Extreme and unbearable emotions are a natural part of our lives. Feelings like sadness, anxiety, or anger are a universal part of every human experience. Some people get these feelings too often, too fast, and they’re too difficult to manage. Emotional dysregulation refers to an inability, for whatever reason, of a person to control or effectively manage their emotions. They may have lots of mood swings, have a hard time calming down when they have become upset, have seemingly extreme reactions to things.
A person dealing with this has difficulties regulating their emotions and returning to “baseline” after becoming anxious or angry, or heightened in any way. It often comes with mental health conditions, where treating it will be contiguous with treating the underlying issue. However, understanding emotional dysregulation, the available therapeutic approaches, and a few tips on management can improve a person’s emotional regulation skills.
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What Is Emotional Dysregulation?
People with emotional reactivity endure intense feelings more regularly and for a relatively extended period. They lack emotion regulation skills. People who struggle with emotional dysregulation have trouble accepting their emotional responses.
The following are common signs of emotional dysregulation:
- Anxiety
- Severe depression
- Self-harm
- High levels of anger and shame
- High-risk sexual behaviors
- Excessive substance abuse
- Highly conflictual interpersonal relationships
- Extreme perfectionism
- Suicidal thoughts or attempts
- Disordered eating
These behaviors aim to instantly reduce the present level of emotional distress. Severe emotion dysregulation patients are often wrongly diagnosed with rapid-cycling bipolar disorder because of their extreme mood lability.
Causes of Emotional Dysregulation
It is difficult to pinpoint where dysregulation comes from. Each person is unique. But some potential causes may include brain injury, childhood trauma, various mental health conditions, or substance abuse. People may have biological predispositions for emotional responsiveness that can be worsened by chronic low invalidation levels in their environments, leading to emotional dysregulation.
When you’re diagnosed with anxiety or depression disorders, emotional dysregulation can easily be overlooked as a cause for concern.
What Are the Treatment Options?
Doctors may recommend various therapies, including psychotherapy or medication. Some of the therapeutic approaches include:
- dialectic behavioral therapy (DBT)
- cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and behavioral therapy
- multimodal treatment, e.g., pharmacotherapy and parental interventions
- other therapies, including outpatient group therapy, neurofeedback, or hypnotherapy
DBT entails learning skills that might help you regulate your emotions or mood. People may also learn to be conscious of their thoughts and emotions to help them manage stressful situations. The process may include a consultation team, telephone coaching, individual psychotherapy, and group sessions. Therapy’s primary goal is to help you balance your emotions with logic. It will help you create positive results in stressful situations and manage your emotions more effectively.
CBT, or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, is a therapeutic approach that promotes emotional regulation and effective stress management. It involves training individuals to become aware of their thoughts and feelings, and to use that awareness to respond more constructively in challenging situations. The therapy often encompasses various elements, such as one-on-one counseling, group sessions, and even telephone coaching in some cases. The central aim of CBT is to harmonize emotions with reason, creating a more balanced response to stress. By enhancing emotional management skills, CBT guides individuals towards healthier reactions in stressful situations.
Other Ways to Treat Emotional Dysregulation
- Mindfulness: This involves staying present and fully engaging in the current moment. Mindfulness helps you avoid becoming overwhelmed by what’s going on around you, which can help manage emotional responses.
- Emotion Regulation Skills: This might involve learning to identify and label emotions, increasing positive emotional events, reducing vulnerability to negative emotions, and applying distress tolerance techniques.
- Physical Activity: Regular exercise can help reduce feelings of anxiety and improve mood, which in turn can help manage emotional dysregulation.
- Healthy Lifestyle: This includes balanced nutrition, adequate sleep, and avoiding excessive caffeine and alcohol. All these factors can influence your emotional health.
Mental Health Treatment in Orange County, CA
No matter what someone is going through, these are emotional dysregulation is treatable. Medications, talk therapy, and other interventions are extremely beneficial. Please contact Story Wellness at (866) 476-2823 to learn more about available treatment options available in Orange County, CA.
