Mood Management

Mood Management

What is the difference between emotions and moods? Basically, emotions are short-lived, but if these emotions stick around for a long time, they give rise to certain moods, becoming a habitual, emotional state of mind. For example, you might frequently be in an irritated mood for no apparent reason and snap at your co-workers or the grocery clerk.

Moods can last for hours, days, or even years and contribute to guilt, shame, low self-esteem, chronic stress, relationship problems, loneliness, isolation, overall negative outlook on life, and in some cases addiction and suicidal ideation.

Moods can be positive or negative, and either can create problems, but for most people, the struggle is with negative mood states, such as depression, anxiety, crankiness, anger, jealousy, and so on.

Dialectical and cognitive behavioral therapies provide skills that will help you stabilize, lift and manage your emotions and moods, and to shift toward more desired and balanced states. The goal is to discover what works for you!

*If you experience rapid mood swings, including euphoria or mania, it’s important to seek a medical evaluation with a psychiatrist or psychiatric nurse practitioner to address potential chemical imbalances in the brain.