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affective lability

[/əˈfɛktɪv ləˈbɪləti/]
noun
labilidade afetiva
1. A psychological or neurological condition characterized by rapid, unpredictable changes in mood or emotional responses that are often exaggerated or inappropriate to the situation
The patient exhibited affective lability, shifting from tears to laughter within minutes without clear provocation.
O paciente apresentava labilidade afetiva, passando de lágrimas para risadas em minutos sem provação clara.
2. Emotional instability or emotional incontinence; difficulty in controlling emotional expression
Affective lability is often observed in patients with certain neurological disorders or traumatic brain injuries.
A labilidade afetiva é frequentemente observada em pacientes com certos distúrbios neurológicos ou lesões cerebrais traumáticas.
Synonyms
emotional labilitymood labilityemotional instabilitypseudobulbar affectemotional incontinence
Antonyms
emotional stabilitymood stabilityaffective stability

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
labilidade afetiva
Standard term used in psychology and psychiatry
Portugal
labilidade afetiva
Standard term used in clinical and medical contexts
Medical/Scientific
instabilidade emocional
Alternative term occasionally used in broader contexts

Related Idioms & Phrases

wear one's heart on one's sleeve (related concept of emotional expression)
emotional roller coaster (describing the experience of affective lability)
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