How to Deal With Irritability
- 1). Discover the source of your irritation. Irritability can be caused by puberty, menopause, stress or anxiety. Chronic irritability can be a sign of a deeper and more serious problem, so discovering the source of your irritability is important in planning the treatment. Consider your surroundings and current stresses in life to determine if these stimuli could be the cause of your irritability.
- 2). See a primary medical professional if you cannot determine a cause for your irritability. A medical professional will be able to look through your family history and your personal medical history and will perform a physical examination and a neurological exam. A medical professional can also do a drug and alcohol test if drug abuse or alcohol use is a possibility for your irritability.
- 3). Complete a mini-mental state examination, or MMSE. This can be done by a health professional and is used to assess mental and cognitive function. The MMSE can discover if neurological conditions are at the cause of your irritability. This will only be performed if no other causes for your irritability can be found.
- 1). Follow the treatment prescribed by your doctor. Depending on your source of irritability, this could be medications, detoxification or any other number of treatments prescribed by a medical professional.
- 2). Change your lifestyle or dietary habits if your current lifestyle habits or diet is the cause of your irritability. Eating foods high in nutrition and drinking a lot of water can greatly improve your mood, as can implementing an exercise routine. Exercise releases endorphins in your body that can help to improve mood and reduce irritability.
- 3). Take supplements such as ginko or Vitamin D. These supplements can provide the necessary boost in your mood that can help to relieve stress, anger or irritability.
