“The goal isn't to get rid of all your negative thoughts and feelings, that's impossible. The goal is to change your response to them.” - Unknown
Emotional disturbance refers to an individual’s emotional response and their extreme behaviours. People that are emotionally disturbed for long periods of time are inclined to have problems interacting appropriately with those around them, and the consequences can result in being socially rejected. It is frequent that the emotional disorders coexist with other mental health impairments. For a diagnosis, you would need to see a clinical psychologist.
The person experiencing emotionaldisturbance can exhibit the following characteristics:
The internal struggle is usually harder to observe, and most of the negative behaviours and thoughts are aimed towards self.
How can I help Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is a useful tool working with emotional disturbance. Some of the steps in treating the issue(s) are acknowledging the emotional impact that the disorder has on the individual and those around him/her, setting up coping strategies, supporting the person to get in touch with his/her emotions and improve communication skills.
