Irritability and Aggression can arise from a number of issues, including a straightforward and not unreasonable response to underlying pain and discomfort. In these cases, it is the system and irritants causing pain that need to be uncovered and treated to improve mood and reduce aggressive outbursts.
However irritability and aggression may have less stimulus driven origins, and may be a reflection of a deeper neurological or biochemical imbalance in the system, driving a behaviour that the child or adult cannot control.
These issues are compounded in ASD by difficulties in comprehension, lack of speech and cognitive difficulties. We might not always be easily able to assess if the patient is in pain or distress, and bio-resonance screening and other screening methods can provide invaluable arrows in the road to figuring out what is troubling these patients and addressing it. Homeopathy and bio-medical nutrient and dietary interventions can have a massive impact on improving and resolving aggressive behaviour and irritability.
Contributing factors may include:
1. Anxiety - either situational or poor stress response due to biochemical factors such as CYP450 detox pathway stress. Poor function of this enzyme group can see stress related chemicals circulating for a long time, meaning that a small amount of stress can be debilitating.
2. Seizures
3. Unrecognised Pain caused by:
Gastrointestinal Issues
Headaches/Migraines
Sinus Infection/Congestion
Ear infections
Dental issues
4. Vitamin and mineral deficiencies including:
Lithium orotate - a highly undervalued mood stabiliser and nervous system defender
Folate
Magnesium - probably one of the most important system sedatives
Carnitine - carnitine is vital for Mitochondrial function, and deficiency can increase neuro-inflammation driving a number of the factors on this list
B6 - vital for glutamate conversion
NAC deficiency - can be implicated in glutathione deficiency and poor detoxification
5. Low Cholesterol and Essential Fatty acid Metabolism
6. Chronic underlying infections:
Kryptopyrroles - Pyroluria is a common adjunct of ASD, and strongly linked to nutrient and infection driven behavioural stress, including stress intolerance, anxiety and tantrums
PANDAS/PANS - emotional lability and outbursts are a defining symptom
Lyme or Lyme coinfections
Clostridia infections - potential to dysregulate dopamine balance and cause widespread neuroinflammation
7. Blood sugar instability
8. Adrenal fatigue and low cortisol
9. Lead, Mercury, Copper or other heavy metals toxicity
10. Hormonal Balance
11. Sulfation issues
12. EMF exposure - Its effects on CYP450 detoxification ability, glutamate levels in the nervous system
13. Excess Glutamate/Ammonia
14. Mito dysfunction
15. Oxytocin, Dopamine, or Acetylcholine Chloride (linked to blood sugar) Imbalance
16. Low Tryptophan diet = Low serotonin