What is Emotional Intensity Disorder?
Emotional Intensity Disorder (EID) is sometimes known as:
- Emotional Unstable Personality Disorder (EUPD) or
- Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD).
Emotional Intensity Disorder is a mental health personality disorder that affects the regulation of emotions. Emotional dysregulation is when a person experiences intense emotions that they are unable to manage in constructive ways. This can result in impulsive or emotional actions where people can feel frequently overwhelmed by the really intense emotions. It can lead to behaviours such as self-harming as a way of trying to reduce the stress or escape the distress that they are feeling. Along with this, the pain and problems the person is struggling with may also impact their family, friends and peers.
A person with EID might also experience an intensity of emotions that other people feel don’t match situations. Because of this they may often be told by others:
“You’re overreacting”
“You’re too sensitive”
“Stop being so dramatic”
When the feelings the person with EID are very real to them and they are told by others repeatedly that they are wrong to feel that way, it often leads to feelings of insecurity, low self-esteem, a sense of not being good enough which leaves them with low self-worth.
It can be hard for people with Emotional Intensity Disorder to feel safe and secure in relationships. People living with EID can swing from really loving to hating the people closest to them which can be really destabilising and make it hard to feel safe and secure in themselves and their relationships.
Signs and Symptoms of Emotional Intensity Disorder
Whilst many of us may struggle with emotions at some point in our lives, if you are suffering with Emotional Intensity Disorder it is likely you will experience many of these listed below.
- Extreme mood swings, including outbursts of anger, intense anxiety and crying fits;
- Constantly afraid the people you care about will abandon you and you have extreme reactions to innocuous events, such as a loved one arriving home late from work or being separated for a holiday;
- Difficulty trusting others and often feel suspicious or paranoid about other people’s motives;
- Feel “empty,” emotionally numb or isolated and feeling empathy for others can be difficult;
- Crave closeness to other people however, your intense emotions often push them away;
- Relationships with family and friends are continually strained, or you have a history of intense but unstable romantic relationships;
- Avoid conflict or, conversely, create it;
- Sense of self is constantly changing – sometimes you love who you are and other times you feel self-loathing;
- Have thought about or attempted to harm yourself;
- Engage in self-destructive, risky behaviour, such as drugs, alcohol, unsafe sex, gambling, dangerous driving or over-spending;
- No clear idea of what you want in life and frequently change jobs, friends or goals;
- May experience dissociation, or a feeling of being outside your own body.
Personality Disorder
The terms Personality disorder is really mis-leading! It seems to imply that there is something wrong with the persons personality which is not the case at all. A personality disorder defines a long-term pattern of difficulties in managing emotions and in developing safe, healthy relationships and feeling good enough in oneself.
People who have more emotional intensity and grow up in an environment where they are not supported to manage and learn to regulate their emotions may go on to develop Emotional Intensity Disorder. Although not exclusively, growing up in an environment where there are traumatic experiences which are not supported enough may also lead to Emotional Intensity Disorder.
Productive and Creative People
Many productive and creative people in our society do feel things very strongly and there is nothing wrong with having Emotional Intensity Disorder. The difficulty is that people with EID react more strongly to day-to-day life events and their emotions stay at a really intense level for longer and it takes more conscious effort to actually bring that emotional intensity back down.
Treatment
There is no ‘magic pill’ that is going to help with emotional intensity disorder but it is a condition that you can start to get a better handle on. With support and practice people can learn skills to be able to manage their emotional intensity and feel more able to regulate their emotions so that they can manage day-to-day life more effectively.
With the help of a caring, compassionate therapist dedicated to your recovery journey, you can:
- Practice improving relationships by recognising the feelings of others;
- Learn what your triggers are, what leads you to react so strongly;
- Develop a tool kit you can use to be able to:
- self sooth
- seek support
- express and validate your emotions
- Learn to manage uncomfortable or painful emotions and tolerate distress;
- Reduce impulsive behaviour by recognizing feelings instead of acting on them;
- Learn healthy ways to manage strong emotions, such as with mindfulness.
As you start building a list of resources that you can use to look after yourself better and to be able to regulate your emotional experiences, the more you will be able to live the kind of life you want to lead.
I hope you have found this article helpful. If you are looking for a counsellor to support you, get in touch and book your initial consultation.