Emotional upset: possible causes, and how to overcome it

For most people, life is not a pool of calm, unflappable water. It is common for its flow to be more like a river, full of pronounced meanders and sections where the flow intensifies and declines, at an inconstant and unpredictable rhythm.

Letting yourself be carried away by such a current implies avoiding the obstacles that will generally arrive, with the purpose of continuing to navigate beyond the horizon. And it is that, by assuming the helm of our own existence, we inevitably accept to face the ups and downs inherent in its nature.

This circumstance is complex; and is closely related to personal and social twists and turns as diverse as family life, studies, work, etc. Problems in any of them may be the reason for what we know as emotional distress.

In this article we will delve into, specifically, what this emotional discomfort is. Where it comes from and how it usually manifests itself, as well as the scope it has on the day-to-day life of those who suffer it. The last part will talk about its therapeutic approach.

• Related article: "Emotional psychology: main theories of emotion"

What is emotional distress

Emotional distress is a large and complex concept that has been used extensively in clinical and research settings, but many times it has not been defined in a clear and operational way. For this reason, sometimes there is a certain "confusion" when trying to refer to it, and even the limits that separate it from what amounts to a psychological disorder are diluted. And it is true that the vast majority of problems in the area of ​​mental health involve some degree of emotional distress (mild, severe, etc.), but the isolated presence of the latter does not always imply psychopathology.

Thus, the first approach to this concept involves recognizing that the subjective experience of emotional distress does not mean in any way that the individual is going through some mental disorder, but simply is emotionally representing everyday situations that report certain suffering or concern. In this case, the affective response would not reach the intensity necessary to satisfy the diagnostic criteria that are required in the manuals to use (as would be the case of DSM-5), although this is not an obstacle to living with embarrassment and weigh.

Those suffering from emotional distress explicitly use phrases such as "I feel bad", "I am down" or "I am flat" to describe their experience; which is usually the result of some isolated and recognizable event or the accumulation of several of them in a discrete time period. In any case, a decrease in the feeling of well-being is indicated compared to a previous moment, and in general, the subject is perceived to be deprived of the joy that he was once able to feel on his own skin. In some cases, it is not possible to identify what the trigger was, so a certain disorientation is added.

When one delves into the sensations beyond the emotional, the existence of physical symptoms is often referred to for which an explanatory organic root is not found. The most notable are headaches (headaches), digestive disorders (such as diarrhea or constipation) and certain muscle discomfort. All this warrants a physical examination that rarely provides a finding capable of identifying them, and that very usually precipitates the planning of symptomatic approaches that do not address the "core" of what really motivates them (use of analgesics or anxiolytics with muscle relaxant properties, e.g.).

These vague and vague physical symptoms can be accompanied by intimate nuances of enormous existential importance., such as sadness, the shadow of an "inner emptiness" that causes restlessness and a constant experience of nervousness or irritability. As time passes, it is common for worry to increase and other problems arise, such as insomnia or persistent fatigue. It is at such an evolutionary point of emotional distress where there is a greater risk that it transcends a more structured psychopathological picture of greater clinical relevance (especially depression and anxiety).

It is such a prevalent problem that it has been estimated (according to various studies) that 30% to 60% of people who go to their primary care doctor are living it. It is more frequent in women than in men (70% in the first case), considering that such discrepancy is due to different ways of treating emotions and potential existence of different stressors between both groups (they are more "involved" in the care tasks that are added to their job responsibility, e.g.).

It is common that the problem cannot be detected in time, so that it is firmly established or progresses to a complete disorder, in addition to motivating the general practitioner or other specialists to overuse it.

Why does emotional distress occur?

As can be appreciated, living with such emotional distress results in a severe erosion of the quality of life and of all the dimensions that make up the reality of the human being: from the social to the individual, through the vital areas in which both participate (such as academic or work). What is really true is that, despite not being a disorder as such, the symptom in question precipitates also an impairment in self-image that alters the normal development of projects personally significant.

Below we review just some of the basic reasons why a person could suffer from such a circumstance. However, it should be noted that its potential causes are virtually endless, since they depend on the way in which the individual constructs his own world of it.

1. Academic problems

Academic problems are generators of emotional distress, especially during adolescence, as it is the evolutionary period in which failures in this area can have the greatest impact on well-being. Difficulty obtaining the desired results (notes), the belief that there are insufficient resources to deal with progressives The demands of the educational system or doubts when choosing the curricular itinerary are frequent causes of suffering at this stage maturative. Also the excessive load of responsibility, and the periodic evaluation of the performance (exams or exhibitions in front of the companions), can detonate it.

2. Labor problems

The field of work has been, especially in recent years, a clear source of emotional distress for millions of people around the world. From the barriers that young people must overcome to access stable jobs, to the endless unemployment situation in which countless people immerse themselves from the fifth decade of the life.

Too circumstances such as precariousness, workplace overload or insufficient wages are often (depending on the growth of the cost of living) can be erected as reasons for such suffering.

• You may be interested: "8 essential tips to reduce work stress"

3. Family problems

The presence of very diverse family problems, but especially conflicts between group members, generate a lot of emotional pain for the people involved.

Such situations may include material or energy deficiencies, difficulties in accessing a home, psychological or organic disorders. in any of the people who are part of the unit or discussions between the parties that do not find any point of agreement from which be solved. Also, finally, emotional distress is common in cases where the distribution of tasks is unfair or unbalanced.

4. Relationship problems

Relational problems, in the event that common strategies to cope with adversity have not been consolidated, could be an unspoken cause of emotional distress. In this case, a myriad of variables participate, which are related to the satisfaction of romantic expectations or disagreements about important aspects of coexistence.

Maintaining an unsatisfactory bond for fear of loneliness, or any other additional cause (not causing pain to someone who is appreciated, for example), is one of the causes for which this situation most commonly emerges within a dyadic bond.

• You may be interested: "The 5 types of couples therapy"

5. Excess of responsibility

Situations of family, work or personal overload, were postulated for a long time (and today it continues to be done) as one of the factors underlying the increased risk of women to report emotional distress.

And it is quite true that the intimate perception that our responsibilities exceed our resources, or that the tasks that are "demanded" of us enter in frontal opposition to each other, they connect directly with the phenomenon. What is indicated is accentuated when the person, in addition, is forced to part with their leisure or recreation time.

6. Social problems

Difficulties in establishing quality relationships with our peer group, or with the team of work, are frequently pointed out as very powerful triggers of the problem that occupies. The reluctance to ask for help, or to request collaboration, may also be at its base.

In any case, today an insufficient social support network is known to be an extraordinary risk factor with regard to emotional distress, as well as unwanted loneliness ("imposed" by circumstances). The experiences of rejection, uprooting or ostracism also generate emotional distress.

7. Health problems

Health problems, and more specifically serious / chronic diseases, have risen in recent years as the most commonly researched area of ​​life for discomfort emotional.

We know that the diagnosis of a relevant pathology, the process of recovering health, the use of certain drugs (chemotherapy, e.g.) and adaptations in daily roles, suppose a succession of personal challenges in which a struggle comes together inside. In cases where this discomfort reaches the entity of a mental disorder, the participation of a health psychologist is unavoidable..

How can it be addressed?

All the situations that have been shown in the previous lines potentially generate significant psychological suffering. Although in the first moments this does not reach the necessary intensity to be considered a disorder psychological, it is expected to evolve to a picture of anxiety or depression if a therapeutic approach is not articulated suitable. It is because of that it is very important to seek the guidance of a properly trained mental health professional, to make a good diagnosis and its corresponding treatment.

Increasing knowledge about emotions, and learning to regulate the way they are lived, is a key objective of intervention in this context. It translates into a greater capacity to recognize, identify, discriminate, repair, communicate and use each one of them; so that the management of internal experiences is optimized. From this, the person acquires the ability to deepen their needs and desires, this being an essential first step to build a comfortable daily life.

In addition to this, it may be interesting to teach procedures aimed at solving problems, since Sometimes the "bad" choices have worked as an element of sustenance to the adverse situation that may be living. Such strategies tend to influence the description of the problem, the generation of alternatives, the assessment of all courses of action and the commitment to the solution selected. This technique has come to demonstrate its effectiveness as a resource for the prevention of depression or anxiety in the case of people in specific situations of vulnerability.

Finally, enhancing the social skills available to the person (and especially assertiveness) helps to significantly reduce emotional distress. Through a program like this it is possible to equip the individual with appropriate communication skills, so that she can successfully mediate in all negotiation situations whose object is the alleviation of responsibilities or the search for an agreement with which to solve a conflict persistent.

Bibliographic references:

• Cruzado, J.A. (2012). Screnning of Emotional Distress in Cancer Patients and Their Families. Psychooncology, 9, 231-232.
• Moreno, A., Krikorian, A. and Gonzalez, C. (2015). Emotional discomfort, anxiety and depression in Colombian cancer patients and its relationship with perceived competence. Advances in Latin American Psychology, 33, 517-529.