Psychology of Emotion Dysregulation

Biological Factors Contributing to BPD

• Emotional vulnerability, genetic/temperament, and neurological pathways may contribute to the development of BPD
• In-utero experiences can also play a role in shaping an individual's biological makeup

Social Factors Contributing to BPD

• Attachment relationships, regulation, sense of self, and mentalisation and epistemic trust can influence the development of BPD
• Trauma and other adverse childhood experiences can contribute to the development of the disorder

Transactional Bio-Social Theory (DBT)

• Biological dysfunction in a child's self-regulatory pathways can lead to biological emotional vulnerability
• Repeatedly invalidating social environments can exacerbate this vulnerability, leading to pervasive emotion dysregulation
• A vicious cycle develops, where biological and social factors heighten each other

Emotion Processing Difficulties in BPD

• Individuals with BPD may interpret neutral stimuli as negative
• They may react strongly to negative or even neutral facial expressions
• They may easily misinterpret the intentions of others
• They may have difficulty with self-soothing and regulation
• They may struggle with reflecting on emotions, naming emotions (alexithymia), and trusting internal experiences
• They may have a tendency to self-invalidate, be impulsive, and have challenges in mentalization
• They may have impaired problem-solving skills, particularly when hypo/hyper aroused

Invalidating Environment

• Emotional invalidation, particularly of negative emotions, is a common feature of an invalidating environment
• This environment can contribute to emotional dysregulation by failing to teach the child to label and modulate arousal, tolerate distress, or trust their own emotional responses