What Does It Mean to Have Mood Swings?
Shifts in your emotions and mood are a normal, common, and healthy way to react to events that take place in our lives, says Robert McFerren, a licensed clinical social worker and executive director of the Pathlight Mood & Anxiety Center in Austin, Texas.
Emotions may change quickly in response to a specific situation, says Hayden Center Jr., PhD, a licensed professional counselor and contributing faculty member at Walden University. For example, say you start the day feeling happy but then find out your friend lost her job. You might rapidly go from feeling happy to concerned or even sad.
On the other hand, mood swings last longer — hours or a day — and are not necessarily specific to a situation. “Someone may be in a dysphoric mood for several days, meaning they feel very down and depressed,” Dr. Center says.
“And mood swings can be more intense and don’t always have an obvious trigger,” says McFerren.
In addition, experiencing extreme stress, sleep deprivation, low blood sugar, or taking certain medications could lead to mood swings, Center says. Or they may be caused by hormones or traumatic experiences, McFerren says. In other words, the causes for mood swings vary from person to person.
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