Expressed Emotion - Low Expressed Emotion

Low Expressed Emotion

Low expressed emotion is when the family members are more reserved with their criticism. The family members feel that the patient doesn't have control over the disorder. When the family is more educated and doesn't have to 'put up' with the patient and his/her disorder they are more likely to have low expressed emotion. Low expressed emotion causes a different stress and it is directed at the patient less.

The attitudes of family members with high expressed emotion are too strong for the patient and the patient now has to deal with the mental illness and the criticism from those that they need support from in their time of recovery.

High or low expressed emotion makes the patient feel trapped, out of control and dependent upon others. The patient may feel like an outsider because of the excessive attention received. In bipolar patients relapse from manic to depressed can be triggered by a family member's comments. Expressed emotion affects everyone in the home, raising the stress level for everyone. This is bad for the patient's recovery and for the family as a whole. The behavior of everyone around the patient influences the patient to relapse or progress with their illness. Criticism of the patient is hard to stop once it has started.

The stress from high expressed emotion may cause the patient to relapse. The patient falls into a cycle of rehabilitation and relapse because the stress builds up too much so the only escape is relapse and then the disorder is unsustainable and rehabilitation is required. The only way to escape this cycle is for the family to go through therapy together. This will greatly lower family conflicts and the stress level of the household.