Mood Swings in Women

Emotional Causes

• Overwhelm: Women react to the stress and anxiety caused by overwhelm in a variety of ways. Things such as an argument with our spouse, disrespectful children, money troubles, and difficult co-workers can cause mood swings in women.

• Emotionally depressed: Depression can cause several mood changes. Some women may experience sadness while others express anger or agitation when they are depressed.

• Constant flux between extremes: Most people seek council when they are depressed, but do not when they are manic. Bipolar disorder is when you are in a constant flux between depression and manic extremes. The constant flux can cause severe mood swings in women.

Lifestyle Causes

• Fatigue: Women who lack sleep often become extremely irritable. The lack of sleep makes it more difficult to deal with everyday stress of life.

• Uppers & downers: Alcohol and drugs can give a woman a high. However, once she comes down the emotions race in the other direction. Constantly having the ups and downs affects both your physical and mental health.

• The need for energy: The need for energy causes women to intake large quantities of sugar and caffeine. These two substances can definitely cause changes in mood from the energy high to the crash when it wears off.

Hormonal Causes

• PMS: As the hormones in our body change, so does our mood and emotions. The dopamine and serotonin levels in our brain play a big role in our overall mood. When women reach a certain time during the month, they have changes in their estrogen levels which affect the serotonin and dopamine levels as well. The added pain only makes the moods worse.

• Menopause: The hormones during menopause go through similar changes as they do during PMS. Although menopause can last several years causing constant fluctuation in mood, once the woman is past menopause she will no longer have PMS symptoms.

• Hypothyroidism: A condition slightly more common in women than in men is hypothyroidism. This condition affects the production of hormones that help the body burn fat and provide the body with energy.

Pregnancy

Another common cause of mood swings in women is pregnancy. During pregnancy a woman's estrogen levels are in flux. Plus, their lowered self-esteem due to body image and the ability for them to do their daily tasks pays a toll on their emotional state. During pregnancy, a woman can quickly alternate between crying and laughing.

Alter Eating Habits

The foods you eat determine the balance of your hormones. You can control your mood swings by ensuring that you eat regularly throughout your day. Get protein with every meal, decrease the carbohydrates and you will be able to regulate your blood sugar levels and mood swings.

Exercise Daily

Whether it is a slow paced yoga session or a high intensity kickboxing session, exercise helps relieve stress. Lowering your stress levels will drastically help you balance your mood swings.

Consume the Right Amounts of Vitamins and Nutrients

Eating healthy is great, as long as you are getting the proper amount of vitamins and nutrients. Try a great multivitamin or herbal supplements to help regulate your emotions.

Medications

Talk with your doctor if you are unable to regulate your moods on your own. Often they may prescribe contraceptive pills or antidepressants. The contraceptives will help regulate your period cycles and help you avoid severe mood swings, while the antidepressants will help balance your hormone levels. These medications may have side effects or may become addictive, so be sure that you keep in contact with your doctor.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Changing the way your brain interprets your thoughts is a great way to deal with mood swings. In CBT, you train your mind to replace negative thoughts with positive thoughts. This can be done through affirmations or meditation. It also provides you with great coping techniques that you can use when you notice the onset of mood swings. Some CBT session involve connecting you to a heart rate monitor so that you and your therapist can discover what is causing the mood swings. Once you know what is causing them, it is easier to control them.

Other

There are other options for controlling and dealing with mood swings. Sometimes venting to a friend or loved one will help you cope with your emotions. At other times it may be necessary to shut yourself in your room and cry it out. Getting the emotions out is the first step to controlling your mood swings. Other options may include distracting yourself with your favorite hobby or listening to calming music. Other times the best option may simply be sleeping it off.