What do mood swings feel like?

Mike, an electrical engineer, seems to go through a range of several emotions in a single day. Sometimes when he wakes up in the morning, he feels excited and positive about the day ahead. He jokes with his family at breakfast and is in a great mood for most of the morning. On his lunch break, Mike suddenly feels depressed. He feels tense and aggravated. Sometimes he even feels aggressive. Later in the day he feels restless and bored with work. Everything seems unimportant. When he comes home from work, sometimes he is short and distant from his wife and children. Later in the evening, his spirits lift and he wants to spend quality time with his family. Every day seems like a rollercoaster.

Mike is going through mood swings. Mood swings should not be confused with Bipolar Disorder or Manic Depression Disorder, in which extreme moods persist for weeks and months at a time. Mood swings are extremely common and there are several treatment options to help regulate a person’s mood.