Emotional Regulation

If you struggle to control your anger or other emotions, Dr. Kleinman can offer highly effective, well-regarded treatment options that can help you. As a board-certified psychiatrist in her practice at Amanda S. Kleinman MD Ltd in Chicago at One Magnificent Mile, she can help you maximize your emotional regulation to improve your mood, mental health, relationships, and quality of life. Schedule an evaluation by phone or online today.

What is emotional regulation?

Emotional regulation is the way a person manages their thoughts, emotions, and moods when facing extreme emotional distress. Problems with emotion regulation may result in troublesome behavioral patterns, particularly those involving anger and impulsive actions. Being able to control and regulate your emotions is vital for maintaining a healthy mind, strong relationships, and success at work.

Who benefits from emotional regulation?

Anyone struggling with uncontrollable mood fluctuations may benefit from improving their emotional regulation by doing psychotherapy with Dr. Kleinman. You may be a candidate if you experience:

• Depression
• Bipolar disorder
• Anger management challenges
• Complex Post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD)
• Angry outbursts
• Irritability
• Relationship challenges
• Hot temper
• Frequent crying

If you have a low frustration tolerance and frequent mood swings, learning emotional regulation in psychotherapy may be the solution for you. 

Dr. Kleinman tailors each treatment to your personalized needs, often treating multiple conditions using psychotherapy, medication management, lifestyle coaching, or a combination of treatments. 

What are the risk factors for emotional regulation issues?

While the cause of emotional regulation challenges isn’t always clear, risk factors for developing them include:

• Extreme or ongoing stress
• Past trauma
• Hormone fluctuations
• Family history of emotional regulation problems
• Substance misuse
• Financial struggles
• Physical, emotional, or sexual abuse
• Being bullied
• Genetic factors
• Head injury

Any form of trauma or stress may lead to an inability to properly control your emotions. Adopting healthy lifestyle habits helps reduce your risk. 

How does my specialist diagnose emotional regulation problems?

Dr. Kleinman diagnoses emotional regulation issues after discussing your medical history, mental health history, lifestyle habits, medications, moods, emotions, thoughts, behavior patterns, and more during a psychiatric evaluation. She asks about past mental health treatments you may have tried before customizing a treatment plan. 

How does my specialist treat emotion regulation?

Dr. Kleinman offers psychodynamic psychotherapy and transference-focused psychotherapy (TFP) along with medication management to treat emotional regulation and the worrisome symptoms associated with it. Psychodynamic psychotherapy and TFP will help you improve emotional regulation by addressing the underlying forces that may be causing it. This includes exploring your sense of self and personal identity, considering your concept of how things in life should work, and examining your patterns of interacting with and relating to other people. Dr. Kleinman also provides medication management to help reduce symptoms when they become too difficult to manage on your own. 

TFP is an evidence-based form of psychotherapy specially developed to help patients struggling with emotional regulation issues. The treatment creates a therapeutic space for patients to better understand their emotions, mood fluctuations, and a larger context that surrounds emotional fluctuation. 

By developing a closer understanding of yourself, you feel less controlled by your emotions, more resilient, and more flexible in the face of challenges.

Schedule an appointment with Amanda S. Kleinman MD Ltd by phone or request one online today to take advantage of emotional regulation therapy.