Last update: May 18, 2016
Yesterday you were fond of poetry and today you hate it. You were always exercising last year, but you haven't been to the gym since 2016. Laugh in the most inconvenient situations or cry without understanding why. Perhaps, these are some clues that you are going through a period of "emotional instability".
If you go from crying to laughter, passion to indifference and love to hate in the blink of an eye, maybe you need to understand your feelings a little better. and your feelings and find a healthy balance between them.
Emotional instability: the typical ups and downs
It is normal that you do not feel the same way every day and that, fortunately, you have several mechanisms at your disposal to express what is happening to you. However, the problem lies in the extent to which your moods vary, when changes are abrupt and for no apparent reason.
The ups and downs of your mood that don't seem to have a reason and are more intense than you would like can be bad for your mental health. and for your interpersonal relationships. Living on a constant "roller coaster of emotions" prevents you from keeping the affections and understanding what is happening inside you. If, in the same day, you go through phases of emotion, depression, euphoria, tears, energy, fear, happiness and anguish… you are likely to suffer from emotional instability.
Emotions vs mood
In order to better understand the instability or emotional imbalance, first of all it is necessary to know how to distinguish between emotions and mood.
Emotions are intense and variable and manifest as a reaction to a stimulus. This can be an external impulse, such as traffic when in a hurry, or an internal impulse, for example a memory. This means that without a specific situation, emotions do not develop. For example, being stuck in traffic causes anger, a love letter triggers happiness, and the loss of a loved one implies sadness.
On the contrary, instead, the mood is more stable over time. It can remain the same even for weeks, as it is deeper and is determined by several factors, such as lifestyle or the health of the nervous system.
When a person is emotionally unstable, their mood changes frequently. This problem may have to do with concrete circumstances (such as fatigue, low self-esteem or lack of goals), but it can also be due to an unexplained cause. However, if you are dealing with a negative mood, there is a need to intervene.
How do i know if i have emotional instability?
It is worth taking some time to reflect and analyze how you feel during the day. It is normal to wake up in the morning full of energy and in a good mood and then, in the evening, have "dead batteries" and be irritable. However, we are talking about a different thing. During the day, do you often lose heart or suffer from emotional imbalances, but do not understand the reason for these changes?
If there are no reasons for your different moods or if it is difficult for you to realize your ups and downs, it is likely that the emotional instability is taking root in your personality.
The symptoms of this syndrome are based on 6 different moods: euphoria, sadness, instability, poor tolerance of frustration, insecurity and difficulty in separating and leaving the problems where they belong (work, family, friendships, etc.). A clear example of the latter state of mind is taking work problems home or vice versa.
Why does emotional instability arise?
There are many factors that determine this type of disorder. However, among the most common, we can highlight changes in metabolism and biorhythm, difficulty in concentrating and sleeping and, finally, the consumption of certain harmful substances.
Nevertheless, in most cases, stress and an unbalanced lifestyle cause different types of instability, among which, of course, there is also the emotional one. Within the body, we do not find the right levels of those hormones that are responsible for regulating our emotions, such as serotonin, which triggers emotional problems.
For this reason, it is not strange that emotional instability is more frequent in women than in men. How come? Because female hormonal changes are greater than male ones.
It is not about sexism, nor about classifying women as unbalanced, but simply understanding that what happens inside the body affects the way we deal with certain situations. Or even how we react without even needing a stimulus!
The consequences of emotional instability
Going from crying to laughing can seem like a strength that helps overcome problems and joyfully come out of any situation. In reality, however, emotional instability is a very heavy burden, as it prevents sufferers from finding stability on which to plan.
Leaving a career, breaking up a relationship or not accepting a change in the workplace are a source of frustration and sadness. Overreacting to the words or actions of others, as well as not knowing how to behave in the face of certain situations, can lead to the breaking of ties with loved ones.
All this affects self-esteem, intensifies mood swings and creates a vicious circle from which it is difficult to get out.. For this reason, it is necessary to pay attention to the ups and downs of one's mood. Maybe you are going through a difficult time and you need to talk to someone or, at least, have a chat with yourself.
