You may not realize that mood swings and alcohol abuse are closely connected until you overcome addiction. Depression after quitting drinking is typical, as are mood swings in sobriety after alcohol abuse. If you’re having trouble dealing with mood swings and being sober simultaneously, you should seek professional help. Call 208.486.0130 to speak with someone from Northpoint Recovery’s team about our aftercare planning program for people struggling with addiction recovery.
About Alcoholism and Mood Swings
People who drink a lot may have underlying issues, such as depression—which can come with mood swings and other unwanted consequences that affect daily living, such as:
- Nervousness
- Restlessness
- Irritability
- Stress
- Sleep problems
- Paranoia
Mood swings, addiction, and depression are commonly linked to people struggling with alcohol abuse and addiction recovery.
How to Deal with Mood Swings in Sobriety
In treatment, patients go to individual and group therapy to learn how to cope with mood swings, understand their addictive behaviors, and overcome their addiction. However, many patients need help beyond their own customized addiction treatment plans.
1. Continuing Therapy Sessions
Through group and one-on-one therapy—particularly cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)—people in recovery can get the support they need to deal with triggers and rapid mood swings.
2. Gaining Confidence in Relapse Prevention
By learning how to control mood swings in a healthy way, people in recovery can gain confidence in the possibility of completely overcoming addiction. Managing deep emotions that cause mood swings is an essential relapse prevention method.
3. Letting Go of the Victim Mentality
It’s human nature to blame others for our problems. It’s even more prevalent in rehab patients and is part of the symptoms of addiction. Being the constant victim takes away any power to change. Letting go of the victim mentality allows people to see themselves as the ones to blame and who need to change.
4. Learning to Handle Resentments
People in recovery can get lousy mood swings for no reason. However, the likelihood is that there are sleeping giants of anger living within them due to resentment. Therapy can teach them how to look at their part in things and learn to forgive. As they begin to deal with their resentment, it becomes easier to control mood swings.
5. Taking Ownership of Mistakes
Dealing with mood swings and staying sober can be exhausting. Sometimes, people in recovery can be tempted to drink and even relapse. They are facing internal battles with their shadow sides that will always be there. As long as they take ownership of their mistakes and dark thoughts, they are well on their way to addiction recovery.
6. Being Honest
Any lie people in recovery tell themselves or others creates emotional disturbance because it goes against the natural way. By practicing honesty, you don’t hide from others. It’s about living with integrity, which keeps you at a higher level with your mood.
7. Being Grateful
Being grateful helps to open your heart up to life. A powerful way to gain a different perspective is through gratitude, which can push out the dark thoughts that cause mood swings.
8. Involving Family in Therapy
Many times, people in recovery need their families to understand where their mood swings come from. A safe place to talk about it is in therapy sessions. Family therapy can help people communicate their feelings and give loved ones space to heal.
9. Replacing Bad Habits with Good Habits
Chronic use of alcohol and drugs alters brain chemistry which is why mood swings happen or mental issues develop—like depression—after quitting drinking. Becoming sober is the most crucial step. Other good habits to practice as you overcome addiction and work on recovery include the following:
- Exercising regularly
- Eating healthy
- Journaling and mindfulness
- Participating in hobbies you like
Following up with healthy alternatives to fill the gap is essential for long-term recovery.
10. Taking Medication for Mood Swings and Irritability
Some people struggle with bipolar mood swings as they try to recover from addiction. This co-occurring disorder can cause extreme mood swings daily. It is more challenging to control, so they need medication for mood swings and irritability.
Find an Aftercare Planning Program in Idaho at Northpoint Recovery
With the help of professional therapy in rehab, medications, healthy life changes, and continuing counseling after formal treatment, you can replace moodiness with happiness. Contact Northpoint Recovery today at 208.486.0130 to learn more about relapse prevention techniques and how to deal with mood swings in sobriety.