Horrible Irritablility!

[Melody coates]

my irritability is off the charts. i like to keep by myself most of the time and when when people try to talk to me i either ignore them or snap at them. i seriously feel like i might become a loner. it's hard for me to make friends and if i do the friendships are rocky. it feels like im on constant PMS and it sucks! how do you deal with irritablity?

 

[Upside Down Eagle]

so I'm going to ask a very therapist-like question, apologies for that :P But on a scale from 1 to 10, how tense do you think your body is? Irritability for me is a sign of being on edge, of your body being on the alert.

For me it usually is a warning: relax now and try to release some of that tension. Even if its difficult.
That works for me. But we're all different, trying different solutions would be best.

Besides that, you can try natural aids to help you with irritability or emotional instability. St. Johnsworth, valerian. You can make tea of it, but it's also out there in capsules, like in the nature store. Eat healthy. Certain additives to nowadays' fast food (which is not really food at all) can influence your mood. A healthy lifestyle and sports helps stabilize.

 

[Melody coates]

hmmm i'd say maybe an 8. but thank you for the advice! :)

 

[arfie]

I am coming from the other end of the spectrum. A natural loner? Learning how to acknowledge my place in the human species was no small feat for me. Embracing that place in the human species remains an on-going challenge for me. Making it to the center of a crowd remains nearly unobtainable. Nearly. Done it a few times. I am far more at ease with other species than with humans.

As I will myself to interact with humans, I use allot of the tension awareness that @Radise alluded to. I inventory my physical state. Am I clenching my fists? Grinding my teeth? Furrowing my brows? Etc., etc. I silently work on relaxing whatever body parts I am tensing. Typically, I can do this without drawing outside attention to what I am doing. No need to interrupt conversations or any other drama. At best, it relaxes me enough that I can embrace and participate. At worst, it gets me through the event without damage to myself or others.

Not sure if I explained it well or if it is pertinent to your situation, but... Gentle support while you sort your own unique dynamics.

 

[Deleted member 1860]

Are you on meds?

 

[Philippa]

If you ignore or snap at people when they talk to you, becoming a loner might not be a choice. :p

I'm just being humorous, but I know what you are saying, and I've had many times like this. I was happy being a loner for many years and have only recently started making more effort to be more social and am enjoying that. Chamomile essential oil and rose quartz might go far to soothe you. Amethyst is another crystal and lepidolite I find really excellent for helping with PTSD symptoms. It instantly soothes me.

Aside from all that, the 5 tibetan rites are extremely stabilizing and whatever mood I was in prior to them, I am returned to a state of bliss after. They are really worth learning.

 

[Chava]

I've been really irritable lately. I'm under stress and just need more space. I also talked to my doctor about my hormone pills (having problems balancing them, and that's not helpful to my mood). I can't lower all stressors and feel trapped. I don't follow my own advice perfectly, but aside from checking out my meds/hormones, I recognize a need for more space but also trying to find or create positive experiences to buffer the non-stop bad feelings...so like walking my dog, listening to music I like, anything somewhat enjoyable...or something that makes me laugh (though I know what it's like to not even like the things I enjoy when my mood is very low...then I just have to do stuff that I know is good for me regardless and hope it settles...eat well, sleep, exercise a little). Sorry, I hate the irritability too...it doesn't help my feelings of isolation.

 

[Upside Down Eagle]

@Philippa , could you tell us a little bit more about the tibetan rites? I'm interested in hearing about it. I will look it up on Google too, but would love to hear it from you first.

Melody, an eight might not seem much for someone with PTSD (I know I used to think it was normal) but a 4 in tension is really much better! ;) I hope you can start, baby steps, to break down the tension a bit.

 

[Melody coates]

@Solara no i'm not on meds

 

[Philippa]

@Radise...from what I have learned. the 5 tibetan rites are a series of short exercises that are helpful to the organs of the body as well as the endocrine system, and it is known as a "fountain of youth" exercise, as there seems to be some age defying outcome. I start each one with a bridging exercise, which is basically a breathing exercise specifically designed to accompany the rites. They are meant to be done with a sense of sacredness, so doing it consciously, and in a beautiful space that you feel is sacred is a good place to start.

Many people have been doing these exercises for many years, so it's not new, but I have found it to be wonderful for inducing real states of lasting bliss in my heart, and if followed by meditation it can really be a boost towards serious dopamine injection in the brain as well as overall good feelings and happiness, aided by the meditation after.

Check out you tube if you want a demonstration. It will take less than 15 minutes out of your day and if you can push yourself to do it once every day in the morning, for a week, you will see a big difference in the amount of energy you can generate...no drugs needed.

I also end up feeling extremely grounded and stabilized as a result of these exercises, so that is motivating enough, though I have slacked off lately, due to being sick and working heaps, but it's the sort of thing that once you start doing it for a while, it doesn't matter if you don't do it every day, as long as you remember to do it at least 3 times a week.

I can recommend highly Heath Myers- Agent of change version on you tube. He offers the bridging exercise as well as the 13 articulations, which are a great warm up prior to the rites. He also demonstrates the 5 rites. I did a course with him earlier in the year and he's a great guy with a mission to help people reach their full potential as human beings in this life. He has also had periods in his life where he was quite unstable and the 5 tibetans helped him come back to a state of psychological health and stability.

 

[Upside Down Eagle]

@Philippa, I love the sound of that. Thank you for the recommendation! I will definitely try it.

Melody I hope I'm not hijacking your thread here ;) I have experienced, in the last few weeks, a serious change with my tension just doing yoga, breathing exercises, running (I generally go once a week, or once two weeks -whatever feels good) and strength training (body weight technique).

The yoga, as Phillipa says, not only relaxes your muscles (which is essential for relaxation of the mind), but also ends up giving you a big sense of basic satisfaction and gratefulness. It takes away the hurry from your life, the need to be on edge, and possibly also tendencies to snap. I find working with the body makes a real change to PTSD.