Emotional dysregulation (or affect dysregulation) is a term used in the mental health community to refer to an emotional response that is not well modulated. This means that an individual does not respond to a person, place, thing, or event in a manner that would generally be considered within the normal range of emotions. Emotional dysregulation is seen across both positive and negative affect. It is characterized by difficulty regulating one's emotions; examples of this might be rage over a broken plate, or hysterics over a missed appointment. In contrast, emotional regulation is defined as the relative ability to tolerate painful affect (referred to as affect tolerance), along with the ability to internally reduce distress without resort to defensive mechanisms (referred to as affect modulation). Mental states redirects here. ... For other uses, see Emotion (disambiguation). ... In psychology, affect is the scientific term used to describe a subjects externally displayed mood. ... It has been suggested that User:A Kiwi/Ego defense mechanisms be merged into this article or section. ...

Emotional dysregulation is a broad phenomenon that is a component of many mental health disorders. It is often caused by early exposure to psychological trauma or chronic maltreatment (such as child abuse, child neglect, or institutional neglect/abuse), and is strongly associated with Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.^{[1] [2]} The term is also used with reference to Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), Reactive Attachment Disorder and other conditions. There is an effort within some sectors of the mental health community to rename Borderline Personality Disorder as either "Emotional Dysregulation Disorder" or "Emotional Dysregulatory Disorder" in the DSM and ICD-10. Psychological trauma is a type of damage to the psyche that occurs as a result of a traumatic event. ... Child abuse is the physical or psychological maltreatment of a child, often synonymous with the terms child maltreatment and child abuse and neglect. ... Child abuse is physical or psychological mistreatment of a child by its parents, guardians, or other adults. ... Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a term for certain severe psychological consequences of exposure to, or confrontation with, stressful events that the person experiences as highly traumatic. ... Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is defined within the fields of psychiatry and clinical psychology as a mental condition characterized primarily by emotional dysregulation, extreme black and white thinking, or splitting (believing that something is one of only two possible things, and ignoring any possible in-betweens), and chaotic relationships. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Attachment disorder. ... As a three-letter acronym or abbreviation DSM or dsm can mean several things: // DSM (company), an international chemicals company based in the Netherlands Dependency Structure Matrix Deputy Stage Manager Design Structure Matrix The IATA airport code for Des Moines International Airport in Des Moines, Iowa, United States and issometimes... The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (commonly known by the abbreviation ICD) is a detailed description of known diseases and injuries. ...

Treatment for emotional dysregulation must address the underlying cause. For example, attachment-based treatment interventions -- such as Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy ^{[3] [4]} -- may be appropriate for children or adolescents suffering from emotional dysregulation such as is found in Reactive Attachment Disorder or Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Attachment theory is a psychological theory about the evolved adaptive tendency to maintain proximity to an attachment figure. ... // Psychotherapy is a range of techniques based on dialogue, communication and behavior change and which are designed to improve the mental health of a client or patient, or to improve group relationships (such as in a family). ... Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy is an evidence-based treatment(1) approach for the treatment of attachment disorder, reactive attachment disorder, and complex trauma. ...

See also

• Attachment theory
• Borderline Personality Disorder or BPD
• Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or C-PTSD
• Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy
• Labile affect
• Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD
• Reactive Attachment Disorder

Attachment theory is a psychological theory about the evolved adaptive tendency to maintain proximity to an attachment figure. ... Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is defined within the fields of psychiatry and clinical psychology as a mental condition characterized primarily by emotional dysregulation, extreme black and white thinking, or splitting (believing that something is one of only two possible things, and ignoring any possible in-betweens), and chaotic relationships. ... Complex post-traumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD), also known as disorders of extreme stress not otherwise specified (DESNOS), is a clinically recognized condition that is attributed to an individual suffering from either Traumatic Stress or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). ... Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy is an evidence-based treatment(1) approach for the treatment of attachment disorder, reactive attachment disorder, and complex trauma. ... Labile affect or Pseudobulbar affect refers to the pathological expression of laughter, crying, or smiling. ... Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a term for certain severe psychological consequences of exposure to, or confrontation with, stressful events that the person experiences as highly traumatic. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Attachment disorder. ...

References

1. ^ Pynoos, R., Steinberg, A., & Piacentini, J. (1999). A developmental psychopathology model of childhood traumatic stress and intersection with anxiety disorders. Biological Psychiatry, 46, 1542-1554.
2. ^ Schore, A., (2003). Affect dysregulation and disorders of the self. New York: Norton.
3. ^ Becker-Weidman, A., & Shell, D., (Eds.) (2005) Creating Capacity For Attachment, Wood 'N' Barnes, OK. ISBN 1-885473-72-9
4. ^ Becker-Weidman, A. (2006). Treatment for Children with Trauma-Attachment Disorders: Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 13(1), [page#s].

Clarkin J., Hull J., Hurt S., (1993). Factor structure of borderline personality disorder. Journal of Personality Disorders.

Donegan, N., Sanislow, C., Blumberg, H., Fulbright, R., Lacadie, C., Skudlarski, P., Gore, J., Olson, I., McGlashan, T., & Wexler, B. (2003). Amygdala Hyperreactivity in Borderline Personality Disorder: Implications for Emotional Dysregulation. Journal of Biological Psychiatry.

Gunderson J., Zanarini, M. (1989). Pathogenesis in borderline personality. In: Tasman A., Hales R., Frances A., (Ed.). Review of Psychiatry, Vol. 8.

Linehan, M. (1995). Understanding borderline personality disorder. New York. Guilford Press.