If you are suffering from Adrenal Fatigue, you are most likely experiencing irritability and stress. These symptoms tend to make life much harder, making it difficult to get along with others. This article will explore the relationship between stress, irritability, and Adrenal Fatigue, as well as other physical triggers and controls that are correlated with irritability. It will also talk about the role Adrenal Fatigue plays.
Decreased cortisol levels can make your body more susceptible to stress. Stress is the perfect setting and environment for an irritable state. In addition to stress, Adrenal Fatigue frequently leads to tiredness, with many people finding that they are quite agitated when tired. Adrenal Fatigue symptoms aren’t just tiredness but can be one of the many symptoms you may face daily.
As a result of adrenal fatigue, situations that were never a problem before become stressful and irritating and tend to bother you much more. People, events, and other minor circumstances become a very big deal. For example, a general feeling of hunger when you haven’t eaten in some time may become an annoyance that can become increasingly bothersome.
This type of physical state can make even the simplest things extremely unpleasant. It might be difficult to make it through the day without becoming irritated. Even small work-related tasks or chores might seem to take forever to complete or constantly end with poor results. Irritability can also create tension between people, aggravate tempers, and lead to confrontations and fights.
One of the most frustrating aspects of irritability is not understanding why or where this irritable feeling is originating. Even when you try to take deep breaths and calm down, the stress shortly reintroduces itself again, and annoyance begins to creep in. This condition can be very unpleasant and difficult to control.
It is important to note that an increase in agitation is often the body’s way of telling you that there is a physical issue or chemical imbalance. Why is it that some people experience a sudden increase in irritability? A lot of this can be attributed to the hormone epinephrine, stress, and the adrenal glands, especially when these begin to get out of balance.
When the human body is exposed to stress, a built-in mechanism helps it cope. Stress can either be physical or emotional. Physical stress is oftentimes caused by extreme exercise or overexertion. On the other hand, emotional stress can be triggered by the death of a loved one, work, or a bad relationship.
During times of stress, the body’s neurometabolic and endocrine response system kicks into gear. Part of this response system involves the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA axis). The HPA axis regulates the release of many hormones in the body, including cortisol. Cortisol levels increase and decrease in your body depending on the stress level in your system. When physical or emotional stress is involved in your life for a prolonged period, it can damage the adrenal system. This is because the adrenal system must work overtime in order to help your body fight and overcome the additional stress.
Naturally, the more stress present, the harder the adrenal glands must work. If this continues for years, your adrenal system becomes exhausted and weaker. When your adrenal system weakens enough, your body must slow down to preserve itself and survive. This means that various functions begin to slow, such as gastric assimilation, metabolism, and liver function. All of this subsequently leads to many different symptoms, including brain fog: a feeling of mental confusion where the individual lacks mental clarity.
As your body gets weaker, the adrenal glands' capability to produce cortisol in response to stress decreases, and you will naturally become more irritable. As a last resort, your body will release a hormone known as norepinephrine. This hormone is involved with the brain, and it has a few different responsibilities. Norepinephrine is responsible for keeping you alert, as well as on edge.
Norepinephrine can be found in a variety of street drugs because it helps to enhance and sharpen cognitive function. Unfortunately, norepinephrine has certain side effects that are worth noting. Too much norepinephrine can cause you to become jittery and anxious and can even contribute to panic attacks. Irritability is one of the early signs caused by an excess of norepinephrine. High levels of norepinephrine, along with epinephrine, are an indication that the fight-or-flight response is being triggered. There are different measures and methods that your body uses in order to protect, help, and guide people, especially when facing possible internal threats. These physical and emotional reactions are, in some ways, a red flag.
Since norepinephrine and epinephrine are last-resort responses, they lack opposing hormones. Therefore, these hormones do not have an off switch. In order for norepinephrine’s effect to wear off, your body has to burn off and metabolize all of these hormones.
The sympathetic nervous system has the task of releasing certain amounts of epinephrine. Actions can be taken to calm the sympathetic nervous system, which may help the situation. One action that is recommended by therapists is adrenal breathing exercises. Adrenal breathing exercises activate the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS). PNS is the opposing system to the sympathetic nervous system (SNS). While it does not completely shut down the SNS, the PNS does help calm your body down by acting on opposing receptor sites in your body. It is known as the “rest and digest” system instead of the SNS “flight or fight” system.
Also, It helps to be aware of solutions and have a specific plan for attacking chemical imbalances in your body. Nothing is more debilitating than feeling lost and stuck, unable to move forward or make any progress on a specific health issue.
More importantly, it is essential to have the ability to handle and take control of these issues. Irritability can cause a number of disruptions in your life. Feeling agitated and upset while trying to get through the day is always unpleasant. An irritable state also ends up affecting your friends, family, and colleagues. The objective is to find a new balance with epinephrine once again. When irritability is reduced, it helps the adrenal system get back in harmony and regain its balance.
Being easily irritated and stressed may indicate Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome, as this is common in the early stages. It helps to know that you can take immediate steps to improve your lifestyle and positively impact fighting adrenal fatigue. As a result, you will experience a reduction in stress, irritability, and anxiety. If you recognize that you may have this imbalance, you are halfway to becoming healthy again.
It may help to take naps and avoid unnecessary stress from things like toxic relationships, as well as other bad or unhealthy situations. The first step to recovery is identifying the potential warning signs and discovering the problem. From there, you can start to make gradual improvements. Irritability is only one of many symptoms, and it can also be related to a number of illnesses or personal events. However, if a person is experiencing other signs of Adrenal Fatigue, this condition is most likely a match.
The occasional bout of irritability is normal. But if you find yourself constantly snapping at people or struggling to hold your temper, something more serious may happen. The strong link between irritability and adrenal fatigue also means that you may experience these issues together, which can confuse the situation and make it even harder at the same time. If you find yourself in this negative space, here's what to do:
For help dealing with irritability or other problems related to adrenal fatigue, talk to our staff at +1 (626) 571-1234.
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