What do we mean by Emotional Difficulties?

Emotions bring purpose, pleasure and meaning to our lives. However, for many people, they are synonymous with distress, pain and suffering. Anger and rage can wreck relationships and cause problems at work; anxiety can prevent us from socialising or engaging in things we would like to; sadness can feel overwhelming and never-ending. Some people struggle experiencing too much emotion, whilst others can feel cut off from experiencing a broad and healthy range of emotions that help them navigate life’s challenges. These types of difficulties are often referred to as emotion regulation problems and can prevent us from developing stable and happy relationships, communicating our needs, and flourishing.

Many people suffer from extreme emotions with around 2 percent of people being formally diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder. It is a very troubling condition which causes abnormal and unstable behaviour including overwhelming feelings of distress and anger, which may lead to self-harming, damage or destruction of relationships and, at times, loss of contact with reality.