Emotional dysregulation

Emotional dysregulation refers to the inability, or more properly the failure, of an individual to respond to a person, place, thing, or event in a manner that would generally be considered within the normal range of emotions. An example of this might be rage over a broken nail, or hysterics over a missed appointment.

This term is used most often with reference to Borderline Personality Disorder and Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

There is an effort within some sectors of the mental health community to rename Borderline Personality Disorder as Emotional Dysregulation Disorder or Emotional Dysregulatory Disorder.