Mood swing is a fast, significant change in mood which can ultimately improve or disrupt an individual emotional or physical interface with people, things or situations.
These rapidly and intensely fluctuating emotions can be psychologically brutal on adults and children.
Licensed therapists often describe mood swing as a “roller coaster” of feelings from happiness and contentment to anger, irritability, and even depression.
In medical circles, mood swing could also be addressed as cyclothymia or cyclothmic disorder, a mental state that could rupture one’s productivity, self-confidence or socialization if not properly observed and addressed.
In most cases, a person’s emotions will level out within a few hours or days but if the mood swing is persistent, then it mirrors an underlying mental illness.
A Psychologist at Behaviors Lab, Julius Okasor explains how this situation pans out.
“Sometimes, it appears as magic. At a point you feel very active and agile, while all of a sudden you snap out of your bright mood to a depressive zone. By then, one will feel down, loosing interest in activities they have been used to. By this time they show many other signs of depressive mood just to make obvious their emotional disorder”
Factors such such stress, sleep deprivation, side effects of medication, pregnancy, menopause, alcohol, low blood sugar can trigger an imbalance in one’s mood and alter individual approach if not quickly curtailed.
While adults battle their mood based on some of these factors, toddlers and young children are not left out.
Most times, children appear moody and may throw tantrums as they learn to regulate their emotions.
Parents need not to worry about these changes as they are generally a normal part of a child’s emotional development.
However, frequent mood swings in children also can be a sign of an underlying mental health disorder, learning disability, or even a physical ailment.
A psychologist domiciled at the University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State,Dr Joe Faith, prefers therapy in handling extreme cases of mood swings than taking drugs.
“It is important to know that in most cases, visiting a medical doctor is the best option. And with that the medical practitioner should refer one to a professional therapist. This is because in a persistent case, the patient may overtime fail to react to medications which could lead to other complications”
Dr Faith also explains that the severity of the case may also determine what option is best suited to help such an individual.
“Like i said earlier, visiting a doctor is the best when you feel emotional disorder has gotten over the line. But the best thing is to consider the level of your condition before thinking of any step to take. You might just need to adjust your lifestyle a little bit, in order to correct your mood”
Barring extreme cases which could include bipolar disorder, there are adaptive lifestyles that can improve one’s mood on a daily basis and help with productivity, socialization and the general wellbeing.
This could include taking regular naps, sleeping well, exercising, aromatherapy, meditating, listening to music, eating nutritional meals or fruits, avoiding alcohol or caffeine and activities that can accumulate stress.
Individuals who find it hard to control their mood pattern or have persistent mood swings should see a therapist as soon as possible.
While Nigerians bear the brunt of new policies and reforms side by side with the harsh economic climate, it is only logical to adopt a mood that drops the tension, not one that aggravates it.
SOURCE:TOSIN POPOOLA.
