Irritability is defined as an excessive sensitivity or impatience to inconvenience, annoyance, or lack of comfort. It refers to a propensity to anger, annoyance, or lack of patience in response to stimuli that would not provoke such a reaction in most people.
Some key characteristics of irritability include:
Irritability differs from frustration in that frustrated people are responding to an understandable difficulty, whereas those who are irritable have reactions that are disproportionate to the situation.
There are several potential causes of irritability:
Irritability can negatively impact life in many ways, such as:
To manage irritability, some helpful strategies include:
If irritability persists or significantly impacts daily life, it may be useful to speak to a doctor or mental health professional. Treatment options could include lifestyle changes, therapy, stress management techniques, or medications, if an underlying condition contributes to frequent irritation.