Some improvement

[Guest guest]

I am fairly new to this group and have never posted. One common thread (excuse

the pun) is that we're not a very positive bunch, but I know all about that

because I was a miserable child. I do feel we need to infuse this group with

more positivity in between the occasional purging of pent up anger. So I'd like

to start by sharing some of my successes (meaning improvement…by no means

cures). I have been trying different medications for my " irritability " under

the care of psychiatrists for almost 10 years now. I actually started taking

SSRIs for panic attacks and found such relief from all my little irritations

that I stayed on them. Those annoying noises still irritated me, but I could

rationalize their existence, which is perhaps what " normal " people do – because

people do have to eat and breathe after all… although I still tend to lose

respect for noisy eaters. I tried Paxil and Prozac (wonder drug!) and

eventually went off the SSRIs under my current psychiatrist. The SSRIs were

more of a " blanket effect " drug, but they did work. She now has me on Lamictin

(a mood stabilizer/anticonvulsant – might be called something else overseas)

which has worked really well. I also take Wellbutrin in combination with it for

that " antidepressant' effect for when I feeling sorry for myself because

everyone irritates me. I recently had a relapse when I started taking new

hypertension medication and my doctor suggested it may be due to dehydration –

so there's a tip for everyone: stay well hydrated. I also found that taking

potassium did wonders for my mood, but bear in mind that potassium is not a

benign supplement and you need to be careful what you take it with and how much

you take – check with your doctor if you take other meds like diuretics or beta

blockers.

I've tried therapy and I just frustrated the psychologists, I tried NLP with no

success. I go for Reiki regularly and this helps me out for a day or so. I

would be interested to know if anyone has had success with hypnotism. The guy

next to me who whistles still irritates me, my boyfriend's barbaric chewing

drives me up the wall, as does his breathing, but I'm not curling myself into a

ball crying or punching walls anymore (maybe once in a while). I don't really

want to have to wear headphones or ear plugs all my life. Personally I'd rather

take a pill, but it really is nice to know that there are others out there who

want to smash faces in when people pop gum. I think it's important to realize

that you own this condition, it DOES NOT own you. The one thing that separates

us humans from animals is our ability to control our reactions, so instead of

wishing it away and blocking your ears (because there is no cure), find

something tangible that will help you manage how you react, because it's almost

impossible to change that thought pattern once you're irritated:

-Think of something funny or happy; keep a funny poster or photo nearby to make

you smile

- Try spending some quality time with deaf kids who are trying to learn to speak

or communicate and you may be more thankful for your hearing

-Recite the law of detachment: " Today I will commit myself to detachment. I

will allow myself and those around me the freedom to be as they are. I will not

rigidly impose my idea of how things should be. I will not force solutions on

problems, thereby creating new problems. I will participate in everything with

detached involvement "

-Practice EFT (emotional freedom techniques) – they are great even if just for

relaxation

-Exercise: it's almost impossible to be irritable when you're panting and the

endorphins do wonders

As I type the guy behind me is pacing up and down, picking his teeth, sniffing

and digging in some packet to eat something crunchy. Just the sight of his

mouth moving is annoying, but I'm alive and well and I'm ok. Say it over and

over: " I'm OK " . Instead of sharing the times you weren't ok, share the times

you were, and we will all start to see that it is possible to dilute this horrid

disorder with " OK-ness "

Yours in irritability,

Kerryn