Irritability
Irritability
Irritability sounds far too civilized to most Americans. So we invented slang like cranky, cross, crabby, huffy, touchy, testy, quarrelsome, snappish, snippy, grumpy, surly, sour, vexed, and peeved. You could have a chip on your shoulder, have it in for someone, have had it up to here, have a fit, or have an ax to grind. An irritable person often is called irascible, sullen, thin-skinned, ill-tempered, cantankerous, fire-breathing, or pugnacious. You might fly off the handle, flip your lid, or be fit to be tied.
But no matter what you call it, occasional irritability is simply a part of being alive, says Laura Slap-Shelton, Ph.D., D.Ph., clinical psychologist with a specialty in neuropsychology at Jeanes Hospital in Philadelphia. “No one is perfect. And things will happen in the course of some days that may be upsetting,” she says.
Irritability can go hand in hand with almost any illness, including anxiety, diabetes, and arthritis. And certainly, the aches and pains of later life can make us feel more irritable as the years and health problems begin to mount up, says George T. Grossberg, M.D., director of geriatric psychiatry at St. Louis University School of Medicine. But for the most part, older Americans are no more prone to irritability than younger people.
For those times when you feel mildly irritated, try these remedies.
Try This First
Relax, then find the culprit. Whenever you feel irritable, take a few deep breaths and give yourself a mini-break in the action of the day, says Dr. Slap-Shelton. “You may want to take a walk or engage in your favorite form of exercise or your favorite hobby.” Then, try to identify the culprit. Take a few minutes to think about what may be bothering you. Worry and fatigue often leads to irritability. If you can identify the cause of your irritability, especially a recurrent problem, it may help you banish it, Dr. Slap-Shelton says.
If you pay all your bills monthly, for instance, and you know that you get edgy on the day you make those payments, change your system so you pay a few bills each week instead of all of them at once. Or, if the weekly bill confrontation is inconceivable, stick to the monthly routine but give yourself plenty of time to get the chore done, and then reward yourself afterward with a fun activity such as a relaxing dinner at a favorite restaurant, Dr. Slap-Shelton recommends. In this way, you can remove or reduce a source of irritability in your life.
Other Wise Ways
Take a break. Try engaging in a task that will distract you from whatever is irritating you, Dr. Grossberg says. Take a walk, dig in the garden, or make your bed. Even if the activity only takes 5 to 10 minutes, it will absorb your attention and give you time to cool off so you don’t react impulsively or say something that you’ll regret later.
Take a whiff. If you would like to give the ancient healing art of aromatherapy a shot at adjusting your mood, oil of lavender can help relieve irritability, according to John Steele, a worldwide lecturer and aromatic consultant who runs Lifetree Aromatix, a company that sells botanical products and distributes information in Los Angeles. “You can’t go wrong with lavender,” Steele says. “It’s a sedative antidepressant because it has a high number of molecules called esters that are extremely relaxing to the mind and the body.”
Apply three or four drops of the oil to a tissue or handkerchief and inhale whenever you feel irritable, he suggests. Lavender essential oil is the concentrated product of steam distillation. It is the most potent therapeutic part of the plant, says Steele. Essential oils are available at most health food stores.
| Managing Your Meds Caffeine is a major cause of irritability in older Americans, says George T. Grossberg, M.D., director of geriatric psychiatry at St. Louis University School of Medicine. If you find yourself more irritable than usual, try drinking only one eight-ounce cup of regular coffee as part of your morning routine, then switch to decaffeinated coffee for the rest of the day. Eventually, try to eliminate even the one cup of regular morning coffee and avoid other caffeine sources, such as colas and other sweetened soft drinks. Eventually, you will be free of your dependence on caffeine. In addition to caffeine, almost any medication can trigger grouchiness, says Bruce G. Pollock, M.D., professor of psychiatry and director of the geriatric psychopharmacology program at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Common drugs that can cause irritability among seniors include: • Tranquilizers such as benzodiazepines • Antipsychotic medications such as risperidone (Risperdal) or haloperidol (Haldol) • High blood pressure drugs like the beta-blockers propranolol (Inderal) and nadolol (Corgard) • Parkinson’s disease drugs like levodopa (Sinemet) or pramipexole (Mirapex) • Over-the-counter cold- and congestion-relief products like Tavist-D, medications that contain phenylpropanolamine, including Contac, and Comtrex or diet aids like Acutrim and Dexatrim |
Send out warning signals. Instead of trying to hide your feelings, let others know that you’re having a bad day, Dr. Slap-Shelton advises. Simply admitting that things aren’t going well and apolo gizing in advance for being out of sorts that day can help defuse the situation and bring about needed support and understanding.
“Often, older people feel irritable because they feel overwhelmed by everything they need to do, and they don’t know how to ask for support,” Dr. Slap-Shelton says. Just say how you are feeling. “Friends and family will respond with empathy, humor, and other kinds of support that can go a long way toward getting you out of your bad mood.”
