[InvisibleMoo]

I am struggling with knowing how to recognise what emotion I am experiencing. I am finding it difficult to know what exactly is triggering emotions and extreme reactions. I am totally confused and my emotions control me. I have been told I need to stop letting them control me and I need to control them.

It seems an overwhelming task and I just don't know where to begin.

I have done DBT but I couldn't get my head around the emotion regulation and it's not worked for me. I wonder if that is my fault or if it is just difficult for me to put into practice. I feel I am being blamed for it not working.

I hate how it ruins things daily for me, I am so reactive.

[MickeyCheeky]

I think a lot of people have your same struggles. Don't feel guilty about it. Unfortunately I don't have a lot of advice My only suggestion is trying to write down somewhere everytime you feel something unusual, and perhaps even all the possible triggers you can think of. With practice, perhaps this could help..

[InvisibleMoo]

Thanks for your reply. I guess it is a common issue a lot of us have. I will try and keep figuring it out.

My social worker said she is bringing some worksheets around on Tuesday to try and figure what's going on with me.

I just wish I could figure this part of me out and find a solution as I feel it's what is holding back.

[Sunflower123]

It's good your social worker is bringing some resources to you. There are also resources that list just about every emotion you can think of and when you feel an emotion you look at the list to determine which one it is and the intensity. CBT is also helpful with regulating emotions. I wish you good luck.

[leejosepho]

We all have natural human needs, instincts, desires and ambitions, and our emotions are symptoms (negative) or manifestations (positive) of how well or how poorly those inherent needs, instincts, desires and ambitions are being met. Learning to use my intellect (rather than my emotions) to determine my actions has not been easy, and I certainly do not do that perfectly. But the only way to improve our emotions is by somehow having our natural human needs, instincts, desires and ambitions satisfied...and learning to employ the *actions* that can truly make that possible seems to me to be the challenge of life.

[InvisibleMoo]

Thank you both.

I will over go over the CBT/DBT ways of managing again and pull out the papawrwork I have.

It is interesting you point out about having needs met and not something I had considered before. Thinking about my behaviour with what I do when I react would probably get me the opposite of what I need. Thanks for giving me a different way of looking at it, our minds can be so closed off sometimes.

[leejosepho]

Originally Posted by InvisibleMoo

Thinking about my behaviour with what I do when I react would probably get me the opposite of what I need.

Exactly. Emotions merely react without consulting the wisdom of the intellect, but intellect can learn to look past mere emotion and see what is actually best...and then respond accordingly.

[InvisibleMoo]

It isn't going to be easy to stop the whirl of emotion from taking over. I need to find a way of stepping outside of the tornado to be able to assess and allow intellect to have a chance. It is something that has been very challenging for me finding that space to think as I become intensely absorbed in the emotion.