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Symptoms, Their Causes & Cures: Mood Swings

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Mood Swings

WHEN TO SEE YOUR DOCTOR

* Your mood swings are unpredictable or seem disproportionate to the situation.

* Your moods feel uncontrollable.

* You sometimes have periods of intense elation followed by severe depression.

* Your sleep patterns are disrupted.

What Your Symptom Is Telling You

A person with a mood problem is like a human roller coaster. One minute he's up, the next minute he's down. And he never seems to be able to get off the ride. His mood swings are intense, sudden and out of control.

Symptom Relief

Chronic and severe mood swings—like chronic depression or panic attacks—are a psychological disorder, a health problem every bit as real as a physical ailment. (In fact, sometimes they're the result of a physical problem, like a premenstrual syndrome.) And just like a physical problem, they can be treated.

Ask yourself if it's PMS. A woman's turbulent moods might be caused by premenstrual syndrome, which is a hormone-sparked collection of emotional upsets and physical discomforts that for some women begins mid-cycle. There are many recommendations for dealing with the mood swings of PMS. Some nutritionists say calcium and vitamins B, C and E work well. Other experts suggest regular exercise, like walking. In some cases, medication may work. If you think your mood swings are caused by PMS, talk it over with your doctor.

Try a salt that lowers the pressure. If your doctor determines that you have a mood disorder—even a mild one—he'll probably prescribe the drug lithium. "Lithium carbonate can decrease mood alterations in the majority of people with mood problems," says Paul Wender, M.D., distinguished professor of psychiatry at the University of Utah School of Medicine in Salt Lake City.

Lithium treatment has to be customized so that you always have an adequate level of the medicine in your blood, he explains. For that reason, your doctor will start you on a somewhat high dose, reducing it gradually. In the beginning, you may have some side effects, including fatigue, mild nausea, frequent urination and very mild hand tremors. They'll diminish or disappear once the right dose has been determined.

And don't worry about addiction. Dr. Wender explains that lithium is not addicting and is safe for long-term use.

Reach out to resource organizations. Help is just a postcard away. Contact the Depression Awareness, Recognition and Treatment (D/ART) Program for free information. Write to: D/ART, National Institute of Mental Health, Parklawn Building, 15C-05, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857.

See also Depression; Personality Change

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