Affective Suppression Fatigue: A Neurocognitive Framework for Emotional Numbing and Reactive Dysregulation

Expressive suppression is common; when overused, it can degrade the regulation system itself. This paper introduces Affective Suppression Fatigue (ASF), a neurocognitive model explaining how sustained efforts to suppress emotions can lead to emotional numbing (a generalized blunting of affect) and reactive dysregulation (intermittent loss of control resulting in emotional outbursts). Drawing on psychological and neuroscientific evidence, we propose that chronic suppression fatigues the brain’s regulatory systems, especially prefrontal inhibitory control, causing detachment under low-intensity conditions and explosive reactions under high-intensity conditions. The ASF model integrates disparate findings on cognitive depletion, burnout, and chronic stress, offering a unified framework for paradoxical outcomes of emotion suppression. We conclude with theoretical and clinical implications for emotion regulation research and mental health interventions.