What are mood swings?

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Emotional mood swings can occur without warning and have various causes, including hormonal changes, chemical imbalances, and severe stress. They can be a symptom of a serious condition like bipolar disorder. Mood swings can be frustrating and startling for both the individual and those around them. Hormonal changes, chemical imbalances, and prolonged episodes of severe stress can cause mood swings. Prolonged and severe mood swings can be a sign of an underlying psychological or chemical condition.

Emotional mood swings are extreme changes in emotions or behavior that can occur without warning. Mood swings are quite common and can have a variety of underlying causes, such as hormonal changes, chemical imbalances, or severe stress. While many people experience occasional mood swings, sometimes they can be a symptom of a more serious condition, such as bipolar disorder.

An emotional mood swing can occur between two types of mood. For example, a person who is having a generally good day might suddenly be overcome by feelings of sadness, depression, and loneliness. Mood swings can work in the opposite direction, for example, a person who is extremely angry suddenly becomes happy euphoric or even filled with uncontrollable laughter. Whatever the direction, mood swings can be quite startling and troubling for both the individual experiencing the swing and those around them. A mood swing can be especially frustrating, as the changes in emotion can seem to have no direct or reasonable cause.

One of the most common causes of emotional mood swings is hormonal changes. Both men and women can experience emotional side effects of hormonal change, although this syndrome is more often linked to women due to the predictable pattern of hormonal changes that accompany menstruation. Teens, pregnant women, and menopausal women may be more prone to hormone-driven emotional mood swings. In some cases, people taking drugs that alter hormone release may also be prone to mood swings.

A chemical imbalance in the brain can also cause extreme mood swings. Chemical imbalances occur when the brain releases too many or too few neurotransmitters that affect emotions, such as dopamine and serotonin. Chemical imbalances can be difficult to diagnose definitively, but are often treated with medications that attempt to restore neurotransmitter balance.

In some cases, emotional mood swings can be traced to unusual or prolonged episodes of severe stress. A person under enormous stress may experience sleep deprivation or a chronic state of anxiety, fear or worry. This exhausting combination can lead to an impaired ability to control moods and an increased potential for irritability, depression and panic attacks.

Prolonged and severe mood swings can be a sign of an underlying psychological or chemical condition, such as depression, bipolar disorder, or borderline personality disorder. In these cases, mood swings may be a daily concern, or episodes of unexplained depression or euphoria may last for days or weeks before abruptly changing. Doctors often recommend seeing a psychologist or family doctor if emotional mood swings occur frequently or become worrisome for any reason.




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