 From time to time, everyone experiences a period of
moodiness, in which the person may feel happy one moment, irritable the next,
and then sad.
Often there is an identifiable cause for these emotional ups and
downs — a bad day at the office, worry over bills or a deadline, or perhaps not
enough sleep the night before. But some people frequently feel they are on an
emotional see-saw, and they can find no cause for their frequent mood changes.
These people may be suffering from a medical condition called emotional
lability that causes sudden and unpredictable episodes of crying, laughing or
other emotional displays.
Extreme and Uncontrolled Emotions
 Emotional lability refers to extreme and
uncontrolled Affect or expression of emotions.
It is also known as;
- Emotional incontinence
- Labile Affect
- Pseudobulbar affect
And more recently as
- Involuntary Emotional Expression Disorder (IEED)
IEED may occur when disease or injury damages the area of
the brain that controls normal expression of emotion. This damage can disrupt
brain signalling causing a “short circuit,” triggering episodes of emotional
outbursts.
IEED may occur as a result of an acquired brain injury,
including a cerebro vascular accident (stroke), degenerative neurological
diseases such as motor neuron disease or a traumatic brain injury. IEED is much
more likely to occur if the Frontal Lobes are damaged. It is also evident in:
- Pseudobulbar palsy
-
Alcohol and drug abuse
including caffeine (as a result of agitation, withdrawal or induced psychosis)
-
Diabetes
-
Premenstrual syndrome
-
Menopause
-
Puberty
- Thyroid disorders
-
And several personality
disorders.
Impact
If you have IEED, the inappropriateness, intensity and
suddenness of the outbursts can make you feel as if you have lost control over your
life. The disconnection between your internal emotions and external
expressions can be frustrating - both for you and your loved ones.
Understanding the condition can be a big step to reclaiming
your confidence and improving your relationships and quality of life.
This condition can have a significant impact on an
individual’s social functioning and their relationships with others. A person
may become frustrated that they can't seem to manage something as basic as
their own emotions or become alienated if other people can’t understand or
tolerate the inappropriate expressions of emotion.
The appearance of uncontrollable emotions may also lead to
severe embarrassment and avoidance of social interactions, which in turn has an
impact on a person’s coping mechanisms and their careers.
Management
The first step in managing IEED is to consult a doctor and
discuss the diagnosis. A brain injury may not be the cause, and it is important
to identify and allow for other factors, including those listed above, in case
it can be fully treated. As a result of this, your doctor may diagnose you as
suffering from another condition altogether with symptoms common to IEED.
Regardless of the diagnosis, your doctor may be able to
offer advice on managing this disorder and assess any improvement or
deterioration of the condition.
Medications may be prescribed for IEED, particularly
anti-Seizure medications which have a mood-stabilising effect, but a referral
to a psychologist for counselling or skills training may be of benefit for some
people. Support groups can be very helpful. Your doctor may be able to provide
you with a list of support/patient organizations.
- Be open
about the problem; that way, people are not surprised or confused when you
have an episode.
- When you
feel an episode coming on, try to distract yourself by counting the number
of objects on a shelf or by thinking about something unrelated.
- Ask other
people to distract you if they notice you having an episode.
- Take a
slow deep breath and continue doing this until you're in control.
- Relax your
forehead, shoulders and other muscle groups that tense up during an
emotional episode.
Because people with IEED may cry a lot, they may be incorrectly
diagnosed with depression. IEED episodes are often sudden, unpredictable, and
may be contrary to the person's actual mood. Since it is often confused with
depression, many people with IEED are prescribed anti-depressant drugs by their
doctors.
Depression is a debilitating but treatable problem and it
is important to have any severe alteration in mood assessed and, when
appropriate, treated by a suitably qualified medical professional.
Further information
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Emotional Lability 
