Mood swings have become a common issue for people today. Like any other mental health problem, without proper attention, people may get into serious mental health conditions. Mood swings can interrupt your normal daily life, your work and even ruin your relationships with other people. Denying your mood swings issue can make things worse. So, it is better to get as much help as you can get.

What Are Mood Swings?

Mood swings denote sudden changes or swings in mood at a particular time. When you experience mood swings, you may identify whether it is a good or bad mood. However, there are also instances when you can’t identify exactly why you feel intensely fluctuating emotions.

The neurotransmitters in your brain decide how you feel. The level of this chemical may increase or decrease for different reasons. These factors may include hunger, walking, playing, listening to music, pregnancy or due to period (for women), etc.

Mood swings can happen to anyone for a variety of reasons. If they happen frequently, you must consult a healthcare provider.

What Can Cause Mood Swings?

Changes in levels of neurotransmitters cause intense mood swings. You should consult a mental health professional when you experience these types of mood swings:

• Frequent mood swings – You are experiencing multiple mood changes within a certain period of time.
• Rapid mood swings – You face emotional changes faster due to any reason.
• Extreme mood swings – Your emotional changes are leading to self-harm or aggressive behavior towards others.

To treat mood swings, people must know the possible causes of it. There are many factors that can trigger mood swings:

Different life stages

People may face mood swings in different stages of life. They face multiple mental, hormonal, and emotional changes which can trigger mood swings. These are the following life stages:

• Adolescence – Usually, kids or adolescents face emotional and physical changes during puberty. Mood swings are less severe in this stage. However, parents must keep an eye on the symptoms, as mood swings at this age may lead to disruptive mood dysregulation disorder.
• Pregnancy and postpartum – Many factors can trigger mood shifts like hormonal changes, lack of sleep for entire days and nights, stress, etc.
• Menopause – For older women, changes in estrogen levels can trigger sudden mood swings.

Different physical health conditions

Several health or medical conditions can boost your mood swings. The examples may include:

• Blood sugar and diabetes – These two and low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) can boost mood shifts.
• Migraine – It can trigger mood swings as a symptom 24 hours before you get a migraine attack.
• Overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism) – Health conditions such as Grave’s disease, thyroid nodules, and thyroiditis make more hormones and may trigger mood swings.
• Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) – Mood swings are generally visible as a common symptom of PMS and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD).
• Insomnia – Lack of sleep or having disrupted or restless sleep can lead to mood swings.
• Traumatic brain injury (TBI) – A severe injury to your brain (traumatic brain injury) may trigger frequent mood swings.
• Epilepsy – This health condition can affect the nervous system and also cause mood swings.
• Heart disease – It disrupts your normal life and may trigger mood shifts.

Different mental health conditions

Sometimes, mood swings are symptoms of other mental health conditions, like:

• Conditions such as Alzheimer’s, brain tumors, dementia, and normal pressure hydrocephalus.
• Anxiety.
• Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
• Borderline personality disorder.
• Cyclothymia.
• Eating disorders.
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Substance use

Many different substances, such as medications, alcohol, and smoking, may increase mood swings:

• Medications – Mood swings can be triggered by medications like birth control, hormone therapy, anabolic steroids, corticosteroids, antidepressants, and a few serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).
• Substances – Michael Anderson, MA, LPC, a Licensed Professional Counselor at healingpinesrecovery.com, stated that consuming drugs like marijuana, drinking alcohol, and using tobacco products may affect your hormones, affect your sleep, and trigger mood swings.

Symptoms of Mood Swings

Mood changes might be common for those who have a lot of stress. However, mood swings may also indicate the signs of a mental health disorder.

When someone experiences mood swings, they will show the following symptoms:

• Talking more slowly than usual
• Talking more or faster than usual
• Feels sadness, hopelessness, and worthless
• Experience disrupted sleep or sleep too much
• Lack of concentration
• Feeling extreme fatigue
• Losing interest in daily activities
• Having suicidal tendencies or self-harm
• Engaging in risky behaviors
• Showing irritability or euphoric thoughts
• Sleeping less than they usually would
• Having racing thoughts

How Mood Swings Affect Your Health

Mood swings can affect any person when they happen intensely. Intense or frequent mood swings may lead to multiple serious physical and mental health issues.

The visible signs are:

• Anxiety and stress
• Difficulty living daily life
• Withdrawal
• Relationship issues with loved ones
• Social isolation
• Substance use
• Insomnia or hypersomnia
• Loss of appetite
• Weak immune system
• High blood pressure
• Heart disease
• Digestive problems
• Headaches, muscle tension, and chronic pain

Rapid, extreme, and long-lasting mood swings can be a sign of a mental health disorder. These mental health disorders or mood disorders have two major groups:

• Depressive disorders
• Bipolar disorders

These two groups have several types of mental health disorders:

Depressive disorders

Depressive disorders affect your life, and you’ll lose all the pleasure and interest in different activities. You will eventually lose energy, sleep quality, concentration, appetite, and interest.

Different depressive disorders:

• Major depression — This may last for two weeks to four weeks.
• Seasonal affective disorder — This may occur due to a change of season at a certain time of the year.
• Persistent depressive disorder — This is a long-term form of depression. It triggers sadness, emptiness, and hopelessness.
• Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder — It is a mood disorder commonly found in kids and teenagers. It causes a constant, long-lasting, serious testiness with frequent aggressive outbursts.
• Premenstrual dysphoric disorder — For women, mood shifts caused by a menstrual period commonly occur ten days before the cycle starts. It causes mood changes, hopelessness, and feelings of being out of control. These symptoms go away within a few days after a period begins.
• Depression associated with a medical condition — You’ll lose interest in activities due to the physical condition caused by another medical health problem.
• Depression related to substance or medicine use — Depression symptoms start as soon as you start taking a street drug or medicine. Symptoms may also be visible after withdrawal from these substances.

Bipolar disorders

Bipolar disorders show signs of mood swings added with manic or hypomanic episodes and depressive episodes. You may often experience both the highs and lows episodes together. This is called a mixed episode.

Different bipolar disorders:

• Bipolar I disorder — You’ll experience manic episodes and show signs of elevated mood that may continue for at least one week.
• Bipolar II disorder — You’ll experience hypomanic episodes with elevated mood that may continue for four days and less than one week.
• Cyclothymia — It shows the shift from emotional highs to emotional lows. This condition may create difficulties in functioning.
• Bipolar associated with a medical condition — This condition shows similar symptoms as bipolar disorder but is caused by a medical condition. For example, heart attack, stroke, Cushing’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and traumatic brain injury.
• Bipolar caused by the use of certain substances — This condition shows similar symptoms as bipolar disorder but is caused by the consumption of alcohol, street drugs, or medicines.

How to Treat Mood Swings

To treat your mood swings, it’s important to find the root cause. You must consult your primary care provider or a mental health professional to determine if there is an underlying condition that triggers them.

If you find a mood disorder or another mental health condition that is causing mood swings, you have two options. You can go with psychotherapy (aka talk therapy), or you may try prescribed medication such as antidepressants or mood stabilizers.

Psychotherapy

Some types of psychotherapy may be helpful:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

Lifestyle measures

María Rodríguez, PhD, the founder and CEO of Care Counseling Center, believes healthy lifestyle habits may help patients with mood swings issues. Some options may include:

• Spend time outside – If you spend some time in nature, it can boost your mood, give you a fresh feeling, and reduce stress.
• Exercise regularly – Add 2-3 hours to your daily routine for exercising. You do not have to go to a gym for that. Free-hand exercises and walking in the morning may lift your mood throughout the day. It can also help you sleep better.
• Eat fresh veggies and fruits – Fruits and veggies can fulfill the daily requirement of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other essentials. Eat a sufficient amount of food daily. Eat whole grains and lean proteins more. Avoid processed foods, sodas, and sugar-based food as much as possible.
• Practice yoga and deep breathing – These can reduce stress and anxiety levels. It also helps you keep your mind calm, focused, and logical.
• Try light therapy – You can improve your mood by using a light box during the fall and winter time. It helps to increase the levels of serotonin.
• Keep daily records – If you keep regular journals of your mood behaviors, it can help you identify and avoid triggering behaviors.
• Practice relaxation techniques – Along with yoga and deep breathing, you may try different relaxation techniques. Reading books, listening to soft classical music, gardening, painting, crafting, and many other habits may help you calm your mind.

Medications

Mental health professionals may prescribe:

• Mood stabilizers
• Atypical antipsychotics
• Antidepressants

When should mood swings be treated by a healthcare provider?

If your mood swings are severe and frequent, it is vital to consult a mental health professional or health care provider. Severe mood swings may have an impact on your job, family life, or other relationships. If someone’s mood shifts unusually, then they should seek assistance from a psychiatrist or other mental health professional trained to diagnose mood disorders.

Specific symptoms that you must call your healthcare provider:

• If your mood swings happen frequently.
• If your mood swings last longer than usual.
• It leads to a stronger emotional downfall.
• If your mood shifts makes you out of control.
• If your mood swings trigger suicidal tendencies.
• If it is Impacting your relationships with family, friends, and co-workers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Authored By

Shebna N Osanmoh I, PMHNP-BC

August 9, 2024

Shebna N Osanmoh is a board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner with extensive experience across the mental health spectrum. Holding a Master’s in Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing from Walden University, Shebna provides compassionate, culturally sensitive care for a wide range of mental health conditions, emphasizing holistic and individualized treatment approaches to support patients in their wellness journey.