Mood swings are when a person’s mood changes very quickly. That can include going from one extreme (like angry) to another extreme (like happy). These shifts in mood can happen quickly and feel intense. Mood swings are a normal part of puberty. It’s important to be patient with yourself and others who might be experiencing mood swings.

During puberty, the process in which a person grows into an adult, the brain starts to make a lot more hormones. Hormones are the body’s chemical signals that tell certain body parts to grow, and they also affect the part of the brain that manages feelings or moods. This increase in hormones can often lead to mood swings. This is all perfectly normal and tends to even out once a person is done with the changes of puberty.

Experiencing mood swings can be exhausting. So it’s good to keep in mind that mood swings are a perfectly normal part of puberty and growing up. Talking about your feelings with friends and trusted adults can help, as can remembering that you’re not alone in dealing with mood swings. Almost everyone going through puberty will deal with mood swings at some point or another.

If you ever feel sad for most of the time, then it’s good to talk with a trusted adult or a counselor to check for something called depression. Depression is when someone feels sad most or all of the time. There are ways to help people experiencing it, so it’s important to ask for help.