“Have you ever been in one of those moods where you don’t really know what’s wrong, but you feel really irritated with everyone and everything?” (unknown) If so, you're human and it happens… but does this happen to you frequently? While there are many causes of irritability, did you know that anxiety can make you to feel extremely irritable? Yes, it most certainly can! Simple interactions can trigger you to SNAP at people. Irritability is a symptom of Generalized Anxiety Disorder and the struggle to cope and manage it is real. Irritability from anxiety has no real pattern, it can come and go out of nowhere and does not take a major trigger to set it off. According to anxietycentre.com “A great many, if not all, anxious personalities go by their emotions and feelings a lot. So when the messages they receive are amplified, they typically respond to them in an amplified way. The more hyperstimulated their bodies become, the more reactive and emotional they become. The more stressed the body becomes, the less patience we have.” Does this sound like you or somebody you know?

I always say it, but self-awareness is power. If you have acknowledged that you are frequently irritable then you have already begun the process of improving yourself. I challenge you to pay attention to what is going on in your mind and around you the next time you become irritable for no reason. If you are frequently irritable and it is negatively impacting yourself and your relationships it might be a good idea to get some help. For the purpose of this blog, we are specifically talking about irritability caused by anxiety. At A Little Counseling, we work with adults, teens and children who experience irritability caused by their anxiety. When you learn more effective ways to handle your anxiety it can reduce irritability. “I have issues, you have issues, we all have issues, Just put them in check so we don’t take them out on each other.” (unknown)