When Mood Swings: First Steps Before You See a Psychiatrist

When your mood "jumps" — wonderful one day, sad the next — it's a signal worth your attention. But the doctor's advice is to take the first steps not in a psychiatrist's office, but in your own way of life. This brochure is about where to begin, and in what order.

First — lifestyle

The doctor suggests starting with the simple and basic. Cut out sugar, add B-group vitamins, take walks, fix your sleep. In his experience, this alone should deliver most of the improvement.

"First try number one: try lifestyle — cut out sugar, B-group vitamins, walks, sleep. This should give 80 percent of the improvement."

If nothing changes — then it makes sense to look further.

A check-up before the visit

Before going to a psychiatrist, the doctor insists on one specific step: get an electroencephalogram.

"Before you go to a psychiatrist, get an electroencephalogram. If your mood jumps — the first thing to do is the electroencephalogram."

This, he says, makes the later conversation with a specialist "much better."

How to choose a specialist

The doctor is honest: with psychiatrists "there are problems." You can run into one who "files you straight into" an illness, prescribes endless weekly courses and therapies, and leaves you "sick, wrecked." So the key word is to find a good psychiatrist. With a real professional, "of course something can be adjusted, looked at."

Neurochemistry and thoughts

The doctor describes mood as a loop: neurochemistry shapes thoughts, and thoughts shape neurochemistry. When they work together, good neurochemistry produces good thoughts, and you choose a thought that supports even better neurochemistry — and so you go upward. Or the opposite — downward.

"Either you go up, or you go the other way."

That's exactly why the basic steps (sleep, walks, food) matter: they give the bodily energy without which the clear state can't "switch on."

Body, energy and a clear morning

The doctor stresses: a tired, "wrecked" body won't switch on the calm, clear state. You should rest before you're tired, and treat yourself before you fall ill. Every morning, he says, a person is "born anew": first the body wakes, then the limbic system kicks in, and he sees your task as lifting yourself to a level of calm and clarity.

Practice: a first-steps checklist

1. Cut out sugar and add B-group vitamins.
2. Fix your sleep — in the evening, tune yourself for the next day, calmly "letting go" of the day.
3. Walk and give your body energy — without it, the clear state can't be reached.
4. Observe for 2–4 weeks — lifestyle should provide most of the improvement.
5. If there's no improvement — get an electroencephalogram, and only then look for a good, professional psychiatrist.