Emotional Dysregulation
a personal blog by Alan Ewing
Having been diagnosed with this mental health condition this week, then my purpose here is to give some explanation about the condition. First though, it is with relief that I finally have a mental health diagnosis, given years of exploring various medicines and therapies to find an answer. Now, at last I can receive the correct medicines and treatments for a condition that has mentally plagued me for years. It is also a massive weight lifted to be able to tell family and friends why I often behave in the way that I do. Like not wanting to talk or chat at certain times, like appearing anti-social, or over-wrought. A long period of self-isolation, five years, has taken place in order to get the answers as to why I have had disastrous relationship break-ups, which then in turn affect the condition. And as to why there are times when I wish to withdraw from society.
Emotion Dysregulation, is, in simple terms an inability to process emotional feelings and control them in response to provocative stimuli. The effect of this is a response which can be hostile, or temperamental brewing to anger in certain situations. Whereas, a person with Emotional Regulation can quickly gauge when emotions are going wild, then the person with Emotional Dysregulation is unable to gather rationality once the emotions have been aroused. This can then result in irrational behavior and creation of conflict. Confusion reigns as loss of reality takes place with a series of emotions that swing from one place to another. This causes problems in close relationships, as patterns of behavior change.
An illustration of how Emotional Dysfunctuality operates, usually with the front locus of the brain, is shown in this diagram. A burst of creative energy can often lead to be a sense of overwhelming, which can then result in a straight collapse. A disappointment or let-down, or a point of conflict with a close person can then result in an eruption, which will then be followed by angst. A root cause of Emotional Dysfunctionality stems from anxiety disorder. A sense of not being able to get things right, to get communication across and concerns about how other people are being treated. This can lead to extreme self-isolation.
The next diagram illustrates how this path maps itself out, as emotions explode with no self-awareness, followed by a complete lack of self-control.
The condition should not be confused with bi-polar, as that has periods of low despairing moods alternating with manic episodes. Rather Emotional Dysregulation has its motions through anxiety related disorder. It also has roots in psychological and emotional trauma that may have taken place throughout life and these may have caused the condition to grow. The nature of close relationships in life will have a huge impact. Damage can be severely inflicted by abusive or malicious intent from others.
Alan Ewing, MSc, BA(Hons), Cert HE
©dewyswriter2021
