There is a disorder out there that can mimic different emotions and often times mirrors depression. Pesudobulbar Affect or PBA can take its toll on anyone of any age group. However, it most commonly affects individuals with Multiple Sclerosis and Alzheimer’s,
Its symptoms are usually sudden and uncontrollable bouts of laughter or crying for no apparent reason.
For the individual suffering from PBA as well as the people around them this disorder can be an emotional roller coaster.
Care2.com notes that the emotional spells that affect people with PBA are completely out of their control and may not reflect the actual feelings of the person displaying them.
PBA is a neurological disorder that can be diagnosed and treated. However, the diagnosis can be tricky for reasons mentioned above; it tends to mimic other disorders.
What causes this emotional disorder? Well, doctors do not know for sure, but PBA is thought to be triggered by traumatic injury, or a neurological disease that affects the part of the brain that deals with processing emotions.
Although PBA is often mistaken for depression, it is a neurological defect from brain trauma and not a psychiatric disorder caused from chemical imbalances.
Like depression and many other emotional reactant disorders, PBA is treated with prescription medication such as anti-depressants.