ABSTRACT
The degree to which feeling states disrupt one's functioning or enrich it is determined by multiple factors. Likewise, several factors influence the development of emotional regulation. The emotional temperament of caretakers and the particular match between the child's style and the caretaker's style can influence, at a neurobiological level, whether the child's sensitivities become assets or liabilities. Patients with severe deficits in emotional regulation struggle with keeping the experiencing of emotional signals in perspective, interpreting sensations rationally and effectively communicating the feelings. Translation of chaotic sensations into meaningful cause and effect can have an organizing and calming effect. Psychodynamic therapists have described the clinical hallmark of provocation in rich detail, outlining its inner mechanisms and the optimal therapeutic response. Difficulty in self-soothing means having trouble calming oneself when experiencing discomfort of any kind whether agitation, shame, depression, or fear. Mild regulatory impairments create fewer management problems and severe alliance disruptions in therapy than do regulatory problems at the other levels.
