What Exactly Are Mood Swings, And How Do They Affect You?

If there is one thing that is true about emotions, it is that they are universal… but every culture has differences. A smile can mean something different than we think, and a wrinkled forehead can convey something other than our words. But in addition to what people express and recognize depending on the country and culture we look at, our general feelings are the same. But when our emotional states get out of control, we look at mood swings.

The ability to identify what is happening to the person in front of you makes you feel comfortable and reduces your insecurity. When you meet someone who is sad, you identify it, understand it, and may even begin to feel empathy with them. That is, you are familiar with the territory, and you generally know how to respond in a more or less appropriate way. So what happens when you meet someone who shows signs of uncontrolled emotions?

They are not “bipolar”, they have mood swings

Now is a good time to clarify what the terrible phrase “they are bipolar” means. We often hear a person describe another as “bipolar” just because they do not understand how the other person’s mood can change so quickly. Bipolar disorder is a serious mental illness, also known as manic-depressive disorder.

According to doctor Fred K. Berger (2016), these phases can last days or months. There is a psychiatric diagnosis and specific treatment for such problems. So what we happen to refer to as bipolar is actually much closer to a mood swing.

Mood swings are not exactly considered a mental problem or disorder. So what is it and what does it refer to? They are basically emotions out of control . It is a feeling of lack of regulation in a person’s emotions and expressions of basic emotions.

People who show these episodes of sadness and happiness, for example, have moments of uncontrolled sobbing or inappropriate laughter. It is a symptom associated with certain conditions such as autism or schizophrenia. But apparently healthy people can also suffer from this.

Illness or complicated affective moment?

Mood swings belong to the “spectrum of affective problems”. Affectivity is the group response that a person feels and expresses to internal factors (thoughts, etc.), or external (work, family, social situations, etc.). What is the cause of these changes in mood or state of mind? Is it biology or is there a thought pattern behind it?

We have traditionally known that emotional regulation and control takes place in the limbic system. This is part of our brain structure. It is a physical part of our brain that exists to express, regulate and control our emotions.

There is a real element in all this that can be destroyed, changed or stop working properly without us being able to do anything about it. Brain damage is the main cause of excessive mood swings, and it is absolutely limiting.

We usually see such problems in people who have MS, ALS, cardiovascular problems, Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s. During a complicated affective moment, we have difficulty regulating emotions and expressions that belong to the same group, such as sadness. Do not confuse this with depression, because there are characteristics of depression (such as appetite) that are not affected by mood swings.

So, what are and are not mood swings?

Mood swings surprise everyone who witnesses them. To dispel an otherwise neutral comment or laugh, or to cry uncontrollably in a dramatic situation, are danger signals.

We probably know someone who is in the middle of or has been through a traumatic divorce. They may have moments of relief during the week where they seem sad and cry. They may have other relaxed moments at a dinner party with friends or while watching a TV show. This does not mean that they have mood swings.

We also know that we can influence people’s emotional regulation in one way or another. It is studies and assessments carried out by universities that officially prove this (R. Company, U. Oberst, and F. Sánchez, Psychology Bulletin, no. 104, 2012). In the case of mood swings, the margin of action for the people nearby is very limited, if not completely non-existent.

Having mood swings is not a disorder, it is just a temporary state of being out of control. In addition to the severe cases, the person involved usually has stable moments from time to time. This affective problem can have really important consequences on a social and work-related level.

The person may experience isolation, depression or anxiety problems. If you experience these feelings yourself, you should see a doctor so they can do an evaluation, refer you to a specialist or set up a treatment if necessary.