Do you have emotional dysfunction?

There are many reasons why a person may not be able to control his or her emotions. Emotional swings affect not only people with mood disorders but also people with cognitive disorders and those who have experienced a traumatic brain injury. If you experience these symptoms, consult a specialist for an appropriate diagnosis and timely treatment options.

When a person has no control over their emotions, their response can often be disruptive or inappropriate to the situation and surroundings at the time.
Emotional out-of-control states such as: anger, sadness, anxiety and fear... are just some of the emotions that can occur. Not being able to control emotions can be temporary, and it can be caused by a number of factors, such as low blood sugar or sleep deprivation.
However, some people experience emotional difficulties that continue and become chronic. So it's important to know when to get help because not being able to control your emotions can interfere with daily life.

Emotional outbursts as well as emotional instability refer to rapid changes in emotional expression in a dramatic way. This neurological condition usually affects people who have pre-existing signs or have had a brain injury in the past. Some people with mental health related illnesses such as borderline personality disorder (BPD) also experience these volatile emotions.
Examples of these types of uncontrolled emotional outbursts include:
Sudden irritability Suitable for crying or laughing Feeling angry, but not knowing why Outbursts of anger People who have had a stroke also have emotional outbursts.

The causes of not being able to control emotions can vary. Some children may not be able to control their emotions when they feel overwhelmed or distressed. They may get angry or cry bitterly. But children will begin to develop emotional self-control as they get older.
However, there are some exceptions including children who are associated with certain diseases such as:
Emotional dysfunction. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) Opposition defiant disorder In addition, there are other conditions associated with an inability to control emotions including: alcohol use disorder, oppositional personality disorder sociopathy, Asperger's syndrome, bipolar disorder, delirium, diabetes, drug abuse, head trauma, low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), postpartum depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), psychosis, schizophrenia. Many of these conditions require long-term treatment to help people better manage their emotions.

Most people control or regulate their emotions on a daily basis that is thought to be a habit. For others, the emotional response is automatic. Symptoms associated with not being able to control emotions include:
Overwhelmed by emotions Feeling afraid to show emotions Feeling angry, but not knowing why Feeling out of control Abuse of drugs or alcohol According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), difficulty controlling emotions is a major symptom in people with mood or anxiety disorders. Symptoms of emotional dysfunction that require medical treatment include:
Feeling like life isn't worth living Feeling like you want to hurt yourself Hearing voices or seeing what others say to you not there Loss of consciousness or feeling as if you are about to faint Pseudobulbar (PBA) is a condition that affects people with neurological disease or those who have experienced brain injury. Uncontrollable bursts of crying, laughing, or anger are the main symptoms of this condition. PBA occurs when there is a disconnect between the frontal lobe that controls emotions and the cerebellum and brain stem. PBA occurs as a result of:
Stroke Parkinson's disease Brain tumor Dementia Brain injury Multiple sclerosis

To diagnose this condition, your doctor will first take a medical history and review your current symptoms. In addition, the doctor will check all the drugs that the patient is taking, such as: prescription drugs, supplements, herbs... In some specific cases the doctor may order require tomography or magnetic resonance imaging.
However, among the dysfunctions of emotional control, there is no test that can make a conclusive diagnosis if the person has a particular mental health condition.

Treatment of this condition depends on the underlying cause of the inability to control emotions.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), people with diabetes are 2 to 3 times more likely to experience depressive symptoms. The cause of this condition is low blood sugar. Therefore, it is possible to regulate blood sugar by using: glucose tablets, juice, candy, other sugar substances. Furthermore, people with chronically low blood sugar may need to change their diet to improve the condition.
Treatments for psychological disorders may include medication and psychotherapy. These conditions often require long-term intervention to help provide tools for better emotional control.
In addition to medication and therapy, practicing emotional management skills can help regulate emotions. For example: using a daily mood diary is a great tool for tracking moods. Or write down problems on paper to better see the problems, as well as identify solutions, thereby reducing stress and anxiety in the working process.

Reference sources: healthline.com, webmd.com