We’ve all encountered moments when someone we care about is overwhelmed by their emotions—whether it's anger, sadness, fear, or frustration. In these moments, their ability to think logically or communicate effectively may be compromised. Knowing how to respond can make all the difference in helping them regain emotional balance while preserving the relationship.
Emotional dysregulation can feel overwhelming, both for the person experiencing it and for those trying to offer support. Dysregulation refers to the difficulty in managing or responding to emotional experiences in a way that feels balanced and effective. When emotions like anger, sadness, or fear become intense and unmanageable, they can overshadow logical thinking, leading to reactions that may seem disproportionate to the situation. These moments can be challenging to navigate, especially for loved ones who want to help but feel unsure of how to respond.
Understanding emotional dysregulation is the first step in offering meaningful support. Often, these intense emotional reactions stem from underlying factors such as stress, trauma, or mental health conditions. While it may be tempting to offer solutions or minimize the emotions, these responses can unintentionally escalate the situation. Instead, offering empathy, patience, and a calm presence can provide a stabilizing force, helping the person feel seen and supported as they work through their feelings.
When faced with someone in emotional distress, it’s important to focus on connection rather than control. Effective support involves validating their emotions, actively listening, and gently guiding them toward strategies that help restore balance. By approaching these moments with compassion and equipping yourself with practical tools, you can play a vital role in helping someone navigate their emotional storms while maintaining trust and strengthening your relationship.
What Is Emotional Dysregulation?
Emotional dysregulation refers to the inability to manage, control, or respond to emotional experiences in a way that is socially acceptable or personally effective. Emotional experiences are often expressed in ways that feel unbalanced or appropriate for the situation. People with emotional dysregulation may experience emotions that are overly intense, long-lasting, or seemingly disproportionate to the triggering event. It can manifest as intense emotional reactions, difficulty calming down, or behaviors that might seem impulsive or disproportionate. This can make it challenging for them to return to a calm state, process their feelings constructively, or maintain stable relationships. Whether caused by stress, trauma, or a mental health condition, emotional dysregulation can be challenging both for the individual experiencing it and for those trying to offer support.
Emotional dysregulation is not inherently linked to maturity; rather, it is a natural response to overwhelming emotions, stress, or trauma, and can occur at any age. While emotional maturity involves developing the ability to understand and manage emotions effectively, emotional dysregulation often arises when a person’s emotional responses exceed their coping resources or when they feel unable to process their feelings in the moment. It is important to recognize that emotional dysregulation is a common human experience, not a sign of immaturity. Emotional growth and regulation are skills that develop over time, and dysregulation is simply a part of the process of learning how to better navigate one’s emotions.
While everyone experiences strong emotions at times, people with emotional dysregulation might exhibit these characteristics:
· Intense emotional reactions: Emotions such as anger, sadness, or anxiety may feel overwhelming, be experienced with heightened intensity, and hard to control. Both their experience and expression of emotions may feel overwhelming, unmanageable, and disproportionate to the triggering event.
· Difficulty self-soothing: Struggles with calming down after emotional distress or becoming upset, often leading to prolonged upset. Emotional distress often lingers long after the situation has passed.
· Impulsive behaviors: Acting out in ways that may not align with their usual values or goals, such as yelling, withdrawing, or making hasty decisions. They may react to situations in ways that seem excessive or unpredictable.
· Sensitivity to triggers: Experiencing heightened emotional reactions to situations others might perceive as minor or manageable. Experiencing emotional responses that escalate quickly from small provocations.
· Rapid emotional shifts: Emotions can change suddenly and unpredictably, creating a sense of instability. They may feel euphoric one moment and deeply distressed the next.
· Difficulty identifying or expression emotions: Challenges in understanding or naming feelings (sometimes referred to as alexithymia). Expressing emotions in ways that others find confusing or overwhelming.
· Relationship struggles: Intense reactions may create conflicts in personal relationships. Emotional outbursts or withdrawal can lead to misunderstandings or distance from loved ones.
· Physical symptoms of emotional distress: Emotional dysregulation often manifests physically, such as through rapid heart rate, muscle tension, or difficulty breathing. These physical symptoms can amplify feelings of emotional overwhelm.
· Persistent negative mood: Frequent feelings of sadness, anxiety, or irritability, sometimes without clear causes. Difficulty sustaining positive emotions for extended periods.
Emotional dysregulation is often linked to conditions such as borderline personality disorder (BPD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and mood disorders. It can also occur during extreme and heightened periods of stress, after significant life events, in response to trauma, or because of early attachment difficulties.
These characteristics highlight the complexity of emotional dysregulation, which can significantly impact an individual’s well-being and relationships. However, with self-awareness, coping strategies, and professional support, it is possible to manage these challenges effectively.
How Shame Fuels Emotional Dysregulation
Shame, a profound and painful emotion tied to feelings of inadequacy or unworthiness, can both contribute to, result from, and intensity emotional dysregulation. Here’s how these two concepts are interconnected:
1. Shame as a Trigger for Emotional Dysregulation
· Sense of Inadequacy: Shame is fundamentally tied to feelings of being flawed, unworthy, or not good enough. It involves a deep sense of personal failure or deficiency. Shame often leads individuals to feel alone, as if they are the only ones experiencing such feelings. Shame is closely linked to the fear of being judged or rejected by others. Unlike guilt, which is typically about feeling bad for specific actions, shame focuses on the self. This makes it harder to address because it is often experienced as a reflection of one’s identity, not just one’s behavior.
· Intensity of Shame: Shame is a deeply uncomfortable emotion that can quickly overwhelm an individual, leading to difficulty managing other emotional responses. For example, when someone feels ashamed of themselves or their actions, it can lead to an emotional response such as anger, sadness, or frustration.
· Behavioral Responses: Shame often triggers impulsive or reactive behaviors, such as withdrawal, anger, or attempts to overcompensate, which are common features of emotional dysregulation.
2. Amplification of Emotional Responses
· Emotional Instability: When intense and overwhelming emotions arise in the context of situations involving shame (e.g., feeling inadequate or unworthy), they can become more intense and harder to manage, leading to cycles of emotional instability.
3. Avoidance or Suppression of Emotions
· Avoidance: Shame often causes individuals to suppress or avoid their emotions to avoid feeling exposed or vulnerable. This avoidance can create more internal tension, making it harder to regulate emotions effectively.
· Lack of Emotional Processing: Instead of processing emotions, they may be denied, which can lead to explosive emotional reactions later.
4. Emotional Dysregulation as a Cause of Shame
· Regret Over Reactions: After an emotionally dysregulated episode, individuals may feel embarrassed or ashamed of their intense reactions or behaviors due to impulsivity without pausing to consider the consequences of their actions.
· Loss of Control: They may feel regret for having behaved in a way they wouldn’t normally choose or feel ashamed or guilty about their actions, which can often lead to justifying and rationalizing their actions, which further reinforces their shame and ineffective behaviors and responses.
· Social Consequences: Difficulty managing emotions can lead to conflict or rejection in relationships, reinforcing feelings of shame. When emotions are dysregulated, the person may engage in behaviors that damage relationships, such as outbursts, withdrawal, or conflict. After the emotional turmoil has passed, they may regret how their actions affected those around them, especially if they value the relationship and did not intend to hurt the other person.
· Difficulty with Repair: After a dysregulated emotional reaction, individuals might find it hard to repair the situation, especially if they’ve said or done something hurtful. This inability to fix the harm can contribute to a sense of regret, as the person struggles with the aftermath of their emotional response. This can lead to ending relationships they want to keep to avoid feelings of shame.
5. The Shame-Dysregulation Cycle
· Shame-Driven Dysregulation: Experiencing shame can make it harder to regulate emotions, leading to further dysregulated episodes.
· Dysregulation Reinforcing Shame: Each instance of emotional dysregulation may increase feelings of inadequacy, creating a vicious cycle.
6. Shared Links to Trauma
· Adverse Life Experiences: Both shame and emotional dysregulation are often linked to past trauma or adverse experiences.
· Fear of Rejection and Experiences of Abuse: Traumatic events, especially those involving rejection, neglect, or abuse, can instill a deep sense of shame while simultaneously impairing the ability to regulate emotions.
7. Impact on Mental Health
· Self-Criticism: Emotional dysregulation can increase self-criticism, especially when the person believes they should have been able to control their emotions better. This can lead to intense regret because they may view their inability to regulate their emotions as a personal failing. They may replay the situation over and over in their minds, which reinforces their regret.
· Self-Perception: Shame often involves a negative evaluation of oneself, which can distort one's ability to cope with emotions. When a person is ashamed, they may view their emotional responses as "wrong" or "bad," further complicating their emotional regulation. Shame can make the person feel like their emotions are invalid or shameful, leading to a cycle of self-criticism and emotional dysregulation.
· Low Self-Esteem: A person with low self-esteem, which is often linked to chronic shame, may not feel confident in their ability to manage emotions. As a result, they may lack effective coping strategies for dealing with intense emotions, leading to emotional dysregulation.
In essence, shame can either exacerbate emotional dysregulation by making emotions more intense or prevent a person from effectively regulating those emotions, leading to further emotional turmoil. Addressing shame and developing healthier emotional regulation skills can be crucial in breaking this cycle.
Why Reassurance Can Backfire
Reassurance can offer temporary relief, but it may reinforce a cycle of dependency and prevent emotional growth. Not providing reassurance during emotional dysregulation is important because it encourages the person to face and process their emotions without relying on external validation.
Below are reasons why not providing reassurance is important.
1. Building Emotional Tolerance:
Constant reassurance can reinforce the belief that one’s emotions are intolerable or unmanageable. By avoiding reassurance, individuals are encouraged to sit with their emotions and tolerate them without seeking immediate relief. Over time, this can help increase emotional resilience, making it easier to cope with intense feelings without relying on external validation.
2. Encouraging Self-Sufficiency:
When individuals seek reassurance, they often look for confirmation that their feelings are justified or that things will be okay. While reassurance can provide temporary relief, it doesn't address the root cause of emotional distress. Avoiding reassurance fosters self-reliance, encouraging people to process their emotions internally, which can reduce emotional reactivity in the long term.
3. Breaking the Cycle of Anxiety:
In cases of anxiety or uncertainty, reassurance can lead to a cycle of dependency. A person may seek reassurance repeatedly, which can keep them trapped in their anxiety. Avoiding reassurance helps break this cycle by allowing the person to confront their fears or uncertainties without external validation, reducing the emotional intensity over time.
4. Allowing Emotional Validation from Within:
Instead of relying on others to validate their emotions, individuals can learn to self-validate. This means recognizing that it’s okay to feel what they feel, without needing constant affirmation from others. This self-validation can reduce the emotional intensity and allow for a more grounded emotional experience.
5. Reducing Avoidance:
When someone seeks reassurance, it can be a form of avoidance, as it keeps them from fully engaging with their emotions. By avoiding reassurance, the person is encouraged to face the emotional experience head-on, which can lead to a healthier processing of the emotions and a decrease in their intensity.
6. Encouraging Mindfulness:
Mindfulness techniques, such as observing and naming emotions without judgment, can help individuals process intense feelings without seeking reassurance. This approach can foster greater acceptance of the present moment and reduce the urge to escape or diminish emotional experiences.
In essence, avoiding reassurance can help individuals reduce emotional intensity by fostering emotional tolerance and self-regulation, promoting resilience, and encouraging self-validation. This approach helps people become more comfortable with their emotions, allowing them to process them in a healthier way.
Providing reassurance is often more about our own discomfort with seeing someone in emotional distress than about genuinely addressing the needs of the person experiencing the emotions, as it offers us a sense of relief rather than helping them process their feelings.
Minimizing Emotion: Ways We Invalidate Dysregulated Feelings
When someone is experiencing emotional dysregulation, certain things we say can invalidate their feelings and contribute to judgment, making them feel misunderstood or ashamed. Here are some examples of statements that can be invalidating and judgmental:
· "You're overreacting." – This dismisses the intensity of the person’s feelings and can make them feel like their emotions are not valid.
· "Why can't you just calm down?" – This implies that the person is not trying hard enough to control their emotions, which can increase feelings of frustration or shame.
· "You’re being dramatic." – This trivializes their emotional experience, making them feel as though their distress is exaggerated or not worthy of attention.
· "You should be able to handle this better." – This judgment suggests that the person is failing in some way, undermining their ability to manage their emotions.
· "Stop being so sensitive." – This statement invalidates their emotional experience by implying that their sensitivity is a weakness or flaw.
· "I don't know why you're upset, it's not a big deal." – This minimizes the emotional experience, leading the person to feel like their feelings are unjustified.
· "You're being too emotional." – This dismisses the intensity of the person's emotions and suggests that their feelings are inappropriate or excessive.
· "Just get over it." – This implies that their emotions are not worth addressing and encourages them to suppress or ignore what they’re feeling.
· "Why are you making such a big deal out of this?" – This minimizes the situation and implies that their emotional response is not warranted.
· "You're just overthinking it." – This invalidates their thoughts and feelings, making them feel like they’re wrong or irrational for feeling the way they do.
· "It’s not the end of the world." – While intended to downplay the situation, this statement disregards the significance of their emotions, which may feel very real and intense in that moment.
· "Other people have it worse, so you shouldn’t be upset." – This comparison makes the person feel guilty for having their own emotional experience, leading them to suppress their feelings.
· "You're acting like a child." – This diminishes the emotional experience, suggesting that the person’s feelings or reactions are immature.
· "Stop throwing a tantrum." – This frames emotional dysregulation as a behavior typically associated with children, invalidating the person’s emotional experience.
· "Why can’t you just grow up?" – This implies that emotional dysregulation is a sign of immaturity or a lack of emotional maturity.
· "I expect better from you than this." – This implies that emotional dysregulation is a failure to meet adult standards, overlooking the complexity of emotions.
· "You're acting like a spoiled brat." – This judgment suggests that emotional dysregulation is the result of being spoiled or entitled, further diminishing the person's emotional experience.
These types of statements undermine the person's emotional validity, making them feel ashamed of their natural emotional responses and reinforcing negative self-judgment. This invalidation increases emotional dysregulation by reinforcing the belief that one's emotions are wrong or unworthy of attention, which can intensify distress and make it harder to manage feelings effectively. Instead, it’s more supportive to recognize emotional dysregulation as a challenge, not a reflection of immaturity or an overreaction.
Instead of using invalidating language, it's more helpful to use phrases that offer empathy, understanding, and support, like:
· "I can see you're really upset right now. Do you want to talk about it?"
· "It seems like you're going through a lot. How can I help?"
· "I hear that you're feeling overwhelmed. I'm here for you."
Focusing on compassion and helping the person feel heard, rather than judging their emotional reactions, can encourage emotional processing and healing.
How to Support Someone Manage Intense Emotions
Supporting someone experiencing emotional dysregulation requires empathy, patience, and effective strategies to help them regain control. Here are some practical steps:
1. Stay Calm and Grounded
Your emotional stability is crucial in helping the other person regain control. When emotions run high, the energy in the room can feel contagious. Maintaining your own composure is essential. Your calm presence creates a safe environment and helps to de-escalate the situation.
· Regulate your tone and body language: Use a steady voice and relaxed body language to convey stability. Convey calmness by speaking slowly and softly, and avoid sudden movements and maintaining open, grounded body language.
· Regulate your breathing: Slow, deep breaths can help you remain grounded.
· Manage your own emotions: Take deep breaths to remain calm, even if their behavior is intense.
2. Acknowledge and Validate Their Feelings
Validation helps them feel understood and reduces defensiveness. Validation reassures them that their feelings are heard and respected. You don’t have to agree with or completely understand their emotions to validate them; validation is simply reflecting what you see and hear from them about their experiences.
· Reflect their emotions: Say, “I can see you’re feeling really upset right now,” “That sounds really overwhelming,” or “It makes sense that you’d feel this way given what’s happening.”
· Offer comfort: Provide comforting statements, such as “You’re not alone, and I’m here for you.”
3. Avoid Taking It Personally
Strong emotional reactions are about the person’s internal struggles and internal experiences, not you. This perspective allows you to maintain empathy and compassion.
· Stay non-reactive: Don’t argue or try to prove a point during their heightened state. Resist the urge to argue, correct, or become defensive.
· Maintain perspective: Understand that their intensity might be out of proportion to the situation because of their emotional state, although this does not mean they are “overreacting.”
4. Create a Safe and Supportive Environment
Safety can reduce the intensity of their emotions. A calm and controlled environment can ease emotional overwhelm.
· Minimize external stressors: Reduce noise, distractions, other triggers, or the number of people present. Turn off loud music, step away from crowds, or find a quiet space.
· Offer reassurance you are present with them: Say, “I’m here for you, and we’ll get through this together.” Provide comforting statements, such as “I’m with you through this, and you’re not facing it by yourself,” “I’m ready to listen whenever you need me,” “You can take your time; I’m here to support you however you need,” and “It’s okay to feel what you’re feeling: I’ll stay with you until you feel better.”
5. Use Active Listening
Give them space to express themselves and show that you are genuinely hearing them without judgment. Active listening fosters connection and shows you genuinely care.
· Make eye contact (if appropriate): This shows attentiveness and care.
· Use open body language: Face them, maintain eye contact (if culturally and personally appropriate), and avoid crossing your arms.
· Use open-ended questions: For example, “Can you tell me more about what’s going on?”, “How can I best support you right now?”, or “Is there something specific you’re worried about that we can talk through?”
· Summarize what they’re saying: Use nonjudgmental, reflective listening to show that you hear and understand them. For example, “It sounds like you’re really frustrated about what happened at school today,” “It sounds like you’re feeling overwhelmed by this situation,” or “It sounds like you’re frustrated because you feel misunderstood.”
6. Encourage Grounding Techniques
Grounding exercises can help them reconnect with the present moment and regain control. If they are willing, help them reconnect with the present moment, yet be sure to ask first.
· Deep breathing: Guide them to inhale for a count of four, hold for four, and exhale for four.
· Sensory grounding: Ask them to name five things they can see, four things they can touch, three things they can hear, two they can smell, and one they can taste.
· Physical connection: Offer a comforting gesture, like a hand on their shoulder, if they are comfortable with touch. Be sure to ask for consent prior to touching them.
7. Offer Choices, Not Commands
Giving options can empower them, give them a sense of agency, and reduce feelings of helplessness. This approach reinforces their autonomy and can prevent further escalation.
· Ask, not demand: Say, “Would you like to take a break or talk more about this?”, or “Would you like to sit or take a walk?”
· Present manageable steps: For instance, “How about we focus on just one thing at a time?”
· Empower small decisions: For example, “Do you want to talk about it now, take a moment to breathe first, or sit quietly for a bit?”
· Be Patient and Present: Allow them the time and space they need without rushing or pressuring them.
8. Know When to Give Space
Sometimes, stepping back can help them regain control and process their emotions. Balancing presence with space helps them feel supported without feeling smothered.
· Respect Their Boundaries: If they request space, step back and let them know you’re available when they’re ready.
· Respect their need for solitude: Say, “I’ll be right here when you’re ready to talk.”
· Check in periodically: Ensure they feel supported, even from a distance.
9. Avoid Problem-Solving in the Moment
Their heightened emotions may prevent logical thinking. Focus on supporting their emotions rather than offering solutions in the moment. When emotions are high, logical problem-solving can feel dismissive or overwhelming. Trying to “fix” their emotional state can inadvertently invalidate their feelings, as it suggests their emotions are a problem to be solved rather than a valid experience to be understood. Prioritizing emotional support ensures they feel heard before tackling practical concerns.
· Hold off on advice: Focus on de-escalation first.
· Practice empathy first: Try to see the situation from their perspective without judgment. Offer understanding and reassurance instead of solutions.
· Save discussions for later: Once they’re calm, work together to address the issue and explore solutions together.
10. Acknowledge Their Experience and Avoid Providing Reassurance
Acknowledging their experience involves supporting them in a way that encourages self-awareness, emotional processing, and acceptance of their feelings without minimizing or immediately seeking to fix the situation.
· Acknowledge the Emotion: Instead of reassuring them that everything will be okay or downplaying their feelings, simply acknowledge the intensity of their emotion. This validates their experience without trying to change it.
· Encourage Emotional Exploration: Instead of offering reassurance, gently encourage them to explore their emotions further. Ask questions like, “What do you think is making you feel this way?” or “Can you describe what you're feeling right now?” This helps them connect with their emotions and reflect on the underlying causes.
· Avoid Minimizing or Fixing: Resist the urge to tell them that "it's not that bad" or "don't worry about it." Instead, provide space for them to feel their emotions without offering solutions right away. You might say, “It sounds like this is really tough for you right now,” rather than trying to offer a quick fix.
· Reaffirm Their Strength: Instead of reassuring them that everything will be okay, highlight their ability to cope. You could say, “You’ve faced difficult situations before, and you’ll get through this too,” emphasizing their resilience and self-efficacy.
11. Avoid Escalating the Situation
Certain responses can unintentionally make things worse.
· Stay non-reactive: Avoid matching their intensity or arguing.
· Monitor your own emotions: Stay aware of your own reactions to ensure you don’t mirror their dysregulation. Taking a deep breath or pausing before responding can help maintain balance.
· Use neutral language: Keep your words supportive and free of judgment.
· Be patient: Understand that emotional dysregulation takes time to resolve.
· Set boundaries respectfully: If needed, calmly assert your boundaries: "I want to support you, but I need us to talk in a way that feels safe for both of us."
· Avoid emotional overload: Limit overwhelming them with too many questions or excessive advice. Instead, focus on being present and patient.
· Focus on the present moment: Avoid bringing up past conflicts or unresolved issues.
12. Seek Help If Necessary
Recognizing your limits ensures both their safety and your well-being. If the situation becomes unsafe or exceeds your ability to provide support:
· Contact a professional: Encourage them to reach out to a therapist, counselor, or crisis hotline.
· Utilize crisis resources: In emergencies, connect with local mental health hotlines or crisis intervention services that can help you determine the best course of action.
· Contact crisis services if necessary: If the situation becomes dangerous, reach out to appropriate crisis resources or emergency services.
Honoring Your Own Boundaries and Limits
Determining whether to provide space or protect your own boundaries when someone is experiencing emotional dysregulation involves evaluating both your emotional capacity and the situation at hand. Here are some key considerations to help guide your decision:
Assess Your Emotional State
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, stressed, or emotionally drained, it may be necessary to protect your own boundaries by stepping back. You can offer support in other ways without compromising your well-being. For example, you might say, "I’m here for you, but I need to take a moment to gather myself so I can be fully present with you." It’s essential to recognize when you need space to recharge and be able to return to the situation with a clear and supportive mindset. It's important to let someone know you will be back when stepping away due to their emotional dysregulation, as it reassures them that you're not abandoning them and that you'll return when you're able to offer support more effectively.
Establish Boundaries
If the person’s dysregulation is affecting you negatively—through verbal or emotional overwhelm, aggression, or behaviors that cross your boundaries—it’s important to set clear limits. You can say, "I can see that you're really struggling right now, and I want to be here for you, but I’m feeling overwhelmed myself. I need to take a step back for a little while so I can come back to support you better. I hope you understand." Setting boundaries is essential to avoid burnout while still being a supportive presence when needed.
Evaluate the Relationship Dynamics
Consider the overall dynamics of the relationship. If this person has a pattern of emotional dysregulation and relies on you for continuous emotional support without regard for your own needs, it may be time to reassess how much emotional energy you can offer. Establishing a healthy balance of support and self-care is important for maintaining a healthy relationship.
Respect Their Signals
Pay attention to cues from the person experiencing emotional dysregulation. If they are asking for space, or if they seem to withdraw, respecting their wishes is crucial. Conversely, if they are reaching out for help and you feel capable of offering support, stay present. Sometimes the person may not ask explicitly, but non-verbal cues (like body language) may indicate whether they need space or closeness.
Consider the Situation
The context matters. In some cases, like a crisis or heightened emotional moment, immediate support might be necessary. In other times, such as when the person has had a difficult day or is overwhelmed by smaller stressors, providing space might help them regain control. Be flexible and responsive to the situation.
Practice Self-Reflection
Reflect on your own emotions, needs, and capacity. Are you feeling drained, anxious, or upset by the situation? If so, it might be better to communicate your need for space while assuring the person that you’ll return to support them later. This also models healthy boundaries and emotional regulation for them.
Remember Their Dysregulation Is Not Yours to Solve
When someone is emotionally dysregulated, it’s natural to want to help them feel better quickly. However, it’s important to recognize that their emotions are not yours to solve. Emotional regulation is a personal process, and while you can offer support and empathy, the responsibility for managing and processing their emotions ultimately lies with them. By stepping back from the urge to solve, you respect their autonomy and give them the space to navigate their emotions at their own pace. This approach not only helps them build their own emotional resilience but also protects your well-being, ensuring that your role remains supportive rather than overwhelming. Acknowledging their struggle while maintaining healthy boundaries allows for a more balanced and effective way to connect.
In any case, communication is key. Expressing your need for space doesn’t mean abandoning the person—it’s about finding a healthy balance that ensures both your well-being and their ability to process their emotions. You can always check in later to offer support once both of you are in a better emotional space.
Final Thoughts
Emotional dysregulation can be overwhelming, but your support can make a significant difference. By staying calm, validating their feelings, and using grounding techniques, you can help them regain emotional balance and feel more secure. Remember, supporting someone doesn’t mean solving their problems—it’s about being present, patient, and empathetic.
Supporting someone experiencing strong emotional dysregulation can be challenging but profoundly impactful. By staying calm, validating their feelings, and offering empathetic, grounded support, you can help them navigate their emotions while maintaining trust and connection. Remember, emotional regulation takes time and practice—both for them and for you. Extend grace to yourself as you learn and grow in these moments together.