Emotional dysregulation

Emotional Dysregulation

Emotional dysregulation (pronunciation: /iˈmoʊʃənəl dɪsˌrɛɡjəˈleɪʃən/) is a term used in the mental health community to refer to an emotional response that is poorly modulated, and does not fall within the conventionally accepted range of emotive response. Emotional dysregulation can be associated with an experience of early psychological trauma, brain injury, or chronic maltreatment (such as child abuse, child neglect, or institutional neglect/abuse), and is a symptom of several mental disorders, including borderline personality disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Etymology

The term "emotional dysregulation" is derived from the prefix "dys-", meaning "bad" or "difficult", and "regulation", which refers to the process of controlling or maintaining a particular function or system. Thus, emotional dysregulation refers to the difficulty in controlling or managing emotional responses.

Related Terms

Emotion regulation: The ability to respond to the ongoing demands of experience with the range of emotions in a manner that is socially tolerable and sufficiently flexible to permit spontaneous reactions as well as the ability to delay spontaneous reactions as needed.
Dialectical behavior therapy: A type of cognitive-behavioral therapy that teaches behavioral skills to help people handle stress, manage their emotions, and improve their relationships.
Cognitive behavioral therapy: A type of psychotherapeutic treatment that helps patients understand the thoughts and feelings that influence behaviors.
Mood disorder: A psychological disorder characterized by the elevation or lowering of a person's mood, such as depression or bipolar disorder.