By Rachel Egan, PMHNP-BC

Irritability often presents in the context of other mental health symptoms like anxiety and depression. However, in many cases it can be more difficult to treat, for several reasons.

For one, this symptom is more likely than sadness or anxiety to be viewed as a personality trait. We can often identify that someone is struggling when they express melancholy or worry, but when they come across as irritable, many people in their life start to think of them as just a grouchy person, rather than seeing it as a symptom. Irritability can be extremely isolating as supports often recoil from a prickly presentation. Even in the treatment setting, these clients are more likely to receive re-direction for their behavior or even be discharged from care if the irritability is causing significant behavioral impact.

Irritability can and should be treated as any other mental health symptom. There are therapeutic, nutritional, and pharmaceutical interventions that can help.

If you are a provider facing the treatment of irritability in your clients and you are interested in more strategies you can pursue, please join us for our Community Coffee Hour on 4/25/25 at 9:00 AM EST via Zoom. This event is free to attend and all participants will receive a $10 Starbuck gift card so we can enjoy an energizing beverage together while we discuss. See our social for more info and register by emailing rachel@harborside-psych.com with your name, credentials, and organization affiliation.