Hey, As of late the way I’ve been feeling hasn’t really seemed to be lining up with the experiences I’ve been having. Like I’ll suddenly start to feel a certain way very strongly, and if any small thing that would usually cause the emotion- like hearing something mildly amusing if I’m feeling very mirthful- will set it out of control. It’s usually been mirth or sorrow much more occasionally in the past, but as of late it’s been sadness a lot more often. I’ll suddenly be struck by it and any small thing happens and I’m looking for somewhere to cry (especially bad in public or around people who this would concern.) I guess what I want to ask is if anyone else gets this way as well? How they deal with it? If it’s something everyone feels but deals with better and it sounds like I just need to sleep more or something? I haven’t really changed my sleeping or eating habits though. Anyways, thanks! And by the way life is good by me all in all, which I guess is why I’m sort of confused. All the best, Leah
Full disclaimer and disclosure: I'm not a doctor or mental health professional. So that's definitely something I would talk to a mental health professional about. I mean it could be bipolar disorder which it sounds like but again I'm not an expert. It could be a bit of adhd. I mean you could be pregnant. Point is: there's a lot that could be causing what you're experiencing. Is this something that's been on going or very recently started? No I don't need to know that answer but a professional will. It helps to eliminate or include things. The short version is that you're experiencing a chemical imbalance in your brain.
Okay, thanks for answering but it’s nothing like that, I’m not bipolar (or pregnant, lol). I’m going to wait and see if help is needed here, but I think I must have mischaracterized myself if that’s the impression I gave; I’ve just always laughed randomly and occasionally felt downwards mood swings, both of which I think I’m just reading into too much in wake of something actually unusual for me. I’m actually usually pretty stoic, which is why I’m concerning other people and myself a bit. I really meant to ask whether or not people have generally felt on the verge of tears, not necessarily beyond general moodiness but extended over a period of time. Thanks again, and sorry for wasting your time with a misunderstanding. All the best, Leah
Well no perhaps not a misunderstanding. But you're asking two different things. At first you were asking is it normal to go back and forth between extremes. Now you're asking is normal to experience the extremes. And yes, it's fairly normal to experience being on the verge of tears.
Ah okay, so I see the issue; I was more asking about feeling emotions regardless of events, and that more recently it’s been feeling down as a default- not going from one extreme to another, I’ve never really done that, it’s always just one suddenly or the other or thankfully usually neither except more recently. Again, I mischaracterized. I don’t know why I feel the need to protect an anonymous internet identity, but I just want to make clear that I was talking about mood swings and oversensitivity as opposed to serious mental disease (or pregnancy). I know that it’s normal to feel things, I just wanted to see if other people feel things without cause, as per thread title. Anyways, thanks again! Night
Mood swings can be symptoms of any number of things: mental disorders, pregnancy, pms, stress, and some others. I'm not sure if it's considered normal to do so without cause but then again normal is skewed anyways. But still, at least have a conversation with your primary care provider about it. Could do a world of good.
It's not bipolar. It's definitely not ADHD, and it's very unlikely it's a chemical imbalance in your brain. This is why, for people who don't have knowledge in these areas, it can be really unwise and unhelpful to offer up unqualified advice. You (OP) didn't mention your age, but staff members can see it (dunno if you have it hidden), so I know you're in your mid-teens. So what you're experiencing is entirely normal and a most likely the byproduct of hormonal changes that are naturally occurring at your age. Most mid-teens have mood swings that can be extremely intense, and can literally change from one moment to the next. Assuming it's transient and isn't severely impacting your mood (which you've basically said it isn't) then It's absolutely nothing to worry about. Even if things are wonderful, when you're in your mid-teens, your brain is growing and changing significantly (and will up until you're about 25) and so, every second of every day, new neural pathways are being built and developed, and the result is exactly what you're experiencing. Some folks notice it less than others, but pretty much everyone on the planet had that, at some point or another, during their teen years. Now... even for an adult, those sorts of mood swings or experiences aren't necessarily indicative of any mental health disorder, especially for people who are dealing with the self-awareness that they aren't straight. There are a tremendous amount of memories, experiences, beliefs, self-perceptions that come into play as we start processing the understanding that in a core way, we may be different than a large segment of the population. Humans are wired for connection and something that sets us apart is going to, temporarily at least, create a sense of loss as we realize that we may not "belong" to one of the largest categorizations of people (heterosexual). So for those of us in the coming out process... rapid mood swings, sudden crying for no reason, depression, crippling anxiety... all of these can be transient experiences that we have while coming to terms with who we are. It doesn't mean we have bipolar disorder, ADHD, depression, major anxiety, OCD, or anything else. It means we're human, and we're in touch with our emotions which is a good thing. No doctor or therapist needed unless the symptoms are severe, go on for a period of time, significantly and meaningfully impact day-to-day activities, ability to function, or day-to-day mood. It's really important that we accurately convey information, because telling someone they might have a mental health diagnosis, particularly something considered severe such as bipolar disorder, can be devastating for someone who may already not be feeling well. One of the things that professionals in the field are taught is to always stay within their lane; know their limits and don't offer input or advice on areas outside of their expertise. And in a community like this, it's easy, since almost none of us are professionals, to forget that. We have great strength in sharing our knowledge and personal experience, and most of us have an inherent desire to help others... it's why most of us are here. It's just important that we do the best we can to be aware of our limits.
Thanks, and yeah, definitely should have mentioned the age. I guess I’m just not used to it, I’ve never really been emotional even when it would make sense except for the laugher so always thought of myself as having luckily escaped hormones, lol. I’ve been pretty consistently down for 3ish months, so I do want to stay on top of things, but yeah, very likely it’s just hormones and stress- I just wanted to see if other people also deal with it more discreetly and the extent of it to see where I am comparatively, I wasn’t really looking for an internet diagnosis as it sounds like I’m implying reading back.