Emotional lability

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In medicine and psychology, emotional lability is a sign or symptom typified by exaggerated changes in mood or affect in quick succession. [1] [2] Sometimes the emotions expressed outwardly are very different from how the person feels on the inside. These strong emotions can be a disproportionate response to something that happened, but other times there might be no trigger at all. The person experiencing emotional lability usually feels like they do not have control over their emotions. For example, someone might cry uncontrollably in response to any strong emotion even if they do not feel sad or unhappy. [1]

Emotional lability is seen or reported in various conditions including borderline personality disorder, [3] histrionic personality disorder, [4] post-traumatic stress disorder, [5] hypomanic or manic episodes of bipolar disorder, [6] and neurological disorders or brain injury (where it is termed pseudobulbar affect), such as after a stroke. [7] It has sometimes been found to have been a harbinger, or early warning, of certain forms of thyroid disease. [8] Emotional lability also results from intoxication with certain substances, such as alcohol and benzodiazepines. [9] It is also an associated feature of ADHD [10] [11] and autism. [12]

Children who display a high degree of emotional lability generally have low frustration tolerance and frequent crying spells or tantrums. [2] During preschool, ADHD with emotional lability is associated with increased impairment and may be a sign of internalizing problems or multiple comorbid disorders. [11] Children who are neglected are more likely to experience emotional dysregulation, including emotional lability. [13]

Potential triggers of emotional lability include excessive tiredness, stress or anxiety, overstimulated senses (too much noise, being in large crowds, etc.), being around others exhibiting strong emotions, very sad or funny situations (such as jokes, movies, certain stories or books), death of a loved one, or other situations that elicit stress or strong emotions. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Borderline personality disorder</span> Medical condition

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a personality disorder characterized by a pervasive, long-term pattern of significant interpersonal relationship instability, a distorted sense of self, and intense emotional responses. People diagnosed with BPD frequently exhibit self-harming behaviours and engage in risky activities, primarily due to challenges regulating emotional states to a healthy, stable baseline. Symptoms such as dissociation, a pervasive sense of emptiness, and an acute fear of abandonment are prevalent among those affected.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mood swing</span> Extreme or rapid change in mood

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dialectical behavior therapy</span> Psychotherapy for emotional dysregulation

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emotional detachment</span> Inability and/or disinterest in emotionally connecting to others

In psychology, emotional detachment, also known as emotional blunting, is a condition or state in which a person lacks emotional connectivity to others, whether due to an unwanted circumstance or as a positive means to cope with anxiety. Such a coping strategy, also known as emotion-focused coping, is used when avoiding certain situations that might trigger anxiety. It refers to the evasion of emotional connections. Emotional detachment may be a temporary reaction to a stressful situation, or a chronic condition such as depersonalization-derealization disorder. It may also be caused by certain antidepressants. Emotional blunting, also known as reduced affect display, is one of the negative symptoms of schizophrenia.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bipolar disorder in children</span>

Bipolar disorder in children, or pediatric bipolar disorder (PBD), is a rare mental disorder in children and adolescents. The diagnosis of bipolar disorder in children has been heavily debated for many reasons including the potential harmful effects of adult bipolar medication use for children. PBD is similar to bipolar disorder (BD) in adults, and has been proposed as an explanation for periods of extreme shifts in mood called mood episodes. These shifts alternate between periods of depressed or irritable moods and periods of abnormally elevated moods called manic or hypomanic episodes. Mixed mood episodes can occur when a child or adolescent with PBD experiences depressive and manic symptoms simultaneously. Mood episodes of children and adolescents with PBD are different from general shifts in mood experienced by children and adolescents because mood episodes last for long periods of time and cause severe disruptions to an individual's life. There are three known forms of PBD: Bipolar I, Bipolar II, and Bipolar Not Otherwise Specified (NOS). The average age of onset of PBD remains unclear, but reported age of onset ranges from 5 years of age to 19 years of age. PBD is typically more severe and has a poorer prognosis than bipolar disorder with onset in late-adolescence or adulthood.

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Prenatal stress, also known as prenatal maternal stress, occurs when an expectant mother is exposed to psychosocial or physical stress. This can be brought on by daily events or environmental hardships.[1] [2] According to the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD), a wide range of environmental factors a woman may experience during the perinatal period can contribute to biological impacts and changes in the fetus that then cause health risks later in the child's life. Health risks include impaired cognitive development, low birth weight, mental disorders, and gender specific deficits in the offspring.

Cyclothymia, also known as cyclothymic disorder, psychothemia / psychothymia, bipolar III, affective personality disorder and cyclothymic personality disorder, is a mental and behavioural disorder that involves numerous periods of symptoms of depression and periods of symptoms of elevated mood. These symptoms, however, are not sufficient to indicate a major depressive episode or a manic episode. Symptoms must last for more than one year in children and two years in adults.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder</span> Medical condition

Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder (DMDD) is a mental disorder in children and adolescents characterized by a persistently irritable or angry mood and frequent temper outbursts that are disproportionate to the situation and significantly more severe than the typical reaction of same-aged peers. DMDD was added to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) as a type of mood disorder diagnosis for youths. The symptoms of DMDD resemble many other disorders, thus a differential includes attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), anxiety disorders, childhood bipolar disorder, intermittent explosive disorder (IED), major depressive disorder (MDD), and conduct disorder.

Interpersonal emotion regulation is the process of changing the emotional experience of one's self or another person through social interaction. It encompasses both intrinsic emotion regulation, in which one attempts to alter their own feelings by recruiting social resources, as well as extrinsic emotion regulation, in which one deliberately attempts to alter the trajectory of other people's feelings.

Emotional eating, also known as stress eating and emotional overeating, is defined as the "propensity to eat in response to positive and negative emotions". While the term commonly refers to eating as a means of coping with negative emotions, it sometimes includes eating for positive emotions, such as overeating when celebrating an event or to enhance an already good mood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sleep and emotions</span>

Emotions play a key role in overall mental health, and sleep plays a crucial role in maintaining the optimal homeostasis of emotional functioning. Deficient sleep, both in the form of sleep deprivation and restriction, adversely impacts emotion generation, emotion regulation, and emotional expression.

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a personality disorder characterized by a pervasive, long-term pattern of significant interpersonal relationship instability, a distorted sense of self, and intense emotional responses, which can be misdiagnosed. Misdiagnosis may involve erroneously assigning a BPD diagnosis to individuals not meeting the specific criteria or attributing an incorrect alternate diagnosis in cases where BPD is the accurate condition.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Acquired Brain Injury Outreach Service (2011). "Understanding Emotional Lability" (PDF). The State of Queensland (Queensland Health). Retrieved January 6, 2017.
  2. 1 2 Posner J, Kass E, Hulvershorn L (October 2014). "Using stimulants to treat ADHD-related emotional lability". Current Psychiatry Reports. 16 (10). Springer Nature: 478. doi:10.1007/s11920-014-0478-4. PMC   4243526 . PMID   25135778.
  3. ↑ Paris J (1993). Borderline Personality Disorder: Etiology and Treatment. American Psychiatric Pub. p. 106. ISBN   978-0-88048-408-4. OCLC   25281982.
  4. ↑ Kernberg OF (27 September 1995). Aggression in Personality Disorders and Perversions. Yale University Press. p. 58. ISBN   978-0-300-06508-4. OCLC   25965238.
  5. ↑ Schoenleber M, Berghoff CR, Gratz KL, Tull MT (January 2018). "Emotional lability and affective synchrony in posttraumatic stress disorder pathology". Journal of Anxiety Disorders. 53: 68–75. doi:10.1016/j.janxdis.2017.11.006. PMC   5748357 . PMID   29197703.
  6. ↑ Fortinash KM, Worret PA (13 June 2014). Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing. Elsevier Health Sciences. p. 230. ISBN   978-0-323-29327-3. OCLC   960964818.
  7. ↑ Kim JS (September 2016). "Post-stroke Mood and Emotional Disturbances: Pharmacological Therapy Based on Mechanisms". Journal of Stroke. 18 (3). Korean Stroke Society: 244–255. doi:10.5853/jos.2016.01144. PMC   5066431 . PMID   27733031.
  8. ↑ Cassara M (2002-08-20). "Hyperthyroidism" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-07-23. Retrieved 2018-06-17.
  9. ↑ Stark MM, Payne-James JJ (30 April 2009). Symptoms and Signs of Substance Misuse. Cambridge University Press. p. 22. ISBN   978-0-521-13727-0. OCLC   656492372.
  10. ↑ Cooper RE, Tye C, Kuntsi J, Vassos E, Asherson P (January 2016). "The effect of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation on emotional dysregulation, oppositional behaviour and conduct problems in ADHD: A systematic review and meta-analysis". Journal of Affective Disorders. 190. Elsevier BV: 474–482. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2015.09.053. PMID   26551407.
  11. 1 2 Maire J, Galéra C, Meyer E, Salla J, Michel G (May 2017). "Is emotional lability a marker for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety and aggression symptoms in preschoolers?". Child and Adolescent Mental Health. 22 (2): 77–83. doi:10.1111/camh.12168. PMID   32680322. S2CID   148130518.
  12. ↑ Simonoff E, Jones CR, Pickles A, Happé F, Baird G, Charman T (November 2012). "Severe mood problems in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder". Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, and Allied Disciplines. 53 (11): 1157–1166. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7610.2012.02600.x. PMID   22909395.
  13. ↑ Maguire SA, Williams B, Naughton AM, Cowley LE, Tempest V, Mann MK, et al. (September 2015). "A systematic review of the emotional, behavioural and cognitive features exhibited by school-aged children experiencing neglect or emotional abuse". Child. 41 (5). Wiley: 641–653. doi:10.1111/cch.12227. PMID   25733080.
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