Mood swings - Renewal Center

What are mood swings?

Mood swings refer to sudden, unexpected shifts or changes in emotional state. We all experience fluctuations in moods from time to time, but when mood shifts occur very frequently, are more extreme, or interfere with daily life, this may be a sign of an underlying condition.

Some potential causes for intense or frequent mood swings include:

• Hormonal changes or imbalances - Hormones like estrogen, testosterone, and cortisol can greatly impact mood and emotions. Changes related to puberty, menstruation, pregnancy, menopause or medical issues involving hormones can trigger mood swings. This is why teens often experience intense moodiness, and why mood disorders frequently accompany perimenopause and menopause in women.
• Stress - High stress levels can throw off brain chemicals and hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, with mood implications. The constant peaks and valleys of stress hormones may make some people feel like they are on an emotional rollercoaster.
• Depression or bipolar disorder - Both depressive and manic phases of these mood disorders can cause severe, temporary mood disturbances.
• Anxiety disorders - Swinging between anxious distress and intense dread can seem like mood instability.
• Insomnia or lack of sleep - Fatigue and fluctuating energy from poor sleep impacts mood regulation in the brain’s limbic system.
• Drug or alcohol withdrawal - The abrupt cessation of drinking, recreational or prescription drug use can spark dramatic mood shifts as brain chemistry recalibrates.

If it seems like your moods are constantly shifting gears outside your control, a medical evaluation is wise. Extreme mood swings can signal underlying health issues requiring treatment, like hormonal dysregulation, neurological conditions, or mental health disorders. At Renewal Center, our physicians specialize in hormone testing, balances, and optimization protocols to identify and target the potential hormonal roots behind erratic moods. We offer science-based hormone therapies to help stabilize mood, energy, sleep, and more. Contact us today for a consultation! Our personalized programs may help you regain consistency and take control over your emotions.

When mood swings may indicate bigger issues:

• They occur without a specific trigger or reason
• Cause significant distress
• Interfere with work, relationships, health
• Include depression, mania, rage, or suicidality

If you checked any of those boxes, please talk to your doctor or a mental health professional. While mood swings are common, extreme or unpredictable shifts in emotions should not simply be dismissed as normal. Identifying root causes through testing and evaluations is key, whether they be hormonal, neurological, genetic, trauma-based, psychiatric, or another medical influence. Pinpointing the mechanisms behind severe mood disturbances allows for targeted, personalized treatment approaches.

With compassionate support, lifestyle adjustments, therapy, medication, holistic healing, or medical intervention, most individuals find a greater balance, self-awareness and tools to ride out intense moods. There are many solutions out there - including tailored hormone therapy plans from Renewal Center - that can help stabilize mood. You don't have to just cope with debilitating mood swings; take back control of your emotional health.