Why Do So Many Things Trigger My Emotions?

Have you ever experienced joy or painful feelings for no reason at all? All of a sudden at work, home, or anywhere, does something cause you to laugh, cry, become angry, or feel any other emotion that does not fit the situation?

If you have experienced this, relax, you are not alone. In fact, there have been enough cases that the medical field has explored this and came up with a medical term "Emotional Lability" and definition of this disorder.

For me, it happens all the time. It might be a simple sentence that someone says that can either cause me to start laughing hysterically or make me feel sad and start me crying. I have started crying for no apparent reason when I was driving somewhere. My emotions do not match up with my outside actions or environment.

These emotional outbursts are usually inappropriate reactions that come on suddenly with no warning. I can be laughing uncontrollably one minute and then all of a start crying for no apparent reason.

Although the person is highly sensitive to emotional, mental, and physical stimuli they are not considered to have a disorder as an Emotionally Lability person does. According to hsperson.com 15 to 20% of the population are highly sensitive people. These people were born with or acquired this personality trait.

To check to see if you are a highly sensitive person you may want to take a quick test found by clicking the link. https://hsperson.com/test/highly-sensitive-test/ but be careful because you may be both a highly sensitive person and have an emotional lability disorder.

For me personally, I cannot control my emotional reactions. However, doing some research on this disorder I did learn that there are things I can do to lessen the harshness and length of my emotional outbursts.

Seek medical help from a physician or therapist who you trust immediately when you recognize that there is something wrong. Don't wait until loved ones or friends misdiagnose you. I am 52 years old and lived with this nightmare almost all my life, battling this affliction alone. A good physician or therapist will spot the symptoms and direct you to the medications or help you need to alleviate or lessen your symptoms.

It might sound obvious but taking a walk helps clear my head and helps to shorten the length of time it takes to regain control of my emotions. There is something calming about air and nature that helps to relax me.

If I am sad and crying, I have learned not to listen to sad songs, watch sad movies or television shows, and avoid talking about things that may escalate the sadness. The same is true when I go into laughing hysterically, I try to avoid things that could cause me to continue the laughter or increase the hysterical laughter.

Avoiding alcohol and street drugs. Although it is tempting to want to numb yourself, alcohol and street drugs actually increase the emotional rollercoaster. Also, avoid people drinking and using street drugs, this limits their ability to be sensitive to your disorder, and may say or do something that triggers you to have an emotional outburst.

Sometimes you can't just go for a walk or avoid the triggers, that's when you need to find something else to think about. You may not always be able to turn the television or radio to another channel or off, because someone else is enjoying it, but you can find something else to do in another room until whatever triggers you have past and you have control over your emotions again.