Getting Irritated By Everything

[sonicjaguar]

Hi all,

First time posting here. I was diagnosed with chronic anxiety/depression a few years ago and it's been an uphill battle as you would all know.

Lately however I find myself getting annoyed by many trivial things such as the way someone eats, or a coworker comes into the room and noisily sits themselves down at the table and begins to munch and make a variety of annoying noises.

It also happens when I see people on the tv, like they have a face that genuinely annoys me to the point where I can feel it bubbling inside me. Or the way the someone talks or makes various sounds.

It seems to be that I'm noticing every tiny thing that is happening around me. I have always had a mind that seeks out things in great detail, and maybe that is a cause of these feelings, but I find it to be very uncomfortable. Almost like if you combined misophonia with a visual equivalent.

Does anyone know of any ways to stop me getting so annoyed at every tiny thing? It's all so trivial and pointless and I know that but I can't seem to stop it happening...

Thanks and a happy new year to you all.

[Zeal]

Hi sonicjaguar,

Welcome to the forum!

Getting annoyed at a variety of details on a daily basis would understandably be hard to deal with. Have you talked to your doctor or mental health professional about this recently?

I have had anxiety/OCD for 10 years now, though I haven't experienced frustration the same way you describe it, so I don't have any advice based on personal experience. It is great that you have insight into your anxiety and frustrations.

Here are some online resources you may find useful:

http://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/resources/infopax.cfm?Info_ID=37 (depression)

http://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/resources/infopax.cfm?Info_ID=46 (anxiety)

You may find this previous forum thread useful: https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/online-forums/anxiety/self-help-tips-for-managing-anxiety (except being mindful of your surroundings won't help you, as is suggested by a user)

Hopefully more people reply to you. Happy New Year to you as well!

Best wishes,

Zeal

[Doolhof]

Hi sonicjaguar,

People jiggling keys or coins in their pockets is something that gets on my nerves. I try to ignore it, but know that is not always easy.

Maybe trying to change the way your mind thinks about these issues might help. Maybe you could consider what kind of animal or flower that person reminds you of, then remind yourself they will not always be in your face.

Shutting your eyes for a few seconds and trying to picture something pleasant might work.

People say we can retrain our brains. I am trying to do that with a few things. It takes work.

My husband always eats with his mouth open and makes a lot of noise. Sometimes it puts me off my dinner and makes me want to puke. I like it best when we eat dinner in the t.v. room so I can turn up the sound on the t.v.!

At the dinner table I try to look away or listen for the birds outside.

Hope you can find some ways to turn the volume down so to speak on the stuff that bugs you.

Cheers from Dools

[JessF]

Hello sonicjaguar, have you done any self-reflection when these feelings bubble up? What exactly is coming to mind? Getting to the root cause of the trigger may provide you with some greater insights.

Apart from that, have you tried any 'distress tolerance' techniques? These can help you to sit better with uncomfortable emotions and thoughts, and let them wash over you. This in itself can help the feelings to pass quicker.

Best of luck...

[MsPurple]

Hi Sonicjaguar

I know exactly what you mean. I have the same thing happen to me. It seems to get worse when I am experiencing PMS or currently stressed out by some change I wasn't expecting. I read others advice above, which was great (and I'll use some of it 🙂 ). I thought I'd add some things I do

-Take close my eyes and take a deep breath

-Meditate before going to bed (I use the app called 'calm' and only use the free meditations). I think they have some meditations on tolerance. It helps me learn to zone out when I need to

-go to the bathroom or make a cuppa tea when I feel myself getting irratable. I usually use this time to calm down and stop the racing irratable thoughts.

Hope some of this helps. Some days I just struggle with it too. I know the pain, but hopefully this will help reduce it a bit

[sonicjaguar]

Hi all. This is a super delayed reply, but I sort of fell of the radar for a while there.

I thank you all for your replies. It humbles and means a lot to me that people have taken time out of their day to write a response to me.

I will endevour to employ all of the techniques & resources you have all posted. I realised, especially over the last 9-10 months, that my stability is ultimately up to me to choose to fix. All of your responses mean a lot.

Thank you to all of you & I wish you all well on your individual journeys. See you around.