Agitation

Agitation refers to a state of anxiety, restlessness, or emotional disturbance. It's characterized by physical movements like pacing, fidgeting, or hand-wringing, alongside psychological manifestations such as irritability, racing thoughts, and difficulty concentrating. This heightened state of arousal can stem from various causes including stress, medical conditions, or substance use. Agitation can also describe the act of stirring up public feeling or interest regarding a cause or issue, frequently through protest, debate, or persuasion to incite change. Furthermore, it may indicate a physical disturbance, as in the shaking or stirring of a liquid or substance.

Agitation meaning with examples

• Following the car accident, Sarah experienced severe agitation. She paced the hospital room constantly, struggled to answer questions coherently, and became easily startled by noises. Doctors attributed her Agitation to a combination of physical pain, shock, and anxiety related to the trauma she had undergone. The immediate calming medication helped her to begin the process of recovery.
• The political activist's fiery speech caused considerable Agitation among the crowd, with many shouting slogans and expressing their dissent loudly. The police kept an eye on the crowd, and several scuffles broke out as opposing views clashed with each other, creating an environment of tension and unrest that resulted in some arrests due to property damage.
• The chemist meticulously added a solution to the beaker, describing how the Agitation was crucial to ensure the chemical reaction proceeded smoothly. With gentle, constant swirling, he observed the changing colors of the solution, indicating the progress of the experiment and the need for an additional ingredient to stabilize the resultant chemicals.
• Symptoms of John's dementia were exacerbated by severe Agitation that presented itself through paranoia and erratic behavior, often occurring late in the day. His care team adjusted his medication and created a structured daily routine to help minimize the stimuli that contributed to his episodes, improving his quality of life substantially. The Agitation had also affected his relationship with his family.