Hi Gem!
What you're talking about here is completely normal for an IEE, especially for me.
I find the motivation for this behavior is self-preservation. We sub-consciously want to put on a show for others, showing our bright & happy side, which allows others to open up and connect with us easily. When we're facing difficulties, we find it hard to be authentic and genuine with others while secretly battling our internal pain. So we seek solitude and try to deal with it on our own.
More often than not though, I find that being around people is what alleviates some of my suffering, yet it's not what we seek.
As for how to control this- I think it may vary on the person. When my needs are not being met, I experience what you've outlined. My unhappiest days were when I've been too far isolated from people, not adding value to myself or others on a daily basis in some way, or experiencing low self-esteem due to weight gain or something on those lines.
You might ask yourself about your happier, more stable phases of life. What might be missing from your life now that contributes to mood swings?
A personal example: I've been extremely volatile the past 7 months, and came to the conclusion that I was placing too much dependence on someone else to create / contribute to my happiness. This may or may not be your case, but sometimes IEEs just need a reminder to address our needs with an air of confidence, and to remember that it's not selfish if it helps us, because then we can in turn help others in the future.
As for others coping... are they receptive to you? Do they provide full attention and make an effort to understand you? If not, that may only contribute to the problem. I cannot cope or expect others to cope with me if they do not first give me their attention and allow me to explain.
I'm not well versed in thyroid issues, but I do know that this would affect me even more so emotionally than it would physically, as this is our primary metabolism regulator. I tend to be prone to self-esteem issues (young ugly duckling syndrome perhaps?), and if something is unstable physically with me, then my self-esteem suffers, and it bleeds into other aspects of my life (especially my social life).
I hope this is helpful! Sorry if I rambled, but I wanted you to know that you're completely normal. I've experienced everything you've talked about in various stages of my life.




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