Mood Changes
Mood changes refer to shifts or fluctuations in a person's emotional state. Moods can swing from positive to negative, and mood changes can vary in severity. Some key aspects of mood changes can include:
- Emotional variability: People experience fluctuations in mood from content to sad, restless to calm, etc. over the course of days, weeks, or longer. Daily ups and downs are normal, but extreme and unpredictable mood shifts are often distressing.
- Triggers: External events or feelings often stimulate changes in mood. Common triggers include stressful situations, sleep disruptions, biological changes like puberty and menopause, and seasonal changes. Traumatic experiences can also impact mood stability long-term.
- Duration: Mood changes may be short-lived or longer-lasting. A low mood state that persists for weeks or more could signal an emotional disorder like depression. However, brief periods of heightened emotion like irritability or euphoria are often a typical reaction and pass quickly.
- Intensity: The severity of mood disturbances can also signify underlying issues. Mild moodiness typically does not interfere with a person's daily functioning. However, intense mood shifts that disrupt relationships and responsibilities frequently require assessment by a mental health professional.
- Impacts: Extreme emotional fluctuations or mood swings can profoundly contribute to relationship conflicts, problems with occupational or academic performance, substance misuse, self-injury, and suicidal behaviors.
In summary, our moods are constantly in flux based on what's happening around and within us. Major life events or stress, physical causes like sleep and diet, and conditions like depression can all lead to noticeable mood changes. If mood swings become significantly extreme, unpredictable, uncontrollable or otherwise disruptive over an extended period, this likely warrants further evaluation by a healthcare provider like those at Revive Hormones.