There are days when feelings are not easier to handle.
A small comment at work might trigger intense anger, or a minor disappointment could just cause hours of sadness.
Emotional dysregulation may occur when feelings are always larger than the situation warrants.
What Exactly Is Emotional Dysregulation?
In a healthy situation, emotions are in tandem with what is happening in the surroundings.
A frustrating day brings some irritation, good news brings happiness, and disappointments bring manageable sadness.
When we have emotional dysregulation, it disrupts this system. Minor frustrations could provoke a violent temper. The smallest of setbacks would lead to the feeling of despair.
The emotional appeal is not relevant to the actual circumstances.
This has nothing to do with being too sensitive. Emotional dysregulation may result due to several factors, such as:
- Previous trauma or bad life experiences
- Mental disorders such as anxiety and depression
- Specific medications
- Illnesses
- Differences in your brain chemistry
- Chronic stress or big life changes
Learning to recognize the warning signs can assist in knowing when support is needed.
5 Warning Signs You Might Be Experiencing Emotional Dysregulation
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Your emotions feel way too intense for what’s happening.
We all have bad days, but emotional dysregulation causes seemingly minor events to knock people out of control.
An employee may break down in tears after hours because of a criticism provided by a supervisor. Someone cutting in line may provoke anger for the whole day.
These responses are excessive about what took place. Subsequently, the intensity may seem bewildering or humiliating.
The pattern of emotional reaction does not correspond to the stimulus.
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Rapid changes between emotional extremes.
The mood may shift between utter delight and melancholy in a few hours, or even minutes, with no apparent cause.
Sometimes everything seems to be alright, and the next moment is despairing emptiness.
Such dynamic changes cause fatigue and unforeseeability. This makes everyday life hard when emotions fluctuate so fast and so intensely.
People fall out of relationships when others cannot tell what emotional state they will experience.
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Physical symptoms accompany emotional episodes.
There is a close association between the mind and body, particularly during emotional stress.
The body is quick to react to feelings of loss of control by the development of physical symptoms:
- Racing heart or chest tightness
- Headaches or muscle tension
- Stomach problems or nausea
- Trembling or restlessness
- Sleep pattern changes or appetite shifts
Such physical responses compound the process of emotional episodes and generate cycles that are more difficult to break without assistance.
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Depending on unhealthy coping methods.
When feelings are getting too strong, it is time to seek relief. The coping strategies adopted sometimes end up causing more problems in the long run:
- Using alcohol or substances to numb complicated feelings
- Taking risky actions in emotional states
- Absence of contact with friends and relatives
- Food as the primary mechanism of addressing emotions
- Attempts to deal with emotional pain through self-harm
Such coping mechanisms could alleviate the situation in the short term but complicate the emotion regulation process in the future.
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Relationships fall apart.
Emotional dysregulation not only harms the one who is affected. People are likely to tread on eggshells around a person whose moods seem erratic.
There may be more conflicts without a clear explanation.
What to Do Next
What it requires is awareness and honesty to recognize these signs. When such patterns are familiar, some steps assist in strengthening emotional regulation.
Have Self-Compassion
Most people face problems controlling their intense emotions, and effective therapies exist. You can heal more when you are patient with yourself in this process.
Look Into Professional Support Options
Although individual coping mechanisms can assist, the most improved outcomes are usually a result of work with mental health professionals.
Treatment at Treasure Behavioral Health is unique to each person and experience.
Therapy assists in:
- Developing healthy coping strategies
- Insight into the emotional patterns
- Mitigation of underlying aspects contributing to dysregulation
Medication management is also sometimes needed to stabilize mood and emotional reactions.
Learn Immediate Grounding Techniques
In thinking about professional assistance, some methods can bring prompt relief in moments of high emotions:
- Box breathing technique. Inhale to a count of 4, hold to a count of 4, exhale to a count of 4, and again pause to a count of 4.
- Grounding method. Name 5 things you see, 4 you can touch, 3 you can hear, 2 you can smell and 1 you can taste.
- Progressive muscle relaxation. Try to consciously contract and relax the various muscle groups. You can begin with your feet, all the way up to your head.
- Cold water technique. Splash some cold water on your face. You can also hold ice cubes. This will activate your body’s dive response.
Strengthen Support Systems
Proper support will make it easier to cope with emotional dysregulation. It can be trusted friends, family members, support groups, or people who understand what it is like, which greatly helps.
Professional Help Makes a Difference
Emotional dysregulation can make one feel isolated and overwhelmed, but there is available and effective treatment.
With the proper care and treatment, many individuals are taught to handle their emotions more healthily.
At Treasure Behavioral Health, we provide patient-centered care that acknowledges personal circumstances. The treatment plan has several advantages:
- Individual therapy sessions
- Strategies for managing intense emotions
- Medication management
- Flexible scheduling with both in-person and telehealth options
- Insurance acceptance
Support at Treasure Behavioral Health
Professional help offers resources and techniques. They can help make it seem easier to cope with feelings that are so strong.
To book an appointment, call us at 916-903-7066 or you can also book online. Both in-person and virtual visits are offered.
FAQs
What are some of the things that tell you that you are required to receive professional help for emotional dysregulation?
Professional assistance may be needed when feelings interfere with:
- Daily activities
- Relationships
- Work
How long does treatment take?
The length of treatment depends on the person. Improvements are noted usually within weeks to months of regular professional assistance.
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