How to Deal with Mood Swings

While mood disorders were previously described in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) as separate disorders, the latest edition of this psychiatric journal has broken it down into two separate sections, Depressive Disorders and Bipolar Disorders; the conditions that often include mood swings as their primary symptom. While clinical depression is often characterised by persistently low mood, mood fluctuations are also seen in some cases. Bipolar disorder, on the other hand, includes several mood variations such:

• Euphoric moods
• Moods that lead to impulsive behaviours
• Moods that bring about feelings of grandiosity or invincibility

In the case of bipolar disorder, the different types of mood keep cycling from low to high and back to low again. If mood swings are diagnosed as a part of a bigger psychological issue, the treatment for it is slightly different and often requires professional help. In this case, therapy’s primary goal is to resolve the mood swings and the root cause without a medication whenever possible. For some, however, a combination of medication and therapy works best to prevent mood fluctuations and their negative consequences on daily life and function.

Case Example

The following case example can help provide an overview of what to expect from professional treatment under the supervision of a mental health expert:

Sarah, a 25-year-old school teacher, enters therapy due to extreme moodiness. She sometimes complains to her therapist about the extreme tiredness and low spirits that force her to stay in bed for three days in a row. Other times, she feels so escalated and thrilled that she can accomplish anything. However, during these episodes of thrill, she cannot properly focus on any one thing and often finds it hard to sleep at night. Sometimes, she engages in drinking a little more than she would like so that she can sleep peacefully through the night. Sarah also reports to her therapist that her moods often change abruptly, and even though she feels fine most of the time, she can easily lose control of her emotions and overall mood in a blink of an eye. The therapist identifies bipolar disorder as the cause of her symptoms and involves a psychiatrist in her plan of care for a medication evaluation. Sarah seems to be a bit reluctant to take medication but eventually agrees to try it in low doses at the recommendation of a psychiatrist.

Sarah continues to attend therapy to address her low moods and learn to keep track and manage her mood fluctuations. Over the next few weeks, she finds her mood to be fairly stable, and her sleep schedule normalises. She mentions how she no longer needs alcohol to sleep, and her depressive thoughts are finally over. She continues therapy to achieve long-term recovery without the need for medication.