Mood Changes
Mood changes refer to shifts or fluctuations in a person's emotional state. Moods can vary from positive feelings like happiness and excitement to more negative emotions like sadness or anger. Mood changes are a normal part of the human experience, but some individuals experience drastic or frequent mood swings that interfere with day-to-day life.
What Causes Mood Changes?
There are many potential root causes of mood changes:
- Brain chemistry - Changes in neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine can lead to changes in emotions. A chemical imbalance may underlie mood disorders like depression and bipolar disorder.
- Family history - Some individuals may inherit a predisposition to mood changes and disorders from their parents.
- Life circumstances - Stressful events like a job loss, argument, or death in the family can trigger mood changes that are a normal reaction to difficult situations. However, these changes usually dissipate in time.
- Diet and nutrition - Lack of key nutrients like iron as well as blood sugar fluctuations can impact mood regulation.
- Hormonal changes - Changes in hormones linked to the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, perimenopause, and menopause may heighten the risk of mood swings in some women.
- Health conditions - Conditions like thyroid disorders, chronic pain, sleep disturbances, and some vitamin deficiencies are associated with mood instability.
- Medications - Certain prescriptions and over-the-counter medicines may list mood changes or instability as potential side effects.
When Are Mood Changes a Concern?
Frequent, intense, and unexplained mood swings may be red flags for an underlying mental health concern like bipolar disorder or borderline personality disorder. Seeking professional help is advisable if mood changes:
- Are severe enough to impact work performance, relationships, or day-to-day activities
- Include depressive periods lasting more than a couple of weeks
- Include manic highs with risky behaviors like impulsive spending
- Are not clearly linked to an external trigger or life event
- Are accompanied by thoughts of self-harm
With appropriate care from a psychologist, psychiatrist, or other qualified mental health professional, many causes of problematic mood changes can be successfully managed with talk therapy, lifestyle changes, or medications (if warranted). If you are experiencing concerning mood changes, consider scheduling an appointment at Restore Vitality Clinic for an evaluation.