If you suffer from mood swings, you might be wondering if there’s a cause. Is there a particular event that was the cause? Or could it be something you ate, the way you slept, or something else? Doctors often refer to this temporary change in mood as a “mood swing,” and while it’s normal to experience a mood swing from time to time, it’s when your mood swings unpredictably that it becomes a concern.
What Is Mood Swing?
The “mood swing” phenomenon is a common concept used in describing intensely and rapidly fluctuating emotions. Some people oftentimes define mood swings to be erratic emotions or a turbulent “roller coaster” of feelings ranging from anger, happiness, and contentment, to irritability, including depression.
The Causes of Your Mood Swings may be:
Pregnancy
But do mood swings during pregnancy cause moodiness? It’s an interesting question and one that women often wonder about. The fact is that pregnancy hormones do seem to affect mood, but they can also affect moods that aren’t due to pregnancy.
Postpartum
The postpartum period can be a challenging time for many women, as it often brings about mood swings and emotional changes. In some cases, postpartum even leads to depression, commonly known as postpartum depression. This condition is caused by a combination of hormonal changes, sleep deprivation, and the adjustment to motherhood.
Fortunately, there is effective postnatal depression treatment and support available, in the form of therapy and medication. Professional help can provide the necessary guidance and support to new mothers, so that they can manage the symptoms and come out of it quickly, giving all their attention to their deserving newborns.
Bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder is a mental health disorder that happens when a person has two separate episodes of mania and depression. Types of bipolar disorder are as follows:
- Bipolar I – Bipolar I is characterized by severe highs and lows, and most people with this diagnosis will have episodes where their mood is severely elevated or depressed.
- Bipolar II – Bipolar II disorder is a variation of bipolar disorder that affects people differently, and symptoms are the same as bipolar disorder. Bipolar II disorder is often misdiagnosed as depression or mania, but people with Bipolar II disorder must receive treatment and learn how to manage their disorder.
Sleep deprivation
Research has shown that sleep deprivation can alter the activity in the amygdala, which is the part of the brain responsible for emotional processing. This alteration can lead to an increase in negative emotions, making it more difficult for individuals to regulate their feelings.
Additionally, sleep deprivation can lead to increased levels of cortisol, which is a stress hormone that can contribute to mood swings. When individuals do not get enough sleep, it can lead to irritability, depression, and anxiety. These mood swings can have a significant impact on a person’s life, including their relationships, work productivity, and overall well-being.
Low blood sugar
Low blood sugar, also known as hypoglycemia, happens when your blood sugar, or glucose, levels drop. It can affect your mood by changing how your brain processes certain chemicals. It also can cause fatigue, dizziness, anxiety, and shaking.
Stress
Stress can ruin your day or week. When you’re stressed out, your emotions can swing wildly from moment to moment, sometimes even from hour to hour. Usually, your mind will alert you to stress by causing you to feel irritated, anxious, or short-tempered, knowing that you’re feeling the effects of stress.
Fortunately, there are ways to tackle the effects of stress, such as through THC products like capsules, and gummies, to name a few. THC, a psychoactive principal constituent of the cannabis plant, can help reduce stress and anxiety; which can work towards improving the mood. If interested, consider sourcing the product of your interest from a weed delivery Queens facility (or somewhere similar) to try it out for yourself.
Wrong Medications
Taking wrong medications for illnesses and injuries can have significant consequences, including mood swings and other adverse effects. Various types of medications, such as anti-depressants, heart medications, psychiatric medications, and anti-nausea medications, can lead to mood fluctuations when used improperly.
If you suspect that you have been given the wrong medications, it is essential to determine who is responsible for this situation-doctor or chemist. If your chemist or pharmacist provided the incorrect medications, you may have grounds to file a lawsuit against them in consumer court. In cases where your doctor prescribed improper medications, it is crucial to consider taking legal action. In this regard, you can consult a law firm with experience in medical negligence cases, such as Gadsby Wicks (www.gadsbywicks.co.uk), which may help you in understanding your rights and options for pursuing a case against the doctor.
PMS
All women experience the ups and downs of hormones during perimenopause, aka the “change of life.” But women that suffer from depression tend to have more emotional highs and lows than other women. The intensity (and duration) of your mood swings may also depend on the presence or absence of PMS.
Menopause
Mood swings may be a normal part of menopause, but that doesn’t mean you have to feel like it’s the end of the world. Learn to recognize the effect that hot flashes have on your emotions and what you can do to stay balanced.
Dementia
Dementia is a condition characterized by a decline in cognitive function that affects a person’s ability to think, remember, and reason. While mood swings are not a direct symptom of dementia, they can often be observed in individuals with this condition. One of the primary reasons for mood swings in dementia patients is the progressive deterioration of the brain.
As the disease progresses, it affects various areas of the brain responsible for regulating emotions. This disruption can result in significant changes in mood, ranging from irritability and agitation to depression and anxiety. A condition like this often requires brain imaging through neuro MRI in New Jersey (or elsewhere) so that doctors can assess the extent of the damage and decide on the best course of treatment. The treatment plan often includes cognitive stimulation, counseling, and other interventions to help patients manage their mood swings.
ADHD
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) may be a common diagnosis, but it might not be as easy as it sounds. The condition is often associated with hyperactivity, and many children do struggle with focusing, completing tasks, and following instructions. But ADHD can have many underlying causes, and one of those is the lack of sleep that many children with ADHD experience.
Depression
At times, we feel hopeless, down, and gloomy. This often leads to feeling sad, withdrawn, and irritable. This is depression. Depression is characterized by feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and worthlessness that lasts longer than two weeks. It can make you feel helpless and hopeless to the point where you even want to harm yourself. If you are having trouble getting out of bed in the morning, feel like nothing can make you happy, and feel like everything around you is meaningless, you may be suffering from depression.
When life starts to throw you curveballs, you might feel depressed, anxious, or angry. These feelings aren’t your fault, but they can be hard to cope with. But the good news is that there are steps you can take to help get your mood back on track.
