“Emotional dysregulation” has become something of a mental health buzzword in recent years – often overused to the point of losing its meaning. While this phenomenon is not a stand-alone mental health diagnosis, it’s a symptom or pattern associated with several different conditions.
Understanding what it looks like can help you recognize when your reactions are sometimes disproportionately intense to the circumstances or why it is so hard for you to self-soothe when you are upset.
What Does Emotional Dysregulation Feel Like?
The goal of developing good emotional regulation skills isn’t to ignore anger, sadness, fear and frustration so you can maintain a calm, cheerful façade regardless of what happens. It’s to respond less reactively and return to your baseline sooner.
Signs that you need to work on this ability may include:
- Intense anger or frequent emotional outbursts
- Becoming overwhelmed by relatively minor problems
- Impulsive reactions that later cause regret or embarrassment
- Difficulty calming down or expressing yourself clearly when you are angry or sad
- Rapid, unpredictable mood swings
- Shutting down or withdrawing during conflict instead of reacting outwardly
These experiences can become especially concerning when they repeatedly interfere with your relationships, school, work or everyday responsibilities.
Why Do Some People Struggle to Regulate Their Emotions?
Babies aren’t born knowing how to identify complicated feelings, tolerate frustration or calm themselves when distressed. They gradually acquire and hone these skills throughout childhood. However, even as an adult, chronic stress, sleep deprivation and life changes such as losing a loved one can reduce your ability to cope with situations you would ordinarily sail through.
Your history matters, too. For instance, trauma survivors often become highly sensitive to situations that feel threatening, unpredictable or beyond their control. If you have PTSD, which primes your nervous system to detect danger, your emotional response in specific circumstances can seem excessive to other people while feeling completely appropriate to you.
Emotional Dysregulation Can Occur With Several Conditions
A sudden cascade of feelings can be overwhelming in the moment, especially if you can’t pinpoint why it’s happening. People with anxiety, depression, personality disorders and related behavioral health conditions often have difficulty self-regulating.
Substance use can further complicate your situation. While drinking alcohol or taking drugs may be a shortcut for numbing uncomfortable feelings, intoxication and withdrawal can make your moods and reactions even more erratic.
Diagnosing yourself based on information you find online can be misleading because similar behaviors can arise for entirely different reasons. Qualified behavioral health professionals always consider the holistic picture rather than focusing on one symptom in isolation.
Emotional Dysregulation in Children and Teens
Children and adolescents often struggle to manage complex emotions. You may notice tantrums or outbursts that seem unusually extreme for your child’s age, impulsive behavior or prolonged periods of distress after relatively small setbacks and disappointments.
Some emotional volatility is only natural in young people dealing with hormonal changes, increasing independence, academic pressure, friendships and identity development, so not every mood swing indicates a mental health condition.
Instead of focusing on individual incidents, consider patterns. How frequently does your child become overwhelmed? How strong are their reactions? How long does it take them to recover? Do they maintain good grades or friendships at school?
Can You Learn to Regulate Your Emotions?
Emotional regulation isn’t a use-it-or-lose-it ability. A professional therapist can teach you how to recognize your triggers before you reach a crisis point. You can also learn healthier ways to tolerate distress, communicate your needs, challenge unhelpful thoughts and respond thoughtfully rather than impulsively.
Pine Grove provides comprehensive treatment for children, adolescents and adults experiencing mental health and substance use concerns. Our experienced behavioral health professionals can help identify factors contributing to emotional difficulties and recommend an appropriate treatment approach.
Don’t wait for your emotions to become unmanageable. Reach out to us today to learn more about our behavioral health services.
