Traumatic experiences can have a lasting impact on our physical and mental health, which, among many other challenges, can affect our ability to regulate our emotions.
Psychologists refer to the above as emotional dysregulation.
If you find it challenging to control your emotions or notice that you get angry or overwhelmed quickly, there’s a chance that past trauma might be to blame.
Here we will explore emotional dysregulation, its symptoms and how you can recover from unresolved trauma that may be impacting your health and quality of life.
The connection between trauma and dysregulation
Trauma-related conditions such as PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) and C-PTSD (complex post-traumatic stress disorder) can significantly impair a person’s ability to regulate emotions, meaning they have trouble controlling their feelings and emotional responses.
The difference between PTSD and C-PTSD
PTSD and C-PTSD are mental health disorders brought on by single or chronic traumatic stress.
Although these conditions share similar symptoms, many features set them apart.
For example, someone with PTSD may have been exposed to physical violence or a natural disaster – these events are referred to as ‘single event traumas’.
On the other hand, someone exposed to repeated trauma, such as physical or emotional abuse from a parent or caregiver, may develop complex PTSD.
We all respond to trauma differently
Traumatic events can affect people in various ways. For instance, two people may encounter the same situation, but only one person will experience post-traumatic stress symptoms.
Emotional dysregulation is one of the hallmarks of trauma and can appear in various ways.
For example, you may experience uncontrollable bouts of intense anger or cry for no apparent reason.
Emotional dysregulation is described by mental health professionals as ‘the inability to manage the intensity or duration of emotional responses’. (What Is Emotional Dysregulation, Anyway? Annie Tanasugarn, PhD, CCTSA, Psychology Today, August 26, 2022)
Childhood maltreatment
If you imagine a young child exposed to chronic trauma in their home environment and then think about how these early experiences stunt their emotional development, the intensity in which they later respond to things may not come as much of a surprise.
Studies show that individuals with a history of childhood trauma, particularly those who didn’t receive emotional validation from their parents or caregivers, are more likely to struggle with emotional regulation in later life.
How common is emotional dysregulation?
Statistics from the American Psychiatric Association show that around one in eleven people will experience PTSD at some stage.
PTSD can affect how a person regulates emotions, causing various complications within their relationships, work, and society.
What are the symptoms of emotional dysregulation?
Emotional dysregulation impacts how you process and regulate your emotional responses to things.
You may experience profound anger, sadness, guilt or even shame and be completely unaware of where these feelings come from and how to control them.
You must understand the symptoms of emotional dysregulation to get the help and support you need.
Various treatment options are available, and support is always on hand. If you have any of the following symptoms, speak to a specialist at Camino Recovery who can help.
Symptoms
Symptoms of emotional dysregulation can vary, but those with the condition are likely to experience the following:
- Feeling overwhelmed by specific emotions, such as anger, sadness, and guilt
- Impulsive behaviour
- Crying for ‘seemingly’ no reason
- Sudden mood shifts
- Trouble coping with stress
- Disproportionate or intense emotional responses that are difficult to control
- Poor conflict resolution skills
- Higher risks for alcohol and drug abuse
- Interpersonal relationship conflict
- Engaging in compulsive behaviours such as shopping, sex or binge eating
The connection between emotional dysregulation and borderline personality disorder
Many people with emotional dysregulation have a history of emotional invalidation in childhood. (What Is Emotional Dysregulation, Anyway? Annie Tanasugarn, PhD, CCTSA, Psychology Today, August 26, 2022)
It’s common for those with emotional dysregulation to struggle with managing the duration or intensity of their emotional responses, particularly complicated emotions such as anger, sadness, fear and even joyous feelings like love and excitement.
Researchers noted that adverse experiences such as physical abuse, emotional neglect, and emotional dysregulation are likely to be key predictors of borderline personality disorder and C-PTSD. (What Is Emotional Dysregulation, Anyway? Annie Tanasugarn, PhD, CCTSA, Psychology Today, August 26, 2022)
Causes and risk factors for emotional dysregulation
While there is no single cause for emotional dysregulation, various factors can influence whether someone develops the condition.
Studies show that trauma is one of the leading causes of emotional dysregulation.
Other risk factors include:
- A person’s environment, particularly the environment they were raised in.
- Whether an individual was taught emotion regulation skills in childhood, for instance, studies show that parents who struggle with emotional dysregulation cannot teach their children these vital skills, thus putting them at a higher risk of developing the condition in later life.
Emotional regulation is a learned skill
Children are not born with the natural ability to regulate their emotions.
These are learned skills that a child picks up from their environment and those around them.
Modelling behaviours
Many psychological theories suggest that young children learn how to behave and respond to their environment through modelling behaviours – for example, if caregivers demonstrate healthy responses, a child is more likely to model these behaviours.
On the other hand, if caregivers lash out or demonstrate angry or abusive behaviours, children are more likely to replicate these responses.
How trauma disrupts the learning process
Learning how to regulate emotions is vital to our growth and development. However, trauma disrupts this process, profoundly impairing our ability to control our emotions.
Many people who have experienced childhood trauma often struggle to control their feelings and emotions in adulthood. However, according to studies, exposure to trauma at any age can affect emotion regulation.
Although, research shows that children aged six to ten are the most at risk for developing emotion regulation problems. (How Does PTSD Lead to Emotional Dysregulation? Emma Dibdin, PsychCentral, September 7, 2022)
What other mental health disorders involve emotional dysregulation?
As well as the conditions mentioned, studies show that mental health disorders, such as bipolar disorder, may be considered a type of emotional dysregulation.
Since bipolar disorder is a mood disorder, those with the condition may experience profound mood changes, affecting emotional regulation and how an individual manages complicated feelings.
Some of the features of bipolar disorder include mania, depression, difficulties with concentration, a lack of impulse control and an inability to manage multiple tasks.
Complications associated with emotional dysregulation
Those with emotional dysregulation may encounter various challenges due to their condition.
When left untreated, emotional dysregulation can negatively impact many aspects of a person’s life, particularly their intimate relationships.
If someone struggles to control their jealousy or anger, for example, this can have a detrimental effect on the health of their relationships and may cause irreparable damage.
Unhealthy coping mechanisms
People who struggle to regulate emotions may engage in unhealthy patterns, including avoidance or numbing behaviours such as alcohol or drug misuse.
These behaviours may strain a person’s relationships significantly, causing much pain and heartache for the individual and their loved ones.
Treatment for emotional dysregulation
Emotional dysregulation can be a challenging condition to manage but, fortunately, there are effective treatment options that can help.
The most effective treatments for emotional dysregulation include:
- Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) – involves addressing and modifying unhelpful thoughts and behavioural patterns that lead to destructive coping and behaviours.
- Talk therapy (known as psychotherapy) – can help you understand and process your emotions more effectively. Your therapist can teach you vital skills to manage your feelings better while learning healthy coping skills.
- Trauma treatment – involves recognising how past traumatic events may impact your present life and reframing these experiences by reprocessing difficult memories in a safe and encouraging space guided by a trauma specialist.
How Camino Recovery can help
We offer comprehensive, personalised trauma treatment at Camino Recovery.
Our multidisciplinary team has decades of knowledge and experience diagnosing and treating various addictions and mental health disorders, including depression, anxiety, substance use disorders, behavioural addictions and trauma.
If you are struggling with emotional dysregulation, our specialist team can help.
We offer pioneering trauma treatments such as EMDR (eye movement desensitisation reprocessing therapy), a highly effective and rapid treatment approach for healing trauma, PTSD, anxiety disorders and various types of depression.
Now is the time to kick-start your recovery and live the life you deserve.
Speak to a specialist today for further support and information.
Additional resources
- What Is Emotional Dysregulation, Anyway? Annie Tanasugarn, PhD, CCTSA, Psychology Today, August 26, 2022
- How Does PTSD Lead to Emotional Dysregulation? Emma Dibdin, PsychCentral, September 7, 2022
