What Causes Extreme Mood Shifts in Women?

What is Mood Shift?

A mood shift refers to a noticeable change in a person’s emotional state. This can involve a transition from one mood to another, such as from happiness to sadness.

Sometimes, women feel a sudden shift in their moods without any trigger. They experience a sudden bout of happiness followed by a sudden episode of depression. These sudden mood swings in women are mainly due to the changes in their hormones.

However, in some cases, these extreme mood swings may signal a mental condition requiring immediate medical intervention.

Symptoms

The major symptoms of mood swing disorder are:

1. Mania

• Extreme happiness

• Highly energetic and creative

• Indulge in high-risk and foolish endeavours

• Spending a lot of money

• Increased speech

• Insomnia

• Increased irritability and aggression

2. Depression

• Feeling very sad and worthless

• Hopelessness and guilt

• Self-doubt

• Wanting to die

• Fatigue

• Irregular eating and sleeping patterns

• Inability to focus

3. Hypomania

Same symptoms as mania, but in less-intense episodes

What causes mood swings in women?

The major reason for mood swings in females is hormonal fluctuations. The causes that instigate this fluctuation are:

1. Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)

• It affects around 90% of women

• 1 or 2 weeks before the menstrual cycle

• Mild to severe symptoms but can change every month

• Imbalances in oestrogen production

• Normalises after a couple of days of the menstruation cycle

2. Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD)

• Rare PMS condition, affecting only 5% of women

• Severe depression

• Medical intervention mandatory

3. Anxiety/Stress

• Worry/unhappiness or fear

• Constant stress that leads to severe mood swings in women

4. Pre-existing Mental Conditions

• Pre-existing mental conditions like depression, bipolar disorder, etc.

• Medical intervention mandatory

5. Imbalances in Hormone Production

• Imbalances in oestrogen production

• Hypothyroidism caused by improper functioning of the thyroid gland

6. Puberty

• Physical, mental, and emotional change in a woman

• Imbalances in hormone production

7. Pregnancy

• Physical and mental stress

• Irregular sleep and change in normal life immediately after childbirth

8. Menopause

• Reduced oestrogen production

• Medical intervention in case of extreme mood swings

How to deal with it?

Mood swings in women can be easily corrected when you follow these simple tips:

• Regular physical exercise every day

• Healthy diet

• Avoiding junk and processed foods

• Proper vitamin/calcium supplements after discussing with your doctor

• Regular mental conditioning exercises like yoga and meditation

• Getting 6 to 7 hours of sleep every night