Mood Swings in Adults: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment Options

October 13, 2025

Authored by: Eilaf Meenai, MD

Edited by: Jemma Strain, B.S. Psychology

We all experience emotional ups and downs from time to time, feeling joyful one day and irritable or sad the next. These shifts are a natural part of what it means to be human.

But when emotional highs and lows begin to occur more frequently, triggered by even minor events, they are called “mood swings.” Sudden changes in how we feel can be a regular part of life, and are often associated with different life stages, such as adolescence, pregnancy, and menopause.

But what happens when mood swings are disruptive to daily life? Significant shifts in mood can cause significant problems in daily life, such as at home, work, and with friends. Plus, research estimates that as many as 13% of the general population report frequent and disruptive mood changes at some point in their lives.¹

It can be difficult to pinpoint the causes of mood swings in adults, which is where professional support can act as a guiding light. This page can also help you better understand the causes, symptoms, and treatment options for severe mood swings, as it covers:

What mood swings are
Common symptoms of mood swings in adults
Potential causes of mood swings in adults
How mood swings can affect daily life
Warning signs of a mood disorder
Ways of coping with mood swings
Treatment options for mood disorders
Where to find professional support

What Are Mood Swings?

Mood swings are sudden or dramatic changes in how a person feels. They can be brief (minutes or hours) or last for days. Sometimes, they are a normal reaction to life events, like losing sleep, a stressful day, or hunger. But if persistent, mood swings may point to an underlying problem that needs attention.

At a biological level, mood swings reflect changes in the brain and body chemicals that help regulate emotion. These changes in chemicals can be affected by:

Neurotransmitters (chemicals in the brain responsible for transmitting messages)
Stress hormones like cortisol
Reproductive hormones such as estrogen or testosterone

Additionally, mood swings are considered part of mood instability. In other words, they represent a tendency for affect (emotion) to vary more than what is considered typical. Clinical studies show that mood instability is common in many mental health conditions. In fact, roughly 40-60% of people with depression, anxiety, or obsessive-compulsive disorder report mood instability.¹

A related but distinct concept is that of mood disorders. Mood disorders are mental health conditions where a person experiences a persistently disturbed or dysregulated mood as the central feature.²

Common Symptoms of Mood Swings

The experience of mood swings is not the same for everyone. However, some common symptoms of mood swings include the following:

A sudden rise in irritability and anger, stronger than what the situation calls for
Unexpected feelings of sadness with episodes of crying that seem to come out of nowhere
Noticeable shifts in energy
Racing thoughts that feel difficult to control, followed later by negative thinking
Finding it hard to sit still
Difficulty concentrating on simple tasks
A heightened sense of sensitivity with strong emotional reactions to small events
Pulling away from others
Struggles with focus and attention that seem to follow changes in mood
Physical changes such as headaches, stomach upset, sleep issues, or sudden changes in appetite that occur alongside emotional shifts

Causes of Mood Swings in Adults

There are many reasons why people might develop sudden, frequent mood swings. They could indicate an underlying medical condition, a developing psychological problem, or simply an unhealthy lifestyle. We explore some of these potential causes of mood swings in adults in the following sections.

Medical/Hormonal Causes

Many medical conditions and hormone changes can make emotions swing more than usual.

Thyroid activity is a prime example. Both low and high thyroid function have been linked with changes in mood, including depression, anxiety, and irritability. Therefore, treating the thyroid problem can help with mood changes.³

Further, women in the perimenopause transition also commonly report new or worse mood symptoms. This is because changing estrogen levels and sleep disruption during this phase can increase the risk for mood instability.⁴ Also, pregnancy, the postpartum period, and hormonal contraception can affect mood for some people.

Neurological and other medical illnesses contribute to mood swings, too. Multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, or head injury can produce emotional instability because the brain circuits that regulate feeling and impulse are affected.⁵

Even general medical illnesses like infections or chronic pain may make a person more emotionally reactive while the body struggles.

Psychological Causes

Mood swings are not only driven by the body; the mind itself can create wide fluctuations in mood.

Bipolar disorder is perhaps the clearest example of a mental health condition affecting the mood. It brings cycles of high energy followed by deep depressive episodes. According to research, mood swings in bipolar disorder are more intense and longer-lasting than those seen in daily life.⁶

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) also typically causes emotional instability. For example, people with BPD can shift from feeling affectionate to angry and distant within minutes, a reaction often triggered by relationship stress. Research backs this information up, as it shows that people with BPD show stronger and more rapid shifts in mood compared to people without the condition.⁷

Mood swings are also a common feature of depression and anxiety disorders. Depression is described as a condition with a persistently low mood, but many people with it also report periods of irritability and sudden tearfulness.

Anxiety, on the other hand, causes rapid shifts between worry, tension, and temporary relief, with an overall sense of unpredictability in emotional state.

Lifestyle Factors

Lifestyle can also play a significant role in mood regulation.

For example, just a single night of poor sleep can make emotions harder to manage, leading to irritability and exaggerated responses to stress. But when sleep issues become chronic, they can impair the brain’s ability to regulate mood and increase the risk of developing anxiety or depression.

Substance use is another example of how lifestyle can impact mood. For example, alcohol, while initially relaxing, may worsen mood as its effects wear off. Further, regular heavy drinking is closely tied to depression and anxiety, and withdrawal can intensify mood swings.⁸ Stimulants like caffeine and nicotine can also produce sharp increases in alertness.

Finally, high stress over time can sensitize the body’s stress-response system and make emotional reactions more volatile. So, skipping meals, relying heavily on processed foods, or neglecting physical activity can all disrupt your body’s mood balance.

How Mood Swings Affect Daily Life

Sudden changes in mood can affect multiple dimensions of life. Personal and professional relationships, however, tend to get the most disrupted. We take a detailed look at these disruptions below.

Impact on Relationships

If you’re warm to your partner one day, and the next day you withdraw and snap over something small, this swing can create an unpredictable environment. In fact, research shows that variation in emotional dynamics between partners is linked with worse relationship outcomes and greater strain.⁹

Studies of couples where one partner has depression or another mood condition also find measurable drops in relationship satisfaction and increases in daily stress for both partners.¹⁰

Friendships and family ties can feel the strain from mood swings, too. When a person’s mood changes suddenly, friends may feel rejected. Plus, family members can misread emotional highs or lows as intentional coldness or manipulation.

Social support can help people recover from low moods, but when mood swings make asking for or accepting support awkward, people may lose this buffer.

Impact on Workplace and Productivity

Large reviews of workplace studies link mood disorders and emotional instability to reduced productivity.¹¹ Again, an unpredictable mood where you have a burst of productivity one day and struggle to concentrate on your tasks the next could undermine a co-worker’s confidence in your reliability.

In team settings, mood swings may also alter how people interact with you. For instance, coworkers might avoid collaboration with someone who is unpredictable, which limits opportunities for promotion or professional growth.

Finally, economic analyses repeatedly show that untreated mood problems carry real costs in lost productivity and increased healthcare use.¹²

Warning Signs of a Mood Disorder

Mood swings can also be an early sign of a developing psychiatric disorder. In other words, what might begin as occasional emotional ups and downs could progress into a full-blown mood disorder if these changes interfere with daily life.

Some warning signs that indicate mood swings may be progressing into a mood disorder include:¹³

Persistent low mood and loss of interest that lasts for weeks
Extreme highs and lows, where periods of excitement, energy, or irritability alternate with deep sadness
Loss of control over emotions, such as crying spells, anger outbursts, or anxiety
Disruptions in daily life
Major changes in sleep or appetite, such as sleeping far too much, hardly sleeping at all, overeating, or losing interest in food
Difficulty concentrating or making decisions
Physical symptoms without a clear cause, like constant fatigue, headaches, or stomach issues, that appear alongside mood changes
Thoughts of self-harm or suicide, which are always a medical emergency and require immediate professional help

Coping With Mood Swings

Poor, irregular sleep has been strongly linked to unstable mood. Studies show that adults who get consistent, high-quality sleep are better able to regulate their emotions and handle stress.¹⁴So, setting a bedtime routine with between seven to nine hours of sleep per night and avoiding screens before bed can make mood changes less severe.

Exercise is also proven to boost levels of endorphins and serotonin, chemicals in the brain that stabilize mood.¹⁵ Even moderate activities like brisk walking, cycling, or yoga can help reduce stress and improve emotional stability.

Healthy nutrition also plays a role in coping with mood swings. Diets rich in whole grains, lean proteins, fruits, vegetables, and omega-3 fatty acids support brain health. In fact, research suggests that deficiencies in certain nutrients, like vitamin D, B vitamins, or magnesium, may worsen mood instability.¹⁶

It’s also a good idea to consider stress management techniques, as these can be very useful for regulating mood. For example, mindfulness meditation, deep breathing, or journaling could reduce your emotional reactivity.

Therapy and Treatment Options for Mood Disorders

When mood swings progress into a mood disorder, self-help strategies are typically not enough to provide relief. In such cases, professional treatments, both therapy and medication, are often required to achieve emotional balance. The following information discusses these options.

Psychotherapy (Talk Therapy)

Therapy can help people understand the root of their mood changes.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the most widely studied therapy approach. It teaches people how to identify and change negative thought patterns that fuel emotional distress. Plus, research shows CBT is highly effective for low mood and severe mood disorders.¹⁷

Other therapy options include interpersonal therapy (IPT), which focuses on improving relationships and communication. There’s also dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), which can help people regulate intense emotions and reduce impulsive behaviors.

Pharmacological Treatments (Medications)

In many cases, medications are prescribed to balance brain chemistry. However, the choice of medication often depends on the specific mood disorder. Here are drugs commonly used for treating mood imbalances:¹⁸

Antidepressants (such as SSRIs and SNRIs) are commonly prescribed for major depression and some anxiety-related mood disorders. They work by increasing levels of neurotransmitters that regulate mood. Clinical evidence supports their effectiveness in reducing depressive symptoms and preventing relapse.
Mood stabilizers, such as lithium, are widely used for bipolar disorder to control extreme highs (mania) and lows (depression). Lithium not only stabilizes mood but also reduces the risk of suicide in people with bipolar disorder.
Antipsychotic medications are sometimes prescribed for severe mood disorders when symptoms include mania, psychosis, or treatment-resistant depression. These medications also regulate brain circuits involved in mood regulation.
Anti-anxiety medications are added if intense anxiety accompanies mood changes, although these are usually prescribed for short-term use.

Get Help for Mood Disorders at Mission Connection

At Mission Connection, we understand how difficult it can feel to manage extreme emotional ups and downs on your own. This is why we provide a comprehensive approach to mental health care that goes beyond traditional therapy.

We offer a personalized approach to therapy with licensed professionals offering individual sessions, daily group therapy, and psychiatric care, including medication management. Our programs are made to fit into your daily routine, either through in-person sessions or the convenience of telehealth.t. If you or someone you love is struggling with mood swings, reach out to us today.

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