Mood Swings: Meaning, Causes, & Symptoms​

Mood swings are quick and intense fluctuations in emotions along with difficulty in controlling these mood changes and how they affect your behavior (Broome et al., 2015). This phenomenon is also referred to as mood instability. These shifts can be dramatic shifts from happiness and contentment to anger, irritability, and even depression.

These are some of the common causes of mood swings (Leonard, 2020):
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• Hormonal changes: Hormonal fluctuations such as those that occur during menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause can disrupt the brain’s delicate chemistry of neurotransmitters, leading to mood swings.
• Stress: Stress can affect your emotional well-being by disrupting the balance of brain chemicals, leading to emotional fluctuations (Yaribeygi et al., 2017).
• Lack of sleep: When you don’t get enough sleep, it can affect your mood and make you more irritable. (Who isn’t cranky when they don’t sleep well?)
• Diet: What you eat can affect your mood. If you don’t eat regularly or if you don’t eat a healthy diet, you may be more likely to experience mood swings. This is because a poor diet can cause blood sugar spikes and crashes along with nutrient deficiencies that affect your mood.
• Medical conditions: Certain medical conditions such as thyroid problems, diabetes, and anemia can cause mood swings.
• Mental health conditions: Mood swings can also be a symptom of a mental health condition such as depression, bipolar disorder, or anxiety.
• Major life change: Unsurprisingly, big changes like moving to a new city, starting a new job, or having a baby can trigger mood swings.

Here are some common symptoms of mood swings:
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• Feeling happy and energetic one moment, then sad and withdrawn the next
• Irritability and impatience 
• Angry outbursts
• Difficulty concentrating
• Changes in appetite or sleep patterns
• Social withdrawal
• Loss of interest in things you usually like
• Risky behavior
• Feeling overwhelmed or out of control

• Feeling happy and excited one minute, then sad and irritable the next. This could be caused by stress, lack of sleep, or hormonal changes. It could also be triggered by an event. For example, maybe you wake up feeling excited about the day but then get an upsetting text from a friend, and suddenly you feel down.
• Going from being very outgoing and social to feeling withdrawn and isolated. This could be a sign of depression or social anxiety. Or, from my experience as an introvert, it could mean that you’re overstimulated and need a break and some alone time.
• Suddenly feeling angry or frustrated over something small or for no apparent reason. This could be a sign of underlying stress. 
• Feeling energetic and motivated one day, then tired and lethargic the next. This could be caused by factors such as diet, exercise, or medical conditions.
• Experiencing intense emotional highs (mania) followed by periods of deep depression. This is a classic symptom of bipolar disorder, which we’ll cover later.

Hormones play a significant role in regulating mood. Fluctuations in hormone levels can cause mood swings regardless of gender. However, they’re more commonly experienced by women due to hormonal cycles.

Hormone fluctuations can cause mood swings by influencing neurotransmitters in the brain, such as serotonin and dopamine, that play key roles in regulating mood and emotions. These fluctuations can disrupt the balance of these neurotransmitters, leading to mood changes ranging from irritability and anxiety to sadness or euphoria. Additionally, hormonal changes can affect the functioning of the hypothalamus, which is involved in emotion regulation, further contributing to mood swings (Kundakovic & Rocks, 2022).

Mood swings are a common symptom experienced by many people during menstruation. This is due to the hormonal fluctuations that occur throughout the menstrual cycle. The two main hormones involved are estrogen and progesterone. Estrogen levels rise during the first half of the cycle, and then progesterone levels rise in the second half. These changes in hormone levels can affect brain chemicals like serotonin, which plays a role in mood regulation.

As mentioned above, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is the term for the physical and emotional symptoms some people experience in the days or weeks leading up to their period. Mood swings are one of the most common symptoms of PMS.

If you experience mood swings that are severe or interfere with your daily life, you may have a condition called premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). PMDD is a more severe form of PMS that affects about 5–10% of menstruating people (UNC Center for Women’s Mood Disorders, 2019).

Here are some tips for managing mood swings during menstruation:
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• Track your cycle. This can help you identify when you’re most likely to experience mood swings.
• Get regular exercise. Exercise can help improve mood and reduce stress.
• Eat a healthy diet. Eating a balanced diet can help regulate your hormones and improve your mood.
• Practice relaxation techniques. Practices like yoga or meditation can help reduce stress and improve mood.
• Get enough sleep. When you’re well rested, you’re better able to cope with stress and mood swings.
• Talk to your doctor. If your mood swings are severe or interfere with your daily life, your doctor can help you develop a treatment plan.

Mood swings are also common during perimenopause and menopause due to the fluctuating and declining levels of estrogen and progesterone in the body. As described earlier, these hormonal changes can impact the levels of neurotransmitters, such as serotonin and norepinephrine, that play a role in mood regulation. In addition, hot flashes make it harder to sleep, and insomnia can make you up to 10 times more likely to experience depression (Johns Hopkins Medicine, n.d.).

Here are some of the mood swings you might experience during menopause (Silver, 2023):
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• Irritability and anger
• Anxiety
• Sadness
• Depression
• Loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed
• Difficulty concentrating
• Feeling overwhelmed

The suggestions for reducing mood swings related to menstruation can also be helpful in perimenopause. In addition to those, research indicates hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can also be helpful (Toffol et al., 2015).​

Pregnancy is a time of big changes. It often brings a mix of emotions including excitement, anxiety, and uncertainty. The prospect of becoming a parent, the inevitable lifestyle changes, and concerns about the baby’s health can all affect emotions. So it’s not surprising that mood swings are common during early pregnancy, affecting up to 70% of pregnant people (MGH Center for Women’s Mental Health, 2022).

And here again, hormones play a primary role in mood swings as levels of estrogen and progesterone rise dramatically during pregnancy. These hormones can affect the brain chemicals that regulate mood, leading to mood swings, irritability, and even anxiety or depression. 

Pregnancy can also bring about physical changes like fatigue, nausea, breast tenderness, and frequent urination. Dealing with these discomforts can contribute to mood fluctuations and emotional ups and downs. Further, these discomforts typically interfere with sleep, and disrupted sleep can contribute to mood swings.

However, there’s also a bright side. Research shows that sometimes pregnancy brings positive mood changes. In fact, some people report feeling “happier and more positive” during pregnancy (Pownall et al., 2023).​

Since birth control pills contain the hormones estrogen and progesterone, they can also affect brain chemistry. As mentioned earlier, these hormones influence the production of neurotransmitters such as serotonin, which regulates mood. Fluctuations in hormone levels caused by birth control pills can lead to mood swings (Mu & Kulkarni, 2022). Some people are more sensitive to these hormonal changes than others. If you have a history of mood swings, depression, or anxiety, you may be more likely to experience mood changes while on birth control.

While birth control pills are a great option for many people, some may experience mood swings or worsening depression. This connection seems to be influenced by the type and amount of progestin in the pill. Older birth control pills, often containing ethinylestradiol, are more likely to be linked to significant mood issues. Newer options with more natural forms of estrogen might be better tolerated and potentially have a weaker link to depression (Mu & Kulkarni, 2022).

Mood swings are common for most of us. They’re temporary changes in mood that can be caused by the factors described above, such as stress, lack of sleep, or hormonal changes. These emotional fluctuations are normal, they’re usually mild, and they don’t significantly interfere with a person’s daily life or the ability to make sound decisions.

In contrast, bipolar disorder is a condition that causes extreme mood swings. These mood swings can range from mania (an abnormally elevated mood) to depression (an abnormally low mood). Bipolar disorder can be very disruptive to a person’s life and relationships. In addition, mood swings affect almost all of us from time to time and symptoms are typically short-term, usually lasting less than 1 day. But bipolar disorder is rare (affecting about 4.4% of people), and an extreme mood episode can last 1 to 2 weeks. Further, mood swings usually don’t affect your ability to make sound decisions, but this isn’t the case with bipolar disorder (Sherrell, 2023).

Depression is a persistent mood disorder characterized by feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and a lack of interest or pleasure in activities (Johns Hopkins Medicine, n.d.). Unlike normal mood swings that are temporary and usually triggered by specific events, depression lingers for an extended period, often lasting weeks, months, or even years if left untreated. 

However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you constantly feel sad when depressed. Depression is also associated with increased mood swings, with people often experiencing fluctuations in their mood throughout the day (Wirz-Justice, 2008). These swings are typically less dramatic than those seen in bipolar disorder but can still significantly impact daily functioning. In addition, mood swings and depression are interconnected. While mood swings can be a symptom of depression, depression can also worsen mood swings.

Mood swings are common for people with diabetes. There are two main reasons for this. First, when blood sugar levels are too high or too low, it can affect how the brain functions, leading to mood swings. Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) can cause symptoms like anxiety, nervousness, irritability, and shakiness. High blood sugar (hyperglycemia) can lead to fatigue, irritability, and difficulty concentrating. 

Second, diabetes is a chronic condition that requires constant management. This can be stressful, and stress can also contribute to mood swings (Felman, 2023).

• Broome, M. R., Saunders, K. E. A., Harrison, P. J., & Marwaha, S. (2015). Mood instability: significance, definition and measurement. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 207(4), 283–285.
• Endocrine Society. (2023, January 5). Adrenal hormones. https://www.endocrine.org/patient-engagement/endocrine-library/hormones-and-endocrine-function/adrenal-hormones 
• Felman, A. (2023, April 28). How does diabetes affect mood and relationships? Medical News Today. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/317458
• Hage, M. P., & Azar, S. T. (2012). The link between thyroid function and depression. Journal of Thyroid Research, 2012. 590648.
• Johns Hopkins Medicine. (n.d.). Mood disorders. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/mood-disorders 
• Kundakovic, M., & Rocks, D. (2022). Sex hormone fluctuation and increased female risk for depression and anxiety disorders: from clinical evidence to molecular mechanisms. Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology, 66, 101010.
• Leonard, J. (2020, June 29). What causes mood swings in males and females? Medical News Today. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/mood-swings 
• MGH Center for Women’s Mental Health. (2022, August 22). Psychiatric disorders during pregnancy. Massachusetts General Hospital. https://womensmentalhealth.org/specialty-clinics-2/psychiatric-disorders-during-pregnancy/
• Mu, E., & Kulkarni, J. (2022). Hormonal contraception and mood disorders. Australian Prescriber, 45(3), 75.
• Pownall, M., Hutter, R. R., Rockliffe, L., & Conner, M. (2023). Memory and mood changes in pregnancy: a qualitative content analysis of women’s first-hand accounts. Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology, 41(5), 516–527.
• Schmidt, P. J., & Rubinow, D. R. (2009). Sex hormones and mood in the perimenopause. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1179(1), 70–85.
• Sherrell, Z. (2023, December 19). Bipolar disorder vs. mood swings: What is the difference?. Medical News Today. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/bipolar-disorder-vs-mood-swings
• Silver, N. E. (2023, April 1). Mood changes during perimenopause are real. Here’s what to know. American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology. https://www.acog.org/womens-health/experts-and-stories/the-latest/mood-changes-during-perimenopause-are-real-heres-what-to-know
• Toffol, E., Heikinheimo, O., & Partonen, T. (2015). Hormone therapy and mood in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women: a narrative review. Menopause, 22(5), 564–578.
• University of North Carolina Center for Women’s Mood Disorders. (2019, June 4). Menstrually related mood disorders. https://www.med.unc.edu/psych/wmd/resources/mood-disorders/menstrually-related/#md_pmdd 
• Wirz-Justice, A. (2008). Diurnal variation of depressive symptoms. Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience, 10(3), 337–343.
• Yaribeygi, H., Panahi, Y., Sahraei, H., Johnston, T. P., & Sahebkar, A. (2017). The impact of stress on body function: A review. EXCLI Journal, 16, 1057.