Are Your Mood Swings Affecting Others?
Posted: March 31, 2017
It’s completely normal to have those days where you feel sad and not at your happiest. If you experience the normal emotional ups and downs chances are it is not interfering with your life and consider healthy. Often when we hear the word mood swings we have stereotypical thoughts of someone with serious mental illness. However there are several reasons why people can experience abrupt changes in mood. Bipolar Disorder can be defined as extreme highs (mania) and extreme lows (depression). This typically requires psychotropic medications in addition to talk therapy. When a person is experiencing mood swings their emotional reactions are mismatched to the trigger. It is often described as “my emotions are seesawing all over the place or on a pendulum”—constantly swinging side to side from one extreme to the other. While everyone has small mood swings from time to time, some mood swings are so extreme that they can interfere with everyday life.
What Causes Mood Swings?
It is believed that mood swings can be the result from chemical reactions in the brain—or may be the result of chemical imbalances. Mood swings can occur as a symptom of:- Bipolar disorder
- Borderline personality disorder
- Brain tumors
- Dementia
- Stroke
- Cardiovascular diseases
- Medication side effects
- Hormonal changes
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Puberty
- Pregnancy
- Stress
- Menopause
Managing Mood Swings
Sometimes you can manage mood swings with the following strategies:- Practice deep breathing exercises
- Exercise
- Walk away from frustrating or stressful situations
- Getting enough sleep each night
- Eating healthy
- Tracking moods to gain a greater understanding of any changes in your emotions
- Therapy
- Medications
- Watch comedy shows
- Play with animals
- Watch funny videos
- Reconnect with your support system of friends, family, church, sports etc.