Control mood swings

With a healthy diet and a balanced lifestyle irrational mood swings can be curbed

March 28, 2011 05:31 pm | Updated 05:31 pm IST

Make lifestyle changes: Women are more vulnerable to mood swings than men. Photo: K.R. Deepak

Make lifestyle changes: Women are more vulnerable to mood swings than men. Photo: K.R. Deepak

An unpredictable one day match can be an ideal showcase for mood swings of any individual. Whether it is the loss of a wicket that pushes the crowd into desolation or the caressed cover drive of Tendulkar bringing joy to millions; a human mind is on either extreme of the spectrum. As such the human mind wants to be tranquil in pursuit of happiness but few minor thoughts can swing and sway the emotions so that mood swings become inherent part of it. Negative emotions like anger, irritability, tearfulness and sadness are a normal part of day to day life but if they happen to go beyond the control of the human being and tend to affect work and personal relationships, it is a matter of concern and need to be looked into. The need becomes even more urgent, if the episodes are excessive and frequent.

This transition of emotions has been found to be more common in women than in men.

Mood swings have become much more common part of lifestyle when stress and strain of work, relationships and the anxiety to achieve are of utmost priority on the mind of individuals either young or old, men or women. This complex situation of imbalance in daily lifestyle with little time for family has been found to be the usual precipitating reason for the swings.

Fresh fruits and vegetables when taken regularly provides enough vitamins and minerals for the human metabolism whereas the lack of it can precipitate the issue.

Excessive sugar rich foods causes rise in sugar levels in the blood stream, even as it remains stranded can cause the emotional highs and lows and also the unexplained fatigue.

For that matter low levels of blood sugar can also cause the same issue too. Smokers and also alcoholics are more prone to it. Women are vulnerable because of the hormonal imbalances that occur during premenstrual phase, pregnancy, post delivery and menopausal phases of life.

These hormones have control over not just the reproductive organs but very subtly over the mind too, that makes a woman's life either pleasurable or cause havoc.

The lack of sufficient iron and haemoglobin in cases of anaemia is another cause for mood swings. But more often than not, if excessive and frequent emotions are the order of the day, it is most probably due to the chemical imbalance in the brain causing conditions like depression, anxiety and bipolar disorders and needs to be remedied at the earliest.

The first effort to fight the mood swings would be through lifestyle changes. Counselling sessions would be of help too.

Taking a deep breath and taking the mind away from the sensitivities of the moment can help reduce the negativity to a certain extent at that acute phase. It is not always possible to see reason when the emotions are overpowering but once the storm has passed, it should be the time for some rational thinking and also see that next time when one has to go through the same issue one's response could be more positive than before. That in itself helps temper down swinging emotion. Eating a balanced diet regularly, exercise and relaxation with enough sleep would go a way in tempering down the predicament. Homoeopathic medicine has good remedies to see that there is a much moderate response to such situations, if one is used to them. Belladonna, Hyoscyamus Stramonium, Op., are remedies which slow down the surge of negative emotions while Ignatia, Natrummur, Staphysagria, Kali phos help one out of the sadness while Sang can, Cimcifuga, Ambra grisea help a woman with the surge of hormones influencing the mind.

To keep the mind cool and calm, homoeopathic medicine is the best bet.

AIDS

I have been infected with HIV for the past 14 years and have been under medication on and off. I am now undergoing anti tuberculosis medication and keep getting infections often.

ABC

The Human Inmmunodeficiency Virus causes a compromise of the immunity of the body and makes it vulnerable and prone to infections. Once the vitality is down there could be further secondary infections and also damage to the metabolism and important organs of the body. Homoeopathic medicine has good remedies that can work in tandem with the other systems as a complementary and seeing that the intensity and frequency of infections is at a low ebb. Consult a homoeopath.

drvenugopal@gmail.com

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