Just like in the grieving process, mood swings are common in depression. Recovering from depression is characterized by leaps and bursts. We have good days and bad days, good moments and bad moments. We feel we’re never going to get better.
Like a roller-coaster ride
Depression, by its very nature, flings us all over the emotional spectrum. It’s part of the process of healing and is never a straight line. It’s almost always a roller coaster ride. However, eventually, it evens itself out.
Mood swings
Moods, in general, are seldom very stable. It’s a rare person whose moods remain even on a consistent basis. Generally, it’s a matter of personality and background not necessarily successful coping skills.
There are some people who are just naturally more of the “even-keel” type of personality. My husband is one of these. He’s the most stable person I’ve ever met. BUT, he too has suffered depression.
Personalities don’t matter
It’s easy to assume that certain personalities suffer more mood swings than other people. That’s simply not true. Just off the top of my head, I could personally name ten people who have suffered depression and their personalities couldn’t be more different. Two or three are total extroverts, a few are introverts and the rest are somewhere in between. By the way, they also have very diverse income and education levels. Their individual circumstances are unique as well.
I think one of the concepts that was the hardest for me to accept was the fact that while my personal circumstances were good, I still suffered bouts of depression.
Let me assure you,
Depression knows no boundaries.
Anyone, no matter how clever, talented, rich, intelligent, or educated a person is, anyone can suffer depression. While depression is more common in the older generation, it can strike any age. Either sex, too, can experience depression although women experience depression twice as much as men. No need to elaborate here as every woman reading this knows why. Hormonal fluctuations.
Noomatter where you are in your recovery, take heart by knowing that the roller coaster ride you’re on doesn’t mean you’re recovery is in jeopardy.
Look for cause and effect
Therefore, when we’re having a “roller-coaster” kind of day, it’s discouraging. On these kinds of days, it pays to look over our day and try to see some cause and effect. And there always is a cause and effect. Your moods aren’t all over the place for no reason. Just don’t give up.
So let me ask you, how has your day been? Has it been up and down? Can you pinpoint any causes? Think about the hours preceding your sudden plummet. Who were you talking to? What were your thoughts?
You are going to get through this. I speak from a lot of personal experience with this. Not just my own depression but with a number of family members. They are all doing fine now. And they would all tell you how frustrated and discouraged they were at times. How they were sure they would never get better.
But they all did.
Every one of them.
You can be one of those too.
God bless and have a good day.
