How Mood Stabilizers Can Improve Your Mental Health

Author:

Jayme Wium

Writer

Editor:

Emma Loker

B.S

Many people go through big emotional swings – highs that feel too fast, lows that hit hard, or irritability that doesn’t seem to let up. Mood stabilizers don’t fix everything, but for some, they can settle emotions into more manageable experiences. Not numbness, just steadiness. This shift can make it easier to get through the day or to have conversations without things spinning out.

You may hear some people compare mood stabilizers vs antidepressants, but they’re not the same. One tries to lift the mood. The other tries to keep the mood from swinging too far out of control. That is the key difference between both medications – they don’t treat the same patterns of symptoms. A mental health professional can help you determine whether mood stabilizers vs antidepressants are the right “fit” for your needs.

This article also works as a helpful guide, walking you through:

What mood stabilizers are and how they can help with certain issues
Effects of mood stabilizers on the brain
Benefits of mood stabilizers
Side effects of mood stabilizers
Mood stabilizer medication list
Where to find professional guidance on mood stabilizers and mental health treatment

What Are Mood Stabilizers?: How Do Mood Stabilizers Help?

Some mood swings can feel dramatic and unmanageable. When this happens, doctors might suggest something called a “mood stabilizer.” But why might a doctor recommend them, and how do mood stabilizers work?

Mood stabilizers don’t change who you are – they aim to just soften extremes of emotions. They’re usually prescribed to treat bipolar disorder, especially when someone has both high-energy and low-energy episodes.¹

A mood stabilizer might help slow down racing thoughts, ease irritability, or improve sleep. And in many cases, it helps prevent future episodes from spiraling. Deciding when to start mood stabilizers depends on the pattern and severity of your symptoms. For instance, treatment with these meds is often considered when mood shifts become frequent, intense, or begin to affect daily life.

What are mood stabilizers used to treat other than bipolar disorder? They can be used for managing…

Borderline personality disorder ²
Schizoaffective disorder ³
Depression

What Do Mood Stabilizers Do to the Brain?

Mood stabilizers aren’t one single type of drug – they’re actually a category made up of several different classes of medications that help regulate mood by working on the brain’s chemistry. Here’s a breakdown of the most commonly used types:

Lithium

Lithium has been used in psychiatry for decades. It’s a naturally occurring mineral that seems to help people whose moods swing too far in either direction.⁴ Lithium is often used when someone has bipolar disorder, as people who take it tend to have fewer episodes, both highs and lows. It works by adjusting how the brain responds to dopamine and serotonin and is considered one of the original natural mood stabilizers.

Anticonvulsants/Anti-Seizure Medications

Some seizure medications have also been found to help with mood. It’s not what they were built for originally, but seizure meds can calm parts of the brain that tend to go into overdrive. This effect can be especially helpful for people who deal with mood swings that come on either too hard or too fast.

Valproate and lamotrigine are a few anti-seizure medications that sometimes show up in treatment plans. They don’t lift mood the way antidepressants do; it’s more about dampening the spikes in emotions. Research shows that they raise GABA – which has a calming influence – and dial down glutamate, which tends to get the brain fired up. In other words, anticonvulsants shift the balance and make moods feel more even.

Atypical Antipsychotics

Some medications that weren’t originally made for mood issues have turned out to be helpful in this space. Atypical antipsychotics are one example, including quetiapine, aripiprazole, or lurasidone.⁵ These medications tend to show up in a plan when more common treatments haven’t made enough of a difference.

Atypical antipsychotics shift the levels of some of the brain’s messaging systems – dopamine and serotonin, which are chemicals that influence how we feel and respond. This shift can make a difference for people who feel agitated or have trouble sleeping. Sometimes, over time, it can also help smooth things out emotionally.

Important Note on Mood Stabilizers

Mood stabilizers don’t work the same way for everyone. A lot can influence how someone responds to them, including genetics, other health conditions, or even daily routines. In most cases, mood stabilizers work best when combined with therapy and steady follow-ups from a provider who knows your history.

Benefits of Mood Stabilizers

For people dealing with big emotional swings, mood stabilizers can help things feel less chaotic. They don’t erase negative feelings, but they can create more steadiness day-to-day. Over time, this stability can make it easier to function, stay connected, and feel a little more grounded. The benefits of mood stabilizers for treating different mental health conditions are discussed in more detail next.

Mood Stabilizers for Bipolar Disorder

Mood stabilizers are often used to reduce mood extremes in bipolar disorder. These extremes include manic episodes, depressive episodes, and everything in between. These medications don’t stop these shifts entirely, but they tend to make things less sharp or extreme.

The choice of medication depends a lot on the type of bipolar disorder someone has. For instance, with bipolar I, people may have full manic episodes.⁶ In contrast, bipolar II tends to involve more depression and shorter periods of high energy.⁷ Lithium is often used first in treatment, especially when mood patterns follow a typical cycle. But sometimes lithium isn’t enough, or doesn’t work well for the person taking it, so another medication is tried.

Best Mood Stabilizer for Rapid Cycling

When someone with bipolar disorder has multiple mood episodes in a short span of time, it’s usually considered “rapid cycling.” This can mean four or more mood changes per year. Plus, when rapid cycling is present, difficulties tend to be harder to treat.

There is no real best mood stabilizer for rapid cycling, as each person can respond differently to the same medication, but valproate is sometimes used in these cases. It starts working fairly quickly and can be useful when episodes involve both depressive and manic features. However, lamotrigine might be a better fit if the depression side is more dominant. For people who continue to cycle, even when taking a medication, something else may be added – like quetiapine or lurasidone. These are antipsychotics, but they can help smooth things out when someone’s mood stays unstable.

Mood Stabilizers for Depression

In some cases, doctors prescribe mood stabilizers for depression that doesn’t improve with antidepressants alone – or when antidepressants make things worse. This can happen in bipolar depression, where a standard antidepressant might lift the mood too fast and trigger symptoms on the manic end of the spectrum. Adding a stabilizer helps reduce this risk and may also ease symptoms directly.

Lamotrigine is commonly chosen for bipolar depression. It works gradually and doesn’t usually cause much sedation, which makes it easier to stay alert while treating low mood. Another option is quetiapine. It’s often used when depression shows up alongside agitation, racing thoughts, or trouble sleeping. While not a traditional antidepressant, quetiapine supports mood regulation and can help create more emotional calm.

Mood Stabilizers for Anxiety

Most doctors don’t prescribe mood stabilizers for anxiety, especially if anti-anxiety medication might be a better fit. But in some cases, they’re part of the picture, especially when anxiety shows up alongside mood swings, irritability, or emotional reactivity.

These issues may be more common in people who fall somewhere on the bipolar spectrum. When someone feels constantly on edge or shifts between feeling wired and shut down, stabilizing the mood can help the nervous system settle. This is when mood stabilizers may come into play.

Some atypical antipsychotics – like quetiapine or aripiprazole – have shown benefits for people who experience both mood issues and anxious symptoms. They don’t treat anxiety the same way traditional anti-anxiety meds do, but they can reduce the spikes that make things feel overwhelming.

Side Effects of Mood Stabilizers

Like most psychiatric medications, mood stabilizers can come with side effects. Not everyone experiences the side effects of mood stabilizers, and the intensity can vary from person to person. Plus, sometimes side effects show up early in treatment and fade over time. In other cases, they may stick around and need to be managed alongside treatment.

Some common side effects of mood stabilizers include:

Fatigue or drowsiness
Nausea or stomach discomfort
Tremors or shakiness (especially with lithium)⁸
Blurry vision or dizziness
Cognitive slowing or feeling mentally “foggy”
Skin issues or hair thinning (noted with some anticonvulsants)
Changes in appetite or weight

Not every medication causes every side effect. Monitoring side effects over time and adjusting the dose or switching medications if needed is a key part of care. Additionally, many people are concerned about the link between mood stabilizers and weight gain, which we discuss in more detail next.

Mood Stabilizers and Weight Gain

One of the most reported concerns with mood stabilizers is weight gain ⁹ Not everyone gains weight, though. This effect tends to vary depending on the type of medication. For instance, lithium, valproate, and some atypical antipsychotics (like quetiapine) are more likely to contribute to increased appetite or changes in metabolism. Lamotrigine, by contrast, is generally considered weight-neutral for many people.

Weight gain is complex. It can stem from shifts in appetite, water retention, or even hormonal changes triggered by the medication. In some cases, changes in energy and activity levels during treatment also play a role. When it becomes a concern, the mental health treatment team may explore dose adjustments, nutritional support, or alternate medications that are less likely to cause metabolic effects.

Long-Term Effects of Mood Stabilizers

Taking mood stabilizers over time can help keep mood episodes from coming back. This is one of the main goals: long-term stability. But staying on medication long term can also come with some issues.

Some long-term effects of mood stabilizers can build up slowly. Things like shifts in thyroid levels, kidney function, or weight can start to shift. However, it depends on which medication someone is taking. This is why mental health carers usually assess physical responses to medications regularly, just to stay ahead of anything that might cause trouble later on.

Stopping Mood Stabilizers Safely

Stopping mood stabilizers safely is something that needs to be done gradually and with support.¹⁰ If stopped too quickly, some symptoms can return, sometimes more strongly than before. This is especially true for people with bipolar disorder. If you’re thinking about making a change, talk it through with your provider so there’s time to adjust the plan slowly and safely.

Are Mood Stabilizers Addictive?

Mood stabilizers aren’t considered addictive in the traditional sense. They don’t create a “high” or lead to cravings the way some medications can. That said, stopping them suddenly can cause symptoms to return, so any changes should still be made with support.

Mood Stabilizer Medication List

At Mission Connection, we treat symptoms based on each person’s history and needs. When we prescribe, we refer to an evidence-based mood stabilizer medication list, including the following:

Mood Stabilizers:

Atypical Antipsychotics that may be used as mood stabilizers:

Mission Connection: Guidance on Mood Stabilizers and Mental Health Treatment

Finding the right medication can feel overwhelming, especially when symptoms are complex or have been difficult to manage in the past. You don’t have to figure treatment out alone. Whether you’re exploring your options for the first time or considering a change in your current plan, we’re here to help.

At Mission Connection, our team works closely with each person to understand what’s going on beneath the surface. We take the time to listen, assess, and guide you toward options that fit both your needs and your goals. This may include mood stabilizers, therapy, or a combination of support that helps you move forward with clarity and confidence.

If you’re ready to take the next step, reach out to us today via phone or fill out our confidential contact form. We’ll walk with you from here.

References

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Qureshi, M. M., & Young, A. H. (2021). Hamlet’s augury: How to manage discontinuation of mood stabilizers in bipolar disorder. Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology, 11, 20451253211000612. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7968017/