Many people experience times when their emotions feel too big or out-of-control, even when nothing obviously wrong is happening around them. Maybe you’ve had the experience of feeling calm and content in one moment, then suddenly upset and sad, or angry, or even despairing in the next moment. Your mood has shifted instantly, and you don’t know what happened to cause that.

Was it something someone said? Was there a visual trigger, such as a frowning face, or a tone of voice that changed unexpectedly? Maybe it was something you saw on social media.

Regardless of the circumstances that prompted it, this type of sudden, extreme emotional response might be a sign of emotional dysregulation. It can feel like you’ve been punched in the gut.

Emotional dysregulation occurs when an extreme emotional response persists beyond a reasonable time frame. It’s more than just moodiness; it feels intense and uncontrollable.

Signs of emotional dysregulation include:

• Sudden shifts in mood, with extreme emotional responses
• Impulsive responses: outbursts of shouting, spending, or excessive substance use
• Inward reactions: shutting down, going numb, or dissociating
• Outward reactions: throwing objects, yelling at others, or blaming others
• Difficulty calming down or recovering from the emotion
• Anxiety or fear that continues when the situation has changed
• Sadness that persists for longer than expected
• Any emotional response that you recognize as too intense or too weak under the circumstances

What causes emotional dysregulation?

There are various possible causes of emotional dysregulation, including brain structure, function, stress levels, and trauma. To date, the best understood cause is the difference in brain structure and function. There are some clear physiological changes in brain functioning during periods of emotional dysregulation.

The emotional brain (limbic system) hijacks the logical brain (prefrontal cortex). Differences in brain structure and function have been seen in those with emotional dysregulation. The part of the brain that detects danger and initiates the fight or flight response is the amygdala. During periods of emotional dysregulation, the amygdala, which is part of the brain’s limbic system, has been observed to fire more intensely. This increased firing makes it less effective at regulating emotional responses compared to a normally functioning limbic system.

Mental health conditions with increased risk of emotional dysregulation

There are numerous psychological/neurological conditions in which emotional dysregulation occurs frequently. These associated conditions are not believed to be causes of emotional dysregulation, even though they are correlated with it.

ADHD and ASD: Individuals with neurodivergent conditions, including ADHD and autism spectrum disorders (ASD), have been known to be at higher risk of having periods of emotional dysregulation. The ability to shift attention is a core challenge of ADHD. The difficulty with shifting attention sometimes includes trouble shifting from an emotionally intense response to a calmer mind. Some research has indicated that the different brain functioning of the amygdala can cause the more intense emotional reactions seen in ADHD.

However, everyday life with ADHD or an ASD involves a higher baseline frustration level than it does for neurotypical persons. This higher baseline frustration, related to more difficulty with focus and task completion, could by itself explain the more intense emotional responses that are often seen with neurodivergent individuals.

Borderline Personality Disorder and Mood Disorders: People with borderline personality disorder have an overreactive response of the amygdala when triggered by certain facial expressions, and they have more difficulty moderating their reactions. Likewise, in certain forms of depression (bipolar, major depression), amygdala activity is increased when coping with emotions related to sadness. The connections between the logical brain and the emotional brain are weakened. (nih.org, 2025)

PTSD: The link between emotional dysregulation and trauma is strong, with trauma survivors often feeling intense emotional responses that are difficult to control. Prior trauma, whether in childhood or in adult years, can lead to the amygdala staying highly sensitive. This makes it more difficult for the logical brain (prefrontal cortex) to moderate the response of the emotional brain. (nih.org, 2024)

However, many people who experience emotional dysregulation do not have a history of any notable trauma. We cannot conclude that trauma is the only cause, or even the primary cause, of emotional dysregulation in general.

Common triggers of emotional dysregulation

Regardless of causes or correlations, it can be helpful to identify the types of experiences that often trigger these intensely difficult emotional responses. Triggers can be different for each person, and may differ depending on the other conditions that the person has. When you recognize your triggering experiences, it becomes easier to identify the feelings that connect to that experience.

The feelings that are often intensified and hard to manage include:

• Feeling ignored, not seen, or not heard. When you show strong emotion through words or actions, and those around you are dismissive of that expression of emotion, your emotions might become more intense. Being told to “calm down” or that “you’re too dramatic” can make it harder for you to calm yourself. Your basic emotional need to feel heard and validated remains unmet, triggering anger and/or fear. (Johnson, 2008)
• Feeling rejected or criticized. When comments or feedback are not constructive and balanced, they can feel like rejection or harsh criticism. An emotionally dysregulated person might respond by having an angry outburst or by withdrawing and shutting down.
• Sensing conflict with a friend, family member, or loved one. While interpersonal conflicts are unpleasant to most people, they can feel much more threatening to a person who is vulnerable to emotional dysregulation. If you know that it usually takes you a long time to feel calm again after a conflict, you might have a more intense response to the threat of conflict.
• Feeling out of control. Feeling misunderstood or having a sudden change in routine can provoke strong anxiety and even impulsive responses. This may particularly apply to those with ASD, who tend to require more predictable environments and routines. It’s understandable that those with ASD can have frequent episodes of emotional dysregulation.
• Fear of abandonment. The fear of abandonment can be real or imagined. It can be triggered by not getting a response to a text, someone not showing up on time, or the abrupt end of a conversation. When this basic human fear is triggered, whether realistic or not, it can easily escalate in someone prone to emotional dysregulation.

Emotional dysregulation is a symptom of various mental health conditions. It’s not clearly caused by any one of these conditions, although they share the neurological problem of amygdala dysfunction.

Emotional regulation can be learned and practiced, regardless of the causes or conditions with which it’s associated. A follow-up post will offer ways to cope with emotional dysregulation in the moment and how to make this less likely to happen going forward.