Mood swings
Hi everyone,
For the past few months I have observed weird changes in my mood. My mood changes from being depressed to happy then to depressed again and over and over. When I feel depressed, I get easily irritated, cry, have a pessimist attitude, can't sleep or over sleep too much, don't find interest in socialising and find it hard to concentrate on my school work. Procrastination from this has been having a negative impact on my grades. I think negatively and see no hope that anything will get better. I feel like a massive loser when I fail something. I'm currently going through this faze as I'm writing this.
When I feel happy, I get into a speedy and crazy mood. What I say makes no sense, I can't sit still, I can't sleep because my mind races, I jump and run around like a crazy person, my heart races rapidly, want to socialise, my mind races with many, many thoughts and my concentration is boosted and the only good thing about this is the quick bursts of euphoria that I feel.
These mood swings happen all the time and follow no particular pattern - they can happen at anytime, at any moment. I'm currently 17 years old. I know age can play a major role in mood behaviours, I'm just concerned that this could be a sign of Bipolar or some other mood disorder. I'm also diagnosed with having severe OCD and intrusive thoughts and I'm currently seeing a psychologist. Should I seek a further opinion from a psychiatrist to be safe??
Comments
Hi @michael17! Welcome to the forums! I hope you'll find them helpful.
The mood changes sound so frustrating. 
I think it's a good idea to mention these mood swings to your psychologist. I think a second opinion from a psychiatrist can be beneficial in some cases, especially if you feel like the psychologist doesn't know what the problem is or nothing is helping. My psychologist sent me for a second opinion from a psychiatrist, who gave me a diagnosis and recommended a different type of therapy for me to do with my psychologist which was more beneficial for me.
Have you tried tracking the mood changes? That could be helpful if you end up going to another professional.
@WheresMySquishy @JanaG Thanks for the response. I have spoken to my psychologist about it and he said that I should get an opinion from a psychiatrist. However, I'm worried that when I have to disclose my health record when applying for a job to in the future, I'm worried that it will have a negative impact if it says 'psychiatrist' on the health record. What do you think about it?
@michael17 I don't know about other jobs, but I have never had to disclose that I saw a psychiatrist or psychologist when applying to jobs or volunteer positions. I have only had to disclose my GP's name and how she can be contacted. I don't think that a psychiatrist or psychologist can disclose that they have treated you to an employer without your permission. I haven't had to give employers access to My Health Record and I don't think that any of them have contacted my GP.
I usually keep a journal regarding how I feel. It's all over the place and doesn't really make much sense, but it helps me to let out my emotions whether I'm depressed or hyper.
@michael17 I think that's a really good idea! It's great that you have a helpful coping mechanism. I do the same thing. 
This thread on the forums is good if you want to describe your thoughts and don't mind if other members see.
Maybe you could show your psychologist or another professional your journal, if you feel like it. Keeping a journal could also help you document the mood swings and find things that are associated with them. You could write about what preceded the mood swing, what made you feel better, what made you feel worse and how you felt afterwards. This graph is for bipolar disorder but it's a useful template. Here is an alternative one. You might also be able to use some apps to document the mood swings. I use one called Flaredown to track some chronic conditions and symptoms but you can also use it to track things like mood swings, emotions or anything you can think of. There is another app called Daylio that can help you track your moods and the activities that you're doing, which can also help you find patterns and things that can improve your mood. What do you think of these ideas?
Hey @michael17 🙂
Thanks for posting! It sounds like you are quite self-aware and have insight into what is going on for you, which is a great thing. You mentioned that you're concerned that this might be a sign of Bipolar disorder. I wonder if you been able to discuss this with your psychologist? If you suspect a diagnosis and would like clarification on that, you are more than entitled to ask the psychologist to give you that. If they aren't able to, then they must refer you to someone who can if that's what you ask for 🙂 Likewise, if you are looking for a second opinion, the psychologist can also refer you on for that.
Hope that helps! 🙂
