Keep Your Mood Swings In Check

We all have them from time to time, yo-yo moods. Happy and high in the morning, angry and aggressive in the afternoon, teary-eyed in the evening...

First of all, having mood swings doesn't automatically mean that you suffer from depression or bipolar disorder. Mood swings are extremely common.

In everyday life we are dealing with plenty of stressful situations, especially in current economic crisis - pressure to avoid job loss, to pay all your bills or even going through a job search if you are currently unemployed. Add to this some monumental changes like marriage or having kids, or moving away... You can see the picture.

Situations like these drain us emotionally and physically. We experience extreme irritability, anger, easily burst into tears. Even lack of sleep or unbalanced diet can affect your mood.

Statistically more women than men suffer from mood swings. PMS, pregnancy, post-natal depression, menopause, - basically, women go through more hormonal changes.

This leads us to possible causes of our mood swings. They are very similar to the causes of depression:

- Hormonal imbalance

- Chemical imbalance

- Extreme tiredness

- Imbalanced Diet

The fact is - most people won't admit to their doctor, that they suffer from mood swings, so they remain untreated although it's a highly treatable condition. Don't be afraid that your doctor will put you straight onto antidepressants. You might be surprised at how simple your treatment can be.

So what can we do to keep our mood swings in check?

1. Natural remedies like Valerian root, St. John's Wort, Ginseng, Passion Flower, etc. which have some calming qualities (consult with a specialist before taking them).


2. Reduce the amount of simple carbohydrates from your food intake - white bread, cakes and cookies, sugar candies or chocolate bars. Overindulging in those causes a sugar rush in your blood, which gives you a quick high, but then your mood drops just as low.


3. Ensure you exercise and get plenty of fresh air. Your body will produce more endorphins (happy hormones) and you generally will have more energy.


4. Have sufficient sleep and take regular breaks from work.

If these simple rules can't help, you might want to try some sort of cognitive behavioural or talk therapy which will teach you how to react differently to your mood swings. It will also help you to identify your triggers and learn to avoid them.

If you think that your mood swings disrupt your life, and suspect something more serious, try to start a mood diary for a couple of weeks where you can write down your mood changes during the day and grade them (say, on a scale from 1 to 10).

Then, armed with your diary go to your doctor, and see what kind of diagnosis and treatment they can come up with.

Take care, guys, and as usual, please share your thoughts and experience!