EMOTIONS are a normal part of the makeup of humans. It is normal and natural to experience a range of emotions as we encounter events and persons in our daily lives.
It is normal to feel sadness when we experience loss. It is normal to feel happy when we experience accomplishments, such as a desired job promotion. It is normal to feel anxious in new places and around unfamiliar persons. It is normal to feel angry and frustrated when we feel betrayed or fail to accomplish a goal. It is normal to feel fear when we feel under threat.
The appropriateness or inappropriateness of emotions lies in how, when, and where we express such emotions.
Each person has a baseline or “norm” in the expression of felt emotions. A person with traits of extroversion (often colloquially described as “wearing his/her heart on her sleeve”, “life of the party” etc) has a different “norm” compared to a person who is introverted. Whatever traits we have, all have the capacity to experience and express the total range of emotions.
Emotions can swing to extremes — anger turns to rage, happiness turns to euphoria, sadness turns to despondence, anxiety turns to panic.
Our emotions are often influenced by our perceptions of a situation, a person, or an event. For example, a complicated work situation may be viewed by Person A as a challenge and motivates him/her to succeed, whereas Person B views it as a deliberate obstruction and loses motivation. Both persons experience similar events but interpret the meanings of the events in different ways.
Another example — loss in a game by a favourite sports team may trigger thoughts such as “my team is a losing team” which may lead to feelings of sadness and hopelessness. On the other hand, the same game loss accompanied by thoughts such as “my team lost one game but we can win other games”, the sadness is lessened or stopped.
The physical expressions of emotions serve a useful function in our daily lives and serve as an essential ingredient in the formation, maintenance, and ending of relationships. The manner and place of expressing our emotions can help build, sustain, or end relationships with others.
Expressed emotions enable us to connect with others through facial expressions (smiles, frowns), body posture (relaxed, tense), voice (loudness, tone, rate of speaking), gestures (excited waving), and body movements (slowness, quick, agitated).
Expressed emotions become a liability when (1) emotions occur often in extremes, like rage, panic, or very low mood (2) displayed emotions are not socially or culturally appropriate, such as laughing in a funeral (3) emotions may hinder the achievement of tasks or work, such as sudden crying in the middle of a job interview, or panic during an exam.
There are many research conducted into the origin and control of emotions. Most researchers agree that emotions originate from an area located deep within the brain called the Limbic System. Studies suggest that the regulation or control of emotions happen or originate in an area of the brain called the Prefrontal Cortex.
When we are angry, and we stop ourselves from shouting or when we want to laugh at a funny comment but hold back because laughing may be considered socially inappropriate, we are practicing emotional regulation.
We practice emotional regulation on a daily basis often without awareness, to (1) create situations where either we are more likely to experience emotions we want to have or avoid situations where we are more likely to not experience emotions we do not want.
For example, a parent makes a decision to watch her child play as it makes her feel happy, and avoids a social gathering as it makes her feel less happy (2) change a situation to experience a change in emotions, such as walking out of an abusive relationship or enrolling in an exercise program or social network (3) distracting ourselves in a situation with activities, such as reading or playing games, or pleasant memories, and (4) changing the way we think about the situation or changing the way we view our capacity to handle a situation.
Loss of our capacity to control or regulate our emotions can lead to severe disruptions in our relationships. Severe loss of emotional regulation or control can be due to several of the listed factors:-
m Brain injury, such as from a stroke or trauma
* Effects of substances or drugs, such as excessive alcohol use, cannabis use
* Brain disease, such as brain infection or brain tumour
* Any general medical condition that impairs brain function, such as abnormal blood sugar levels (too high or too low), blood infection, and conditions that cause severe pain
* Severe mental illness, such as Depression, Bipolar Disorder, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
* Severe psychosocial stressor, like prolonged exposure to childhood abuse, violence, etc.
When the loss of emotional regulation occur as part of the symptoms of a severe mental illness, medications are prescribed that act to achieve balance of brain chemicals involved in the generation and regulation of emotions (or mood). The choice of medication depends on the form of mental illness. Some examples are Antidepressants for treatment of Depression and Mood Stabilisers for treatment of Bipolar Disorder.
When the loss of emotional regulation is mild and due to phase of life problems, such as relationship termination, counselling by a caring professional or a friend can assist in recovery.
In managing persons suffering from problems of emotional regulation, the primary cause is identified and addressed with the appropriate interventions.
For example, if excessive alcohol use is a main factor for poor emotional control, then abstinence or reduction in alcohol use if advised.
If a medical condition is contributing to loss of emotional regulation, then successful treatment or management of the condition can assist to improve emotional control.
Some ways we can help maintain emotional control:
* Form and maintain supportive relationships
* Avoid excessive alcohol use and drug abuse
* Maintain a healthy lifestyle, through good sleep, healthy diet, and regular exercise.
Sources:
* Articles in the online US National Library of Medicine, Institutes of Health
* Online from Medscape
* Pub Med online search
* Dr Peni M Biukoto is a doctor practising psychiatry at Saint Giles Hospital.
