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Mood Swings Definition

Mood swings are more than an occasional bout of the blues or feeling out of sorts. Mood swings can be caused by a number of reasons, from hormonal changes to bipolar disorder. As such, mood swings can be relatively mild or can be so severe that they are debilitating. A number of treatments exist for mood swings, depending on their source and their severity.

  1. What Are Mood Swings?

    • Mood swings are defined as emotional reactions or changes in demeanor out of proportion with what could be called a normal reaction to an event or circumstance. An example of an abnormal mood swing would be flying into a fit of rage when someone cuts in line at the grocery store. Mood swings are often a signal of some sort of biochemical imbalance in the body.

    Mood Swings and Hormonal Changes

    • Hormonal changes such as those caused by perimenopause or actual menopause can result in mood swings along with hot flashes, irritability and other symptoms. Hormonal changes do not only occur with women, however. Abuse of steroids and other performance-enhancing substances can also cause mood swings, which in the case of steroids are often called "roid rage," which was implicated in the murder-suicide case of professional wrestler Chris Benoit in 2007.

    Mood Swings and Bipolar Disorder

    • Wide mood swings are a readily recognized feature of bipolar disorder. In the most common form of bipolar disorder, periods of mania are alternated with bouts of crushing depression. The mood swings cycle in varying patterns. If left untreated, persons who suffer from bipolar disorder can cause devastation to their lives with reckless behavior during manic phases and a high risk of suicide during depressive downturns. Conventional bipolar disorder is usually treated with lithium.

    Bipolar II Disorder -- Mood Swings Without Mania

    • A recent development in bipolar disorder research has focused on what is called bipolar II disorder. With bipolar II disorder, manic phases are replaced with symptoms such as irritability or insomnia. The depressive episodes of bipolar II disorder can be just as crushing as those of conventional bipolar disorder, however. Treatment for bipolar II disorder is still under investigation.

    Mood Swings and Mood Rings

    • In the 1970s, mood rings emerged as a pop culture phenomenon. Wearers could supposedly gauge their moods according to the color changes in the stones of their mood rings. The stones in the popular mood rings were actually heat-sensitive crystals encased in quartz. The crystals reacted to changes in body temperature rather than as a reaction to any changes in mood.

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