Emotion Regulation: Issues In Adolescence & Treatment Strategies

August 01 2023 TalktoAngel 0 comments 1214 Views

Emotions are an important element of everyday existence. They also shift from one moment to the next. Hormones, persistent stress, and a lack of mental health assistance all make managing emotions difficult for teenagers. This can lead to many teenagers abusing drugs or alcohol. While drugs or alcohol may provide a momentary escape from uncomfortable emotions, those sentiments will return after the substance wears off. A mental health treatment program can help kids understand their feelings and build emotional management skills. Online Counselling for Emotion Control can be helpful for individuals who are struggling to regulate their emotions. A trained Online Therapist or the Best Psychologist in India can help individuals develop skills and strategies for managing their emotions and can provide support and guidance as they work through emotional challenges. Online Counsellor can provide education and information about emotions and how they work, and help individuals identify patterns of thinking and behavior that may be contributing to emotional distress. With the help of online counselling, Best Therapist in India works with individuals to develop more adaptive ways of thinking and responding in emotional situations.

Thoughts, actions, reactions, and memories all contribute to emotional states. Emotions, despite their genesis in the brain, create physical reactions and experiences such as sobbing, laughter, shivers, chest constriction, and more. Unfortunately, we rarely discuss emotions in today's society.

Common emotions include:

Sadness

Grief

Anger

Happiness

Elation

Shame

Guilt

Fear

Anxiety

Teenagers today are frequently advised to repress their feelings rather than being taught what emotions are and how they affect our daily lives. Many people have difficulty recognizing, naming, and engaging with their emotions.

Emotional control abilities are precisely what they sound like. They are learning to manage their emotions. Emotions are malleable since they are the result of ideas, sensations, and reactions. In fact, emotions fluctuate throughout the day. Following a period of mourning, you may experience feelings of amusement or guilt. Our emotional reactions to the world and our thinking are influenced by our belief systems, childhood, and emotional intelligence.

Many people struggle with emotional regulation. Violence, self-harm, social isolation, and, most frequently, substance misuse can arise from this. When a person works with a therapist to improve their ability to cope with painful emotions, control emotional states, and shift emotions, they no longer require drugs, alcohol, or other destructive behaviors. Earning emotional management as a teenager can be beneficial later in life. Teens can learn to manage their emotional states and cope with various emotions in a variety of ways, including:

Meditation and mindfulness allow our thoughts, feelings, and emotions to pass without judgment. Teens learn that emotions are transient through meditative states and careful awareness. They develop the ability to tolerate harsh feelings.

Exercise can be an excellent method to process emotions and maintain equilibrium. Exercise, like meditation, relies on present-moment mindfulness and frequently allows kids to deal with emotions physically.

Getting creative - The arts are a great way for teens to express themselves without using words. Painting, painting, sculpting, and dance are excellent outlets for emotional expression.

Bubble breathe with forced exhalation -This is a great technique for adolescents who are experiencing emotional dysregulation because it gets oxygen to the brain, which helps improve thinking and decision-making. (When kids are getting ready for bed, it is also calming.) Bubble breaths are a type of deep breathing that can help to calm fight or flight responses (activated by the sympathetic nervous system) by activating the parasympathetic nervous system. Instructions- Breathe in slowly via your nose for 4 seconds, hold, and then exhale slowly and controllably through your mouth for 6 seconds. (Make the inhaled breath longer than the exhaled breath.). Repeat, paying attention to how you feel with each breath.

Progressive muscle relaxation - This is an activity in which students isolate, tighten, and relax various muscles in their bodies. Progressive muscular relaxation helps emotionally disturbed teens and tweens by letting the body know where it is in space. It's a terrific stress reliever and has even been demonstrated to help cure adolescent rage and violence. Instructions - Label your emotions and place them on your shoulders. Tension them. Hold the position for 5 seconds before releasing it. Repeat with the wrists, fingers, knees, ankles, and toes. The sensations should become more manageable if not completely gone.

Positive self-talk/ Affirmations - Positive affirmations have been demonstrated to increase executive function skills, including working memory, but they demand a lot of mental effort and energy, as well as practice. Simple steps can help you communicate to yourself positively: Instruct your child to use an affirmation to replace any negative self-perceptions they may have, such as "I am a wonderful person, no matter what anyone says or does." Remind them that if they constantly use positive self-talk, it may, like anything else, become a habit.

These are just a few examples of how teens might employ emotional management abilities. Working with a behavioral therapist might be a great place to start when it comes to emotional regulation. It can also assist kids in receiving the necessary diagnosis for co-occurring mood disorders. A teen who suffers from a mood disorder will have a more difficult time controlling their emotions. Behavioral Health Specialist or Teen Counselor at TalktoAngel, has many Teen Therapists who can assist you.

Contribution: Dr (Prof) R K Suri, Clinical Psychologist, life coach & mentor TalktoAngel & Aditi Bhardwaj, Psychologist