Emotional lability is characterised by rapid, exaggerated mood swings. You will experience strong emotions and feel like you can not control your behavior and feelings. You will express your feelings more dramatically than usual. Symptoms of an unstable mood include:
- Uncontrollable laughter
- Excessive crying
- Increased irritability
- Capricious temperament
According to the DSM diagnostic criteria, affective lability and emotional dysregulation have overlapping symptoms. Affective lability is related to bipolar disorder, whereas emotional dysregulation is related to ADHD. Symptoms of an unstable mood include:
- Excessive talking
- Easily distracted
- Interrupting people and putting yourself in situations you are usually not invited to
- Physical restlessness and restlessness
- Racing thoughts
- Difficulty maintaining attention
The symptoms of an unstable mood are frequently unpredictable in comparison with your “normal” reactions. These mood swings will be very dramatic and completely uncontrollable. Because of the randomness of symptoms, it could be difficult to acknowledge that you simply are in the course of an episode.
Emotional lability is usually the results of damage to your brain, which controls your awareness of emotions, your ability to manage the expression of your feelings, and intense emotional reactions.
A brain injury can lead to lack of emotional awareness. Weaker emotional control and lower frustration tolerance may also result in extreme emotional feelings. You is probably not as sensitive to others or your personal emotions, making it harder to manage your behavior.
If you’re emotionally unstable, feelings may come out of nowhere and overwhelm you. For example, you could start crying for an unknown reason. Emotional instability may also cause you to overreact to people or things that occur around you. For example, you could turn out to be more emotional watching a tragic or funny movie.
Dealing with emotional instability takes time and patience. Understanding your triggers will aid you know what to avoid and what is going to set you off. Triggers may include, but are usually not limited to:
- Fatigue and excessive tiredness
- Stress and anxiety
- Excessive noise and stimulation
- Feelings of being under pressure
- Very sad or funny situations
- Specific topics of debate
- Deaths of family members
- Public speaking
Here are some ways you’ll be able to cope with emotional instability:
Take a break. Scheduling breaks throughout the day can prevent you from feeling overwhelmed. Taking a break can aid you regain control of your emotions. Your break may last a number of minutes or greater than an hour. It will depend on how much time you wish. You can take a break by taking a walk or coloring an adult coloring book. Just do something that distracts you out of your strong emotions.
Ignore the behavior. Getting others to not acknowledge your emotional instability may also aid you ignore the behavior. If you’re with someone who’s emotionally unstable, you need to avoid laughing with the one who is suffering. It can be helpful to not pay an excessive amount of attention to those emotions and take a look at to alter the topic or ignore the trigger.
Cognitive techniques. Using mental strategies can aid you manage your emotional instability. You can discuss the right techniques together with your psychologist. Some of those strategies include:
- Relax and do respiration exercises
- Distract yourself by considering of a peaceful image
- Go for a stroll
- Drink a chilly drink
Some studies have shown advantages of mindfulness-based intervention for emotional lability. These practices help promote nonjudgmental attention to your current situation. Mindfulness exercises can aid you accept difficult circumstances or feelings.
According to some studies, the longer you practice mindfulness, the more practical it’s. Rather than achieving the true effects in the primary session, it takes practice, time and consistency to see the complete advantages. Practicing mindfulness may also help reduce anxiety and emotional suppression that accompany emotional instability.
Emotional instability just isn’t a condition that somebody typically suffers from throughout their life. In most cases, it’s a condition that develops after a brain injury and might heal over time. Emotional instability is usually accompanied by many other changes, comparable to: B. the lack to work, drive and maintain the previous quality of life. These sudden changes can worsen your emotional instability and in addition result in depression and anxiety.
It's best to get additional support from a therapist or psychologist. You can confer with your doctor about treating emotional lability. During these times, it's best to surround yourself with a superb support group. They can all aid you deal with the changes in your life.