3. Important Distinction: Agitation vs. Irritability

It’s crucial to distinguish between clinical agitation and the more common emotions of irritability or anger. While irritability is a familiar emotional response to a trigger and is usually controllable, agitation is a more complex and severe clinical state. It involves a profound difficulty with self-control, is accompanied by increased and often purposeless motor activity, and frequently points to an underlying medical or psychiatric condition. The key difference is that, unlike simple anger, agitation significantly impairs a person’s ability to function. Understanding this distinction is key to knowing when professional help may be needed.