Understanding Emotion Regulation Difficulties

Everyone’s journey looks different, but some common challenges can include:

• Feeling emotions very intensely and struggling to calm down
  
• Fears of rejection or abandonment
  
• Relationship patterns that swing between closeness and conflict
  
• Difficulty maintaining a stable sense of identity or self-worth
  
• Impulsive or self-destructive behaviours (e.g. spending, substance use, binge eating)
  
• Intense mood swings or emotional instability
  
• Feeling empty or bored much of the time
  
• Intense anger or difficulty managing it
• Stress-related paranoia or dissociation

Difficulties regulating emotions often develop through a mix of life experiences and biology, such as:

• Childhood trauma, neglect, or early separation
  
• Unstable or invalidating family environments
  
• Genetic or brain-based factors influencing emotion regulation and impulse control
  
• Environmental stressors such as ongoing conflict or invalidation
  

It’s important to remember this isn’t anyone’s fault. Having these risk factors doesn’t mean someone will automatically struggle with emotion regulation — they interact in complex ways.

With the right support, things can change. Evidence-based therapies such as Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) and other specialised approaches can help you:

• Learn skills to manage emotions effectively
  
• Build healthier relationship patterns
  
• Strengthen distress tolerance and crisis survival skills
  
• Develop self-awareness and a stronger sense of identity
  
• Reduce impulsive or self-destructive behaviours
  
• Rebuild trust and connection in relationships

While these difficulties can feel overwhelming, recovery is possible. Many people go on to lead fulfilling, stable lives with the right support. At Seed Psychology, our compassionate team understands these challenges and is here to help you develop the skills and insight needed for greater emotional stability and healthier relationships.