Weird mood, behaviour or thoughts can be caused by many things. However, the top 6 causes of weird mood etc are meds, food, menstrual, fatigue, sensory and threat – in that order. I emphasis here that the least common is threat, yet often that is the first one that people consider.

Contents

Top 6 Causes

These are listed in “Most likely to be the cause” to “Least likely to be the cause”.

1) Meds

Many people take medication to maintain a healthy quality of life. We take it for good reason.
– Did you take your medication?
— If you have missed a scheduled medication, can you take it now?
– Have you changed medications?
* Caffeine, nicotine and THC are medications that can affect how your brain works. If you have taken too much, or suddenly cut down, this can significantly affect you.

2) Food

Our body runs on the things that we eat. You can’t expect your car to travel far if is has no fuel/charge in it, or the wrong fuel. Same for your body.
– Do you need to eat?
— It can take as little as 4 to 6 hours for your blood sugar to get low enough to affect your body, especially if your system is depleted due to poor diet or chronic illness.
– Did you eat the wrong thing?
— allergies and intolerances can mess with your body, mood and behaviours

3) Fatigue

Odd mood can be a way to warn you that you have run out of energy:
– Did you sleep poorly last night?
– Do you need a nap?
– Have you been pushing yourself hard and need a break?

4) Menstrual

– Most people with active ovaries need to be aware that 3-5 days prior to menstrual flow is PMT (PreMenstrual Tension) which can affect Executive Function, Mood, cravings, behaviours and social interactions.
— Sever PMT is PMDD. We have a section on our website to explain this in full
— Temporary fix is often done via some food and medication
* Have a snack: it likely needs to contain a bit of sugar and creamy fat. Try to add some nutritious food afterwards.
* caffeine, pain relief and in some cases a brief increase in SSRI as your doctor recommends
— Longer term fix is hormone treatment
– around 14 days after menstruation is the risk of the mid cycle crash around a day after ovulation. This assume a regular 28 day period, so 14 is an estimate. A mid cycle crash is a warning that PMT/PMDD will be worse. Full details on the website linked.

5) Sensory

– If you have been doing too many things, or managing too many sensory inputs, you may be overwhelmed and need a break or to cut down some of what is happening
— This is a different kind of exhaustion
* Reducing the cognitive load can be enough, but sometimes we need to stop for a bit
* Sometimes reducing the sensory input helps. That can be via ear plugs / active or passive noise cancelling, sun glasses, polarised glasses, gloves or other sensory aids
– If you are struggling to focus because there isn’t enough sensory stimulation, you’re brain may fill in with “Negative Self Talk” or “ruminating on past experiences”, or giving you “an impossible problem to fix”.
* Try listening to music
* Watch the video at 1.5 x the speed or higher
* Draw as you listen
* Sing as you work

6) Threat

The least likely thing to cause a weird thought, mood or behaviour is an actual threat.
– Threats should be clear and present danger. If it is there, make a plan to manage it if you have time, or hit the Freeze, Fawn, Flight or Fight reflex in that prioritisation order, depending on the threat
– If the threat isn’t clear, or it isn’t present, then this isn’t likely the cause of this problem, that is the justification your brain has summoned to explain the weirdness. The odds are high it is one of the above 5 things rather than an actual threat.

Beyond This:

If you have accidentally triggered a fight/flight reaction, or are generally struggling, take a look at how to Calm Down.