Orlando Therapist: Understanding Mood Swings
Orlando Therapist: Understanding Mood Swings
Written by: Lauran Hahn, LMHC
You feel as if you're on an emotional rollercoaster all the time. You catch yourself switching from feeling calm to edgy in a split second. One moment you're relaxed, and the next your heart is racing, your shoulders are tense, and a sense of dread washes over you.
As an Orlando Therapist, I see all the time how trauma disrupts emotional balance and how stress and anxiety can make mood swings feel so overwhelming.
I’ll walk you through why these emotional ups and downs happen—and more importantly, what you can do to feel more grounded, steady, and in control again.
Why Am I So Moody?
Sometimes, you feel overjoyed for a brief moment, only to find yourself in tears soon after, unsure of what triggered the shift. One small comment can make you snap. An unexpected change in plans can leave you feeling panicked or shut down. You may wonder, “Why am I like this? Why can’t I just stay calm like everyone else?”
Everyone has mood swings. Mood swings are generally considered natural as long as they are not disturbing your daily routines. However, if these emotional shifts feel beyond your control, leaving you confused and drained, it might signal that something deeper is affecting your emotional balance.
How Stress Leads to Mood Swings
When you're experiencing chronic stress, your nervous system can become locked in the high-alert mode. Even small things like a change in plans or criticism can throw you off since your body is already prepared to either fight or flee. Stress makes it harder to manage your emotions, so you're more prone to intense mood swings.
Your brain is wired to protect you. When it's stressed, it may shift into dissociation or an emotional flashback out of the blue, especially when life events, people, or conversations remind you of trauma. For example, imagine having a calm conversation with your boss, and suddenly, for no reason, you feel panicked, defensive, or start doubting yourself. This is an emotional flashback that causes your nervous system to recall when it wasn’t safe to speak up or when your needs were not met. And just like that, your mood shifts, your feelings take over, and you feel flooded with intensity you can’t fully explain.
Emotional flashbacks can lead to mood swings that seem out of the blue. But they’re not random. They’re your brain and body responding to something threatening you, even if it no longer does.
Mood swings during stress are not a sign of weakness or personal failure. They are a natural response from a nervous system that has been stressed too much for too long. Learning stress regulation skills, like grounding skills, mindful breathing, or body-based therapies, can calm your nervous system, so emotional reactions may not feel so overwhelming and intense.
An Anxiety Therapist Explains How Anxiety Fuels Emotional Ups and Downs
If you experience anxiety, you know it’s like a constant alarm system that you can never completely shut off. Your mind is just hyper-vigilant to danger, whether this danger is real or imagined. So, when you’re overwhelmed by anxiety, emotional regulation becomes harder, and it’s easy to feel exhausted, misunderstood, or out of control. This increased sensitivity can lead to sudden emotional changes. For instance, you might shift from feeling okay to panicked, irritable, or overwhelmed in a matter of moments.
This is not a sign that something is wrong with you. It’s a sign that your nervous system is doing its best to protect you. With the help of anxiety therapy, you can learn to recognize anxious thought patterns, practice self-compassion, and change how you react to anxiety, calming your feelings before they morph into unmanageable mood swings.
How Trauma Rewires the Brain and Hijacks Your Emotions
When you have experienced trauma, your nervous system becomes accustomed to being on high alert for threat, even after the danger has long since passed. Trauma affects brain areas such as the hippocampus, which regulates memory and emotion, and the amygdala, where the brain processes fear and responds to stress. When trauma happens early in life, while the brain is still developing, it can impact how these parts function throughout your life. You may have difficulty calming down, regulating your emotions, or responding proportionately to the situation. So, that rollercoaster of feelings you experience is your body trying to keep you safe based on what it has learned in the past.
Controlling Mood Swings Caused by Trauma
Trauma-informed therapies and simple tools will help you feel more present, grounded, and in control again.
Start with Regulation, Not Reaction
Imagine your emotions are waves—you can't keep them from coming, but you can learn to surf on them without them crashing over you or pulling you under. So, when a wave of emotion washes over you, try not to respond or judge it. Instead, ground yourself with soothing nervous system tools. Breathe slowly and deeply.
Name What You're Feeling
Mood swings can feel even worse when you don’t know why you’re reacting so strongly. You may feel guilty, ashamed, or upset for not knowing what provoked you to each a breaking point or have a meltdown. Journaling can help you identify emotional flashbacks and link them to your past. Once you can name what's happening—this is a trauma response, not who I am—it becomes easier to respond with self-compassion.
Work With a Trauma-Informed Therapist
Healing from trauma requires more than determination or willpower. At Mindful Living Counseling Orlando, our therapists are educated to help you recognize and manage mood swings resulting from unresolved trauma, anxiety, or chronic stress. We offer evidence-based therapies like:
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
EMDR helps reprocess painful memories stored in the body in a safe and controlled way to reduce the emotional charge of past experiences so they don’t feel overwhelming.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
DBT is effective for overwhelming emotions and sudden mood swings. DBT blends acceptance and change strategies to teach you specific skills for coping with distress. These skills help stabilize your mood, improve your relationships, and give you confidence that you can handle whatever feelings come up.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
ACT helps you cultivate a healthier, stronger relationship with your thoughts and feelings. Instead of fighting or being scared of your emotions, acceptance and commitment therapy gently guides you to accept them as they are, not in defeat, but with the knowledge that it’s okay to feel what you feel.
Mindfulness-Based Therapy
At Mindful Living Counseling, we use guided meditations, a supportive therapy that builds emotional awareness and equips you with tools to calm your mind and body when stress or panic surges. Each approach is tailored to your needs and focused on helping you create safety in your body, balance in your emotions, and clarity in your day-to-day life.
Trauma puts the brain and body into survival mode. Emotional regulation becomes harder, and even minor stressors can feel overwhelming. If you’ve noticed that your reactions feel too intense or that your mood shifts don’t match what’s happening around you, there’s a reason. And understanding where it comes from is the first step toward healing and regaining a sense of balance.
Ready to Start With an Orlando Therapist?
The right support can make all the difference. Reach out today to connect with a trauma-informed therapist at Mindful Living Counseling Orlando who can help you feel more grounded, resilient, and in control again.
Fill out our New Client Consultation form here.
Once you complete the form, you’ll be invited to schedule a 15-minute phone consultation with one of our Orlando therapists.
Get ready to start healing!
Additional Orlando Therapist Resources
Orlando Therapist: Understanding Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
Orlando Therapist: Understanding Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Anxiety Therapist: Understanding Stress And How to Cope
Orlando Anxiety Therapist Shares: How to Handle Life's Curveballs
Orlando Therapist: Everything You Need to Know About Self-Care
Orlando Therapist: 5 Things Your Therapist Wants You to Know
Other Therapy Services Offered at Mindful Living Counseling in Orlando
We provide a range of therapeutic services to meet various needs! Our offerings consist of EMDR therapy, Trauma Therapy, Therapy for Teens, Couples Therapy, Eating Disorder Therapy, and therapy for toxic relationships. We also offer guided meditations.
Orlando Therapist Lauran Hahn
Lauran Hahn, LMHC, is the owner of Mindful Living Counseling in Orlando. She specializes in helping clients cope with anxiety and trauma through her EMDR Intensives. Lauran has certifications as a Sensorimotor Psychotherapist and an EMDR Therapist, and she is acknowledged as an EMDRIA Approved Consultant. Her goal is to assist individuals in achieving a sense of calm and strengthening their relationships. In her free time, she enjoys running, practicing yoga, and spending time with her family.