Irritability and Mental Illness: Just Stop Already!

Here's what's happening on the HealthyPlace site this week:

• Irritability and Mental Illness: Just Stop Already!
• From the HealthyPlace Mental Health Blogs
• Video: Dealing with Bipolar Disorder and Isolation
• Most Popular HealthyPlace Articles Shared by Facebook Fans
• Mental Health Quote

Irritability and Mental Illness: Just Stop Already!

If you find yourself frequently irritable, you’re not alone. Everyone gets irritable. Irritability is more extreme, though, in certain types of mental illness. In some cases, irritability is a constant emotion, affecting behavior every day. In other cases, you might be sailing along smoothly when a storm blows in without warning and you find yourself irritable, edgy, and snappy for no apparent reason.

Mental illness impacts our thoughts feelings, and behaviors. Irritability is a triple whammy here because it involves all three. When emotions run high, irritability can flare because we’re overwhelmed. When our thoughts race or we overthink, we often make assumptions that are upsetting, making us irritable. When we act on our irritability, we might lash out at others, isolate ourselves, or do other things we might regret.

Some mental illnesses actually have irritability as a symptom or sign, making it quite problematic for those with these disorders. Among them:

• Depression
• Bipolar disorder (bipolar and irritability)
• Anxiety/anxiety disorders (anxiety and irritability)
• PTSD
• Acute Stress Disorder
• Sleep Disorders
• Substance Use Disorders/Addiction (and withdrawal from substances)
• Schizoaffective disorder
• Personality disorders, including (but not limited to) borderline personality disorder, and paranoid personality disorder

The strong connection between mental illness and irritability means that you aren’t an irritable person. Irritability is just another symptom of an illness.

Related Articles Dealing with Irritability and Mental Illness

• Bad Days and Bad Mania in Bipolar Disorder
• Symptoms of Bipolar Mania or Personality Traits?
• Thoughts that Trigger Anxiety and Anger Can Ruin Relationships
• What I Wish People Knew about BPD and Anger

Your Thoughts

Today's Question: : If you live with mental illness, how does irritability impact your life and/or relationships? We invite you to participate by sharing your thoughts, knowledge, and experiences on theHealthyPlace Facebook page and on the HealthyPlace Google+ page.

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From the HealthyPlace Mental Health Blogs

On all our blogs, your comments and observations are welcomed.

• Getting on the Right Bipolar Medication
• Anxiety in Romantic Relationships — It’s Complicated
• Stop Emotion Contagion with Mentally Ill Kids
• Find Eating Disorder Support Through Shared Experience
• When Your Body Isn’t Yours Because of Bipolar Medication
• Low Self-Esteem and Schizophrenia, Schizoaffective Disorder
• Why Does Social Media Make You Depressed?
• 10 Ways Substance Abuse Treatment Benefits Your Life
• Is It Anxiety or a Medical Condition?
• Self-Compassion and Self-Esteem Both Help Our Wellbeing
• Common Barriers to Recovery from PTSD Explained
• The Codependent Love Addict and Verbal Abuse
• Never Give Up Hope: Lessons from Football on Mental Health
• Does Your Identity with Mental Illness Hurt Your Recovery?

Feel free to share your thoughts and comments at the bottom of any blog post. And visit the mental health blogs homepage for the latest posts.

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From HealthyPlace YouTube Channel

I'm Hannah. I Have Bipolar 2

Dealing with Bipolar Disorder and Isolation

Is bipolar disorder and isolation a challenge for you? What do you do to deal with bipolar and isolation?. (Watch Hannah)

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Most Popular HealthyPlace Articles Shared by Facebook Fans

Here are the top 3 mental health articles HealthyPlace Facebook fans are recommending you read:

1. Two Years After My Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) Diagnosis
2. Superwoman Syndrome and Superman Complex Make Anxiety Soar
3. Overwhelmed? Battle Anxiety in Three Steps

If you're not already, I hope you'll join us/like us on Facebook too. There are a lot of wonderful, supportive people there.

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Mental Health Quote

"Friendly reminder that “doing your best” does not mean working yourself to the point of a mental breakdown."

Read more mental health quotes.

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