What Mental Illness Causes Extreme Mood Swings?

Posted by Patnaneuroandchildpsychiatry on October 16th, 2024

Changes in mood that can range from excitement and happiness to anger and tension in a short period of time are known as mood swings.

Although minimal changes in moods are within the normal range of emotions, excessive alterations in moods may highlight something more serious.

Identifying the causes, symptoms, and how to cope is important for emotional balance. For this reason, it is important to know the right time to consult a health expert.

Causes of Extreme Mood Swings

Extreme mood swings, characterized by rapid and intense shifts in emotional state, can significantly impact a person's daily life.

These fluctuations can range from feelings of euphoria to deep despair within a short period.

While various factors can contribute to such mood swings, understanding the underlying causes can help individuals manage and cope with them effectively.

What causes extreme mood swings? Many reasons in a person’s life, be it psychological or physical, can instigate extreme mood changes:

Changes in Hormones:

Such emotional stresses occur during developments such as puberty, menarche, pregnancy, lactation, and menopause since during those periods the individual experiences hormonal changes. The reproductive hormones such as estrogen and progesterone have effects on mood and their alteration leads to inappropriate reactions emotionally.

Diseases of the Mind:

What mental illness causes extreme mood swings? Out of the most common mental disorders that lead to extreme changes of moods are bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder (BPD) and depression. Such conditions affect the brain’s ability to control emotions, creating a cycle of emotional euphoria and depression.

Tension and Worry:

Chronic conditions of stress, anxiety, or worry exert enormous pressure on the brain and in the body, making a person unable to control the moods. There are situations and prolonged states of anxiety that result in rapid mood changes.

Addiction:

What are extreme mood swings associated with? The more one abuses coping substances, especially psychoactive ones such as alcohol and drugs, the higher the chances of disappointing changes in the behavior patterns of the individual. These drugs and/or alcohol tend to reduce the ability to control emotions, therefore increasing mood swings.

Lack of Sleep:

Insufficient sleep disturbs their ability to control emotions, which makes them susceptible to extreme mood changes. Sleep is crucial to the functioning of the brain, and unoccupied sleep could aggravate mood imbalances.

Long-Term Disability:

These health issues which are long-term chronic like diabetes or thyroid conditions cause severe mood changes because they create hormonal imbalance or changes in blood sugar levels among other alterations.

Understanding the potential causes of extreme mood swings can be the first step towards managing them.

Seeking professional help from psychiatrist in Patna Bihar can provide tailored strategies for coping with these challenges and improving overall well-being.

Symptoms of Extreme Mood Swings

Extreme mood swings can manifest in various ways, affecting a person's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

Recognizing these symptoms can be crucial for individuals experiencing them and for those supporting them. 

To be able to manage extreme mood swings symptoms, it is imperative that you understand their symptoms, which include the following:

• Feeling emotions, such as happiness or sadness, that seem out of place, such as being overly excited or miserable.
• Experiencing many emotions changing within a short period of time, be it within hours or even within minutes.
• Unprovoked responses, which may include anger, rage, or irritability, occur infrequently in most people.
• Loss of focus, decision making incapacitation, or an inability to pay attention owing to changes in the emotional state of oneself.
• Speaks of emotional states characterised by quiet restlessness which can suddenly emerge and quickly vanish.

It's important to note that these symptoms can vary in severity and frequency.

If you or someone you know is experiencing extreme mood swings, it's essential to seek professional help from best psychiatrist in Patna Bihar.

They can provide a proper diagnosis and develop a treatment plan to manage these symptoms effectively.

How to Deal with Extreme Mood Swings?

Dealing with mood swings also entails many measures put in place to enhance the management of emotions in the correct and desirable manner:

Adopt a Healthy Lifestyle:

Engagement in sports, well balanced meals, and sufficient sleep are important practices in the management of excessive emotions. There is the release of ‘mood-enhancing’ chemicals known as endorphins during physical activity, and sleep enhances control of one’s feelings.

Practice Mindfulness and Relaxation:

This can be done effectively through relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, meditation, and engaging in yoga, which help to manage stress and bring about inner peace.

Limit Stimulants and substances:

Moderation or complete prohibition of alcohol, caffeine, and other such substances has been found to be useful in reducing the chances of more extreme mood swings. These drugs can alter your brain’s chemical balance, which is a risk factor for mood instability.

Keep a Mood Journal:

There is also the option of taking a recorded account of mood elevations and declines in order to ascertain their potential categories. This can be useful in consultation for medical care or in making any changes in lifestyle.

How to Help Someone with Extreme Mood Swings?

If someone you care about is experiencing extreme mood swings, there are ways to provide support:

• Provide support and be non-judgmental: Hearing them out without judgement and understanding their feelings goes a long way. They need to have a zone where they can let out all their frustrations without any abuses, and this will go a long way in controlling their mood-related issues.
• Suggest Healthier Ways to Deal with It: Suggest things such as going to the gym, taking up a new hobby, or undertaking meditation that can help them feel better.
• Be Tolerant: Mood swings can be very difficult to cope with and live with for the holder, and so support from friends and family is vital. They will find it easier to cope with their emotions knowing that they do not have to rush to achieve emotional control.
• Encourage Them to Seek Medical Attention: In case the extreme mood swings persist or are too much, that is when you should urge the person to go and see a doctor or a therapist. A health care professional will equip them with the necessary skills to deal with their mood swings.

What Extreme Mood Swings a Sign Of?

Extreme mood changes may indicate a number of possible conditions, which are:

• Bipolar Disorder: This condition involves alternating moods of mania and depression. These changes can be dramatic and often need intervention.
• Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD): This condition is characterised by chronic impulsivity and unstable interpersonal relationships, self-image, and moods that result in significant distress.
• Depression: Mood swings can also be part of the depression rather than a separate condition having more or less attributed factors of being frustrated along with fatigue and less social interaction.
• Hormonal Changes: As it has already been stated earlier, these changes may happen as a result of growth hormone, pregnancy, and even normal life changes.

How to Stop Extreme Mood Swings?

Mood swings can be one of the hardest challenges any person can face.

They are, however, manageable among other changes which can be put in place to help minimize their influence:

• Establish a routine: Participating in activities regularly tends to bring emotional and psychological stability thus more, less or no mood changes.
• Seek therapy: Psychological counselling such as cognitive behaviour therapy or any other helps deal with emotional instability. It also helps in spotting the trigger and cultivating better behaviour patterns.
• Consider Medication: Therapy for pathologically pronounced mood swings may in some situations call for the involvement of pharmaceuticals. This may include mood stabilisers or antidepressants or even antipsychotic intervention based on the illness.
• Build healthy relationships: Avoiding people who tend to judge you and looking for those who are helpful and considerate will assist in achieving emotional equilibrium.

Conclusion

Extreme mood swings are not only uncomfortable but also difficult to manage, but knowing why they occur and what steps to take can help you recover in a short time.

It is normal to experience a change in mood from time to time, but a continuing disorder or something too severe should be taken with urgency.

Irrespective of the changes, maintain a healthy attitude and seek assistance to help cope with such issues or stress that interfere with your daily functioning.

Over the course of your treatment, you will be encouraged to address your problem early on as this significantly enhances your psychological and emotional state creating balance in all aspects of your life.