What is mood changes?
Mood changes refer to shifts or fluctuations in a person's emotional state. Moods are usually described as either positive or negative, and can range from mild to extreme. Some common types of mood changes include:
- Depression - feeling sad, hopeless, or worthless for weeks or longer. May cause fatigue and lack of interest in activities.
- Mania - feeling unusually energetic, elated, or irritable. Can impair judgment and lead to risky behavior.
- Anxiety - feeling nervous, worried, or tense much of the time. Physical symptoms may include sweating, trembling, and increased heart rate.
- Stress - feeling overwhelmed or unable to cope with mental or emotional pressure. Can make existing mood issues worse.
Mood changes can be influenced by many factors, including:
- Hormonal changes - shifts in hormones like estrogen and testosterone can affect mood regulation. Common during puberty, menopause, and some medical conditions.
- Medications - some prescription drugs and recreational substances can alter brain chemistry and cause mood swings.
- Sleep disturbances - lack of quality sleep disrupts circadian rhythms and can worsen mood.
- Diet - poor nutrition and blood sugar imbalances may contribute to mood instability.
- Stress - chronic stress and traumatic events can trigger lasting mood changes.
- Underlying conditions - mood disorders like depression, bipolar disorder, and SAD all involve significant mood fluctuations.
If you've noticed sudden, dramatic, or persistent mood changes, talk to your doctor. They can check for underlying causes and recommend lifestyle changes or treatment options like therapy, light therapy, medications, or hormone therapy to help stabilize your mood.
The experts at Hormone Wellness Clinic specialize in using bioidentical hormone therapy to safely optimize hormone levels and relieve stubborn mood symptoms related to perimenopause, andropause or other hormonal causes. Their customized programs can help you regain emotional balance and start feeling like yourself again!
Key Takeaways:
- Mood changes involve shifts between positive and negative emotional states. Common examples are depression, mania, anxiety, and stress.
- Hormonal changes, medications, sleep issues, diet, stress, and mood disorders can all trigger mood instability.
- See your doctor if mood changes are sudden, dramatic, or persistent to check for underlying causes.
- Treatment options like therapy, light therapy, medications, and hormone therapy can help stabilize mood.
- Hormone Wellness Clinic offers customized bioidentical hormone therapy to optimize hormones and improve mood issues related to hormone imbalance.