Emotional liability

Emotional liability is emotional instability including becoming easily emotional and experiencing uncontrollable emotions, and/or emotions that are out of proportion to circumstances. Emotions may or may not reflect what the person is feeling, and sudden outbursts of emotion may occur. Emotional instability, sometimes called emotionalism, can be the result of a personality trait, but also occurs in a number of neurological diseases including multiple sclerosis, and untreated Chronic Lyme disease.

PBA and depression
Emotional liability is different to the pseudobulbar affect (PBA), which typically involves uncontrollable or pathological laughing and crying, for example uncontrollable laughing at funerals. In PBA, emotional outbursts may be triggered by mild or neutral stimuli and they may not always reflect the person's actual feelings.

Emotional instability may sometimes be mistaken for depression.

Learn more

 * Anger laughter and tears understanding emotional outbursts in MS