why do I get agitated so easily?

I have a lot of trouble with irritability, agitation, anger/depression.. a lot of times over small things or I'm just in a constant state of agitation. Like everything gets on my nerves, whether its people or things/noises as well.. cant seem to relax a lot.

seems to me like frustration over something, try taking stock of when you feel this way and what is the cause, there may be a simple solution or as in my case it may be something you just have to work on and accept changes.
I get very irritable, angry etc and know frustration is definitely the cause, I am frustrated that i can't do what i used to be able to do, frustrated at having to rely on others, frustrated when things aren't done how i ask or as quick as i used to be able to do them, frustrated at constantly dropping/knocking over things, fed up struggling with simple things like washing up or getting dressed........etc,

I used to feel ignored, unheard, disregarded, as if others were trying to intentionally trying to upset me. There wasn't an easy answer, but a few years of therapy have made helped tremendously!

How long has this been going on for? How long do you usually sleep for? Are you going to school? What are you current relaxation methods?

Things get stressful at times , triggers could be lack of sleep, life stages parents, anxiety when I used to get anxious, my emotion could go to crying or intense anger. Recognize the moment this happens and analyze your behavior, rationalize the situation, and come to conclusion. It's not easy. what have you tried?

Well, I have really bad ocd symptoms and anxiety, so those are the obvious causes.. But i'm not sure where the constantly frustrated and sometimes random anger/rage comes from.

have you came off any meds in the last year ? now that I am off lithium, little things set me off and try hard to control it

Infinite, I'm right there with you. Over the last couple of days I've struggled more with irritability and anger/aggression. A couple posters here set me off on that ride but I think it was coming off Prozac that has put me in this terrible mood.

As Harriet asked, have you stopped any meds recently?

OCD is about fear, which could also be the source of the frustration and rage. It may not be one thing you can pinpoint, but something more general.

Have you tried things like limiting caffeine, if applicable, or doing relaxation techniques? Relaxation techniques help to keep the frustration and anxiety level down, so that when something comes along that is frustrating or anger- or anxiety- provoking, your level is low to start with so the increase is not so drastic and doesn't go so high (compared to if your level is high to start with).

If you can, it helps to slow things down at the time they are happening, so you can see what is happening within you, what are you 'hearing' or saying to yourself, for example. (for me it was that I could do *nothing* right, that everything falls apart, etc.)

I can relate to your feelings. What I have learned to help with those feelings is, to take a deep breath to calm yourself down. Deep breathing for me really truly helps me to calm down and refocus. Try to focus on the small good things that happen in your life instead of the negative ones!

I think when i miss a dose of a med, it gets worse, predictable. Even an "as needed" med i take.

I love coffee and caffiene, i really cant function without it during the day. But i know it can have bad effects after it wears off. Relaxation techniques are hard to do and sometimes dont work

On a side note, it makes me feel like im just an irritable person overall aside from the illness.

What about experimenting as an investment in you. Relaxation techniques are fairly easy to do, but might be difficult if a person has a lot of caffeine in their system.
What about cutting back on caffeine to see how that goes?
There is a relaxation CD I enjoy called "Warm and Heavy". It is one CD with 2 relaxation exercises, one it Warm and the other is Heavy. Easy to do every day, feels great, and gets better with practice

I found this CD at this site: www.wholeperson,com

2 predatory Cats in the icons of members here. The eyes! Time to get out and "pounce".

have you looked into intermitant explosive disorder, its ocd related too....

LoL... its a Wolf, actually!! good guess though!

Yeah, Ive read about it. What causes it though??

I've been noticing the same problem in myself over the last year or so. Or I should say I've been noticing how deep it goes. I used to think I was a really open-minded person. Now I realize that I'm actually quite impatient and sometimes just downright intolerant. I just don't usually say it out loud.
Mostly I notice it with my partner, at home. If I get mad at her, I will punish her by giving her the silent treatment or cutting myself off from her for the day, knowing that she loves spending time with me and wants to be with me (we live together). I am constantly impatient in public (slow walkers, unpredictable walkers/drivers, long lineups, angry people, all kinds of people). The simplest thing can send me into a rage that sometimes lasts for hours. It has been known to last a day or two.
Sometimes I question if I need something like anger management, or if it's just something else in my life that needs attending to. Then I look at my dad and realize the anger apple didn't fall far from the tree. Either did the coping mechanisms, which I got from my mom. I have OCD, which, as mentioned in an earlier post, probably doesn't help.
Hope you find some relief, Infinite. If I find anything that works in the meantime I'll let you know...