so easily irritated recently…is this normal

Ask a Therapist Is This Normal?
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hi,
i’ve been so easily irritated at anyone and everyone recently… for really small matters that shouldn’t make me so worked up over it. but idk i just find myself snapping at people really often or just giving them the silent treatment cos im upset at something they did even if its not really supposed to be such a big matter. is this normal is it hormones or could it be a sign of some mental health issues…help

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Hi @Manda1,

I hear you, and it sounds like you’re dealing with a lot of frustration and emotional sensitivity right now, which can feel overwhelming. It’s really important to recognize that what you’re feeling is valid—being easily irritated, even over small things, can happen for various reasons, whether that’s stress, hormones, or something else.

You mentioned feeling confused about why these small matters are triggering you so much, and that’s understandable. It can be frustrating when your emotional reactions don’t seem to match the situation. First of all, it’s okay to feel this way. Sometimes, emotions feel stronger than the situation calls for, and that doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with you. It could be your body and mind signaling that something needs attention—whether it’s related to stress, emotional exhaustion, or something else.

You asked if this could be hormones or mental health-related. That’s a possibility, but either way, recognizing how you’re feeling is already a step toward understanding what’s going on beneath the surface.

What Could Be Helpful Right Now:

  1. Take a Pause: When you notice yourself getting irritated, give yourself a moment. It’s okay to feel what you’re feeling, but try not to react immediately. Taking a few deep breaths or even stepping away from the situation for a minute can help give you some space to calm down.
  2. Validate Yourself: Instead of feeling like you shouldn’t be upset, it’s important to validate the emotions you’re experiencing. Say to yourself, “I’m feeling irritated, and that’s okay. It’s my body’s way of telling me something is going on.”
  3. Check in with Yourself: You might want to try checking in with yourself regularly—how are you feeling throughout the day? Sometimes irritability can be a sign of something else, like stress or tiredness, building up without us realizing it. Ask yourself, “What am I feeling right now? And what might I need?”
  4. Seek Support: If you continue feeling this way, it might be worth talking to a healthcare professional who can help you explore whether this irritability is linked to hormones, mental health, or another cause. It’s not a sign of weakness to reach out for help—it’s actually a really strong and brave thing to do.

On Being Easily Irritated:

You mentioned snapping at people or giving them the silent treatment, and that you’re unsure if this is normal. While it’s not uncommon to have those reactions when we’re feeling overwhelmed, there’s also an opportunity to understand what’s behind those emotions. Are there particular situations that make you feel more triggered than others? Do you notice a pattern of when or with whom this happens most?

It’s great that you’re noticing these things—awareness is the first step. I want to emphasize that what you’re going through doesn’t make you “bad” or wrong—it means you’re human and you’re processing something inside.

Please know that what you’re feeling isn’t “too much,” and it’s okay to ask for help if you need it. Your emotions deserve to be acknowledged, and by giving yourself space to feel what you’re feeling without judgment, you can start to understand what might be contributing to these moments of frustration. We’re here to listen, and I’m glad you reached out.

Take care of yourself.

1 Like
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Hello @manda1 :wave:t2:! Thank you for sharing your experience.

Firstly, I would like to commend you for being aware of your emotions and how it have impacted the people around you. It seems quite unpleasant to feel like you’re snapping at people over little issues, and I’m sure it’s exhausting to be locked in that loop of aggravation.

There might be many things going on here. Many things might contribute to feeling quickly agitated or irritable, including stress, lack of sleep, hormone changes, and even mental health. Perhaps you can try to keep track of things or your daily life activities and from there, possibly you could identify what is/are the issue.

I would like to assure you that it is understandable to feel annoyed or irritable at times (We all do). There’s no shame about it. Take some time to reflect on any underlying problems that may be contributing to this :grin:

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Hi @manda1

Sounds to me you’re feeling frustrated and overwhelmed with your life recently, which has manifested in finding much of the aspects of your life to be annoying.

Whether your anger flare ups be due to hormonal fluctuations from puberty, or from mental health issues, your feelings are valid and you are entitled to act the way you are.

Anger is an emotion and a natural reaction of humans, it is tied to the ‘fight or flight’ response, that is primed for our survival in the natural wild. In essence, you are primed in this ‘fight’ response. Anger often happens when we feel our boundaries are crossed, which leads us to retaliate in an attempt to protect ourselves.

It is important now to then find out, what is causing you to activate this fight response. Is it some kind of impending task approaching, such as exams, that is causing you stress which leads your body to have this fight response? Or is it some kind of physical health related condition? Perhaps a lack of sleep which causes your body’s balance to be thrown off and thus leading to this fight response?

Finding out the root cause of which is causing your life to be overwhelmed is important in tackling this issue. In the meantime, if you feel that you have inconvenienced your peers or family with your recent temper flare ups, or if you feel guilty, you can let them know your situation and explain to them clearly that it was not intentional and that you do not have ill intentions.

Part of maturity is to be able to admit to mistakes, be it from either party, and let them know your perspectives which lead to the argument. This will allow for better mutual understanding from both parties which helps develop our characters further.

Meanwhile in the meantime, I hope you feel better! Don’t be so hard on yourself. Having such ‘temper tantrums’ is natural and even adults who are supposedly ‘mature’ go through these.

All the best!