Overview of Emotional Regulation

Although emotional regulation had become a scientific topic by 1990, recent research has revealed specific strategies for emotional regulation. These strategies are listed immediately below.  My patients who struggle with dysregulation of anxiety, depression, and anger are neglecting these practices except for the final two. When patients proactively cultivate all the strategies, they report that their emotions do not become worse. It must be noted that the purpose of emotional regulation practices is to prevent emotions from escalating and not to make them disappear.

1. Social Sharing
2. Acceptance
3. Savoring
4. Reappraisal
5. Suppression
6. Distraction
7. Hedonic Activities

Overview of Emotions and Their Regulation

You may review the topic of emotions and their regulation in two prior posts: Emotional Intelligence and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT).

Here is an excellent dictionary definition of emotion: a conscious mental reaction (such as anger or fear [or sadness]) subjectively experienced as strong feeling usually directed toward a specific object [or person or situation] and typically accompanied by physiological and behavioral changes in the body. ((“emotion.” 2022. In Merriam-Webster.com. Retrieved February 3, 2022, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/emotion. (Author’s additions in brackets) ))

Here is a list of the six basic personal emotions and the four basic social emotions. Clinical analogs resulting from dysregulation are in parentheses.

Personal emotions:

1. Fear (Various anxiety disorders)
2. Anger (Narcissistic personality disorder)
3. Sadness (Various depressive disorders)
4. Joy (Mania)
5. Disgust (Obsessive-compulsive disorder; various phobias)
6. Surprise (Autism)

Social emotions:

1. Shame (Social anxiety)
2. Guilt (Obsessive-compulsive disorder; scrupulosity)
3. Embarrassment (Social anxiety)
4. Pride of accomplishment (Narcissistic personality disorder)

Endnote

If you are struggling with undue anxiety, depression, or anger, it is recommended that you concentrate more on the first five listed strategies and let up somewhat on the last two. During the coming weeks, I will publish a series of posts addressing the individual strategies.

Good mental health,

Dr. Michael DeCaria

(The featured image is of a lake in Minnesota’s  remote Becker County. Photograph by the author)