MOOD

 We all are familiar with  moods….moodiness….and mood swings….

Let us see how MOOD is technically defined

• temper: a characteristic (habitual or relatively temporary) state of feeling; "whether he praised or cursed me depended on his temper at the time ...
• climate: the prevailing psychological state; "the climate of opinion"; "the national mood had changed radically since the last election"
• verb inflections that express how the action or state is conceived by the speaker
wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

MOOD SWINGS…and disorders…

What do mood swings feel like? (http://www.thehealthcenter...and other internet articles)
“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.”
What Mike is experiencing is not very uncommon…
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.

Mood disorders

Mood disorders affect over 10 million Americans every year and are classified as a form of depression. Although most individuals may experience slight mood changes on a daily, weekly or monthly basis, the more advanced forms of mood disorders can develop into bipolar disorder (manic depression) and can have serious mental and physical consequences if left untreated.
Research indicates that women are twice as likely to experience mood swings than men.
Mood swings are characterized by periods, commonly referred to as episodes, of mania and depression. During an episode of mania, one may experience an abnormally elevated mood, irritability, decreased need for sleep, increased talking and racing thoughts.

 During episodes of depression, one may experience persistent sad and empty moods, loss of interest in activities, feelings of guilt, feelings of worthlessness and physical ailments such as headaches, chronic pain or digestive disorders.

Treating mood swings has an 80% to 90% success rate for those who seek help. However, only about one third (1/3) of individuals who have a mood disorder choose to seek treatment. As a result, over sixty percent of individuals who suffer from this potentially debilitating disorder never find relief.