible to just ‘snap out of’ irritability, just as one can’t instantly overcome depression or mania. However, I have developed some strategies over time that help me ease my irritable mood:
Although irritability is a symptom of bipolar disorder, if you find yourself feeling irritable all the time, discuss this concern with your doctor.
We sometimes just have to ride the wave of irritability with the knowledge that we can deal with these feelings by applying self-management strategies. Irritability does not have to overtake us because we all possess the power to manage it––even when it feels impossible.
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Very good article. Always get a kick when I hear how important it is to get enough sleep. If only I could!!! This is the one thing you talked about that I have trouble doing. When I do sleep well it’s a miracle for everything else.
No caffeine is supper helpful.
Thanks for the article.
Keep Haldol in your back pocket. The hospital psychiatrist advised I take it as needed for irritability, agitation, etc.
I look up funny animal videos or tend to the backyard plants. I recently got into air purification plants and it helps distract!
I sing and it helps me a lot. But I spend 3/4 hours per day in traffic and it makes me feel awful. When I get home I’m so stress and angry, I just try to not say a word till I get better. This articule gives me great ideas, thank you.
Supermommy:
As far as finding a good psychiatrist, congratulations on finding one who works well with you! Reporting infractions of professional ethics or the HIPAA laws, if s/he has told his/her receptionist, any other staff member (unless that person prescribes your meds) or any other person at all s/he has violated the current HIPAA laws and that is illegal. No doctor, nurse or staff can even admit to anyone that they treat you. In that case, I’d find the name of the American Psychiatric Association (APA – Don’t get it confused with the American Psychological Association although they may also be able to help) person who deals with violations of ethics and laws and find the group’s office address and write a detailed letter of what the professional has done to you. Not treating you or using a sliding fee scale and not accepting Medicaid are all up to the psychiatrist and are not subject to punishment of the physician and I know from experience how hard it is to find someone who will accept Medicaid, I’ve gone through it myself, I’m not sure if anything this doctor has done is malpractice unless it is keeping you as a patient even though s/he doubts he or she can treat you competently. That’s just incompetence and the man/woman should have been trained more thoroughly. Had you asked your PCP for referrals to psychiatrists or expressed your dissatisfaction to that physician?
If you live anywhere besides the U.S., I’m afraid I don’t know what to tell you as I don’t know other countries’ laws. It’s rough.