Feeling emotionally unstable can be confusing and concerning. Many people wonder if their intense feelings mean they are mentally ill or have a personality disorder. While everyone experiences emotional ups and downs, consistently feeling out of control emotionally may indicate an underlying issue.
What is emotional instability?
Emotional instability refers to frequent, intense shifts in mood that feel out of proportion to the situation. A person experiencing emotional instability reacts strongly to minor triggers and struggles to regulate their emotions. Their mood may shift suddenly from calm to extremely angry, anxious, or sad over a minor event. These dramatic mood swings happen regularly.
Some common signs of emotional instability include:
- Extreme emotional reactions that seem disproportionate to the trigger
- High sensitivity to perceived criticism or rejection
- Difficulty controlling anger, anxiety, or sadness
- Chronic feelings of emptiness
- Impulsiveness
- Self-harming behaviors
- Unstable relationships
Emotional instability can significantly impact a person’s quality of life and ability to maintain healthy relationships. It often leads to impulsive, potentially self-destructive behaviors.
What causes emotional instability?
There are several potential causes of chronic emotional instability:
Mental health conditions: Many mental health disorders involve emotional instability as a core symptom. These include:
- Borderline personality disorder (BPD) – BPD is characterized by instability in mood, self-image, behavior, and relationships. Intense emotions, impulsivity, and frequent suicidal thoughts are common.
- Bipolar disorder – People with bipolar disorder alternate between emotional highs (mania) and lows (depression). Mood shifts can occur quickly and intensely.
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) – PTSD involves heightened emotional reactions after experiencing trauma. Events can trigger sudden, extreme anxiety and panic.
Early life experiences: Trauma, abuse, neglect, loss, and other disturbing experiences in childhood may shape emotional regulation skills. Facing chronic stress or trauma as a child can lead to emotional instability later in life.
Brain chemistry: Emotional dysregulation may result from chemical imbalances or differences in brain structure or functioning. Certain medications and drug or alcohol abuse can also contribute to mood instability.
For some people, emotional instability results from a combination of biological factors and life experiences. Environmental stress can worsen underlying biological vulnerabilities.
When does emotional instability indicate a mental health problem?
Emotional instability alone does not necessarily mean someone has a mental illness. Occasional, short-lived mood swings are normal. However, when instability is:
- Frequent and intense
- Long-lasting
- Seems out of proportion to triggers
- Causes significant life impairment
It may indicate an underlying psychological disorder. Chronic emotional instability is a key diagnostic criterion for certain conditions like borderline personality disorder and bipolar disorder.
Consider whether your emotional reactions:
- Happen in response to minor frustrations
- Involve anger, anxiety, sadness, or hopelessness
- Feel uncontrollable and overwhelming
- Come on suddenly and intensely
- Interfere with relationships, work, or daily activities
- Include self-harming behaviors
If so, discuss your symptoms with a mental health professional. They can help determine if an illness is contributing to your mood instability.
Common diagnoses associated with emotional instability
Borderline personality disorder (BPD)
BPD is a cluster B personality disorder characterized by an unstable sense of self, emotions, and relationships. Intense mood swings, impulsive behaviors, and chronic emptiness are common. People with BPD are highly sensitive to perceived rejection. They may direct anger inward through self-harm or outward through volatile behavior.
Bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder causes extreme shifts between high energy manic states and depression. Manic episodes may include reckless, impulsive choices and intense anger or euphoria. Depressive episodes involve profound, immobilizing sadness and hopelessness. Mood episodes last for days to months and impair functioning.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
PTSD develops after trauma exposure. Triggers related to the trauma can evoke sudden, vivid flashbacks and overwhelming emotions, especially fear or horror. Irritability, angry outbursts, recklessness, and emotional numbness are common. Nightmares and insomnia add to emotional volatility.
Anxiety disorders
Anxiety disorders like panic disorder and generalized anxiety involve chronic, excessive worry and tension. Anxiety often manifests as emotional volatility including irritability, restlessness, and feeling constantly “on edge.” Anxiety worsens emotional reactivity.
Depressive disorders
In major depression or persistent depressive disorder, periods of profound sadness alternate with agitation and irritability. Mood instability, tearfulness, angry outbursts, and hopelessness are common. Thoughts of suicide may arise during low mood states.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
ADHD includes symptoms of impulsiveness, hyperactivity, and inattention. Adults with ADHD often have unstable moods and quick temper. Impulsiveness can lead to substance abuse, worsening emotional volatility.
When to seek professional help
If emotional instability is significantly impacting your quality of life, consider seeking mental health treatment. A psychiatrist or psychologist can provide therapy andrecommend medications if appropriate.
See a doctor right away if you have symptoms like:
- Thoughts of harming yourself or others
- Seeing or hearing things that aren’t real (hallucinations or delusions)
- Severe depression
- Manic episodes
- Panic attacks
- Flashbacks or vivid memories of trauma
- Alcohol or drug abuse
These could indicate a psychiatric emergency requiring immediate intervention. Sudden mood shifts with self-harm, psychotic symptoms, or substance abuse signal a high risk of danger to oneself or others.
Coping strategies for emotional instability
If you experience chronic mood instability, these strategies may help you regain emotional control:
Therapy: Talk therapy helps identify triggers, manage overwhelming emotions, and develop self-soothing skills. Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is particularly effective for instability.
Medication: Your doctor may prescribe mood stabilizers or atypical antipsychotics to reduce emotional volatility in bipolar or borderline personality disorder. Anti-anxiety or antidepressant medications can also help.
Self-awareness: Pay attention to your emotional patterns. Identify triggers that commonly evoke strong emotions. Take note of mood shifts. Monitoring your emotional responses can help you anticipate and manage them.
Relaxation techniques: Healthy coping skills are essential. Try yoga, deep breathing, mindfulness meditation, or progressive muscle relaxation to calm emotional reactions. Make time for activities you find relaxing.
Avoid mood-altering substances: Reducing or avoiding alcohol, recreational drugs, and even caffeine can help maintain emotional equilibrium.
Get regular sleep: Not getting enough quality sleep worsens emotional volatility. Maintain a regular sleep-wake cycle and sleep hygiene routine.
Social support: Surround yourself with caring friends and family you can turn to for comfort and reality-testing when your emotions spiral out of control. But avoid relationships that trigger instability.
Learning your emotional patterns and implementing healthy coping strategies can help regain a sense of control. If self-help efforts don’t improve your emotional regulation within a few months, seeking mental health treatment is recommended.
When is emotional instability normal?
Emotional instability is normal in the following scenarios:
- Situational causes – Intense life stressors like bereavement, divorce, job loss, or illness can trigger temporary mood instability.
- Hormonal changes – Menstrual cycles, pregnancy, postpartum periods, and menopause often involve mood shifts including irritability, anxiety, sadness, or euphoria.
- Medical conditions – Illnesses like thyroid disorders, neurodegenerative disease, and chronic pain syndromes can contribute to emotional volatility.
- Medication side effects – Many prescription and over-the-counter medications list mood changes or instability as potential side effects.
- Substance withdrawal – Stopping heavy alcohol, opioid, or benzo use can spark anxious, volatile moods.
- Adolescence – Teen years involve intense emotionality, reactivity, and mood swings as part of normal development.
In these cases, the mood instability is understandable and proportional under the circumstances. It’s less likely to be sudden, unprovoked, or dangerously severe. As the underlying medical or situational factor improves, mood typically stabilizes.
However, if emotional volatility persists at an extreme level beyond the expected timeframe, an underlying mental health disorder may be present.
Am I emotionally unstable?
Use this checklist of common signs of emotional instability to help determine if your mood shifts could indicate a psychological issue:
| Signs of Emotional Instability | Yes | No |
|---|---|---|
| My mood changes very quickly from happy to sad or calm to angry | ||
| Little things provoke very intense emotional reactions in me | ||
| When I get emotional, I have trouble controlling or regulating my mood | ||
| My emotional reactions feel way out of proportion to the situation | ||
| I go through periods of depression severe enough to impair my daily functioning | ||
| I’ve had manic episodes involving euphoria, risky behaviors, and excessive energy | ||
| I feel emotions very intensely – when I’m sad, I’m devastated. When I’m happy, I’m euphoric. | ||
| My relationships have been unstable, chaotic, or short-lived | ||
| I’ve struggled with impulsive behaviors like gambling, reckless spending, substance abuse, or promiscuity | ||
| I frequently feel empty inside or chronically bored | ||
| I’ve made suicidal threats, gestures, or attempts during extremely low moods | ||
| I’ve cut, burned, or harmed myself to cope with emotional pain |
If you answered “yes” to several of these signs, discuss your mood instability with a mental health professional. Keep in mind that only a trained clinician can diagnose a mental health disorder through a comprehensive evaluation.
But paying attention to your own emotional patterns can help you determine whether your mood shifts are normal reactions or possible symptoms requiring medical care. Ongoing emotional dysregulation typically warrants assessment by a psychologist, psychiatrist, or clinical social worker.
Professional treatment options
If emotional instability is interfering with your life, your doctor has several treatment options to help stabilize mood:
Psychotherapy: Talk therapy teaches coping strategies for overwhelming emotions and self-destructive behaviors. Cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy are commonly used. Joining a support group provides connection.
Medication: Antidepressants, antipsychotics, and mood stabilizers help regulate neurotransmitter imbalances contributing to mood swings. Medication and psychotherapy together are often most effective.
Hospitalization: For severe instability with active suicidal behavior or psychosis, a psychiatric hospital stay ensures safety until mood stabilizes. Hospitalization is usually temporary.
Intensive outpatient programs: These structured programs provide daily therapeutic support and teach skills for managing emotions, impulses, and relationships. They serve as a step down after hospitalization.
Residential treatment: Residential facilities provide around-the-clock supervised care, therapy, and psychiatric treatment for several weeks or months for people with severe, treatment-resistant emotional dysregulation.
While emotional instability can feel scary and overwhelming, various treatments are available to help regain control. With professional support, many people with psychiatric disorders involving mood instability achieve long-term remission.
Conclusion
Experiencing frequent, intense mood swings and poor emotional control is distressing, but help is available. Emotional instability to an extreme degree often indicates an underlying mental health issue like borderline personality disorder, bipolar disorder, PTSD, or anxiety.
If your emotional reactions feel chaotic, reach out to a mental health professional. They can determine whether anxiety, depression, or another psychiatric illness is fueling your mood instability and provide effective treatment to stabilize emotions. You don’t have to continue struggling with emotional volatility alone or without hope. Various therapies, medications, and coping skills can steadily improve regulation of even the most unstable moods. Consistent treatment leads to lasting remission for many people with conditions involving severe emotional dysregulation.