Under-controlled coping is characterized by using too little self-control. With under-controlled coping, a person can experience their emotions, thoughts, and behaviors as being “out of their control.” This usually results in strong emotions and impulsivity. Diagnoses such as borderline personality disorder, bipolar disorders, intermittent explosive disorder, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can be indicative of under-controlled coping.

Over-controlled coping is characterized by using too much self-control. With over-controlled coping, a person can have a hard time letting go and letting people in. This usually results in rigid thinking and behavior and difficulty connecting with others. Diagnoses such as obsessive compulsive personality disorder (OCPD), anorexia, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), chronic depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) can be indicative of over-controlled coping.

Personality disorders are characterized by long-term patterns of behavior and inner experiences that differ in significant ways from the “average” person. They can include drastically different ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving compared to other people in ways that ultimately create problems for the individual. Examples can include paranoid personality disorder, borderline personality disorder, histrionic personality disorder, narcissistic personality disorder, and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (among others).

Trauma-related concerns can develop when a person experiences a traumatic event or traumatic invalidation, either in one specific instance or over an extended period of time. Trauma can result in having flashbacks or nightmares, engaging in avoidance of trauma memories, experiencing changes in thinking or feeling (about the self, others, and the world), and changes in reactivity. While post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is the most common example, other diagnoses (such as adjustment disorder, acute stress disorder, complex PTSD, or even borderline personality disorder) can also result from trauma.

Sometimes, people struggle with having intense and distinct mood episodes, such as those seen in major depressive disorder (MDD) or bipolar disorders (I and II). However, sometimes people struggle with mood dysregulation more broadly. They may feel emotions more intensely than others, react to smaller triggers than others, and may have a harder time letting go of emotions. They may react negatively to their own emotions (“I shouldn’t feel this way” or “I’m being dramatic”) and may learn to avoid situations that could prompt emotions. In this way, people can struggle with “emotional disorders” for any emotion, including sadness, anxiety, anger, or guilt/shame.

Anxiety is the feeling that some harm may be coming to us in the future. It leads us to want to protect ourselves, often by avoiding or escaping situations that we think may cause us harm. Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), social anxiety disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), and phobias are all examples of disorders characterized by anxiety.