mood

Mood refers to a person's general emotional tone over a period of time—more sustained than a fleeting feeling, less acute than a reaction. Moods can be influenced by sleep, nutrition, hormones, relationships, weather, medical conditions, and, perhaps most of all, the internal weather of the nervous system.

For trauma survivors, mood can feel unstable, unpredictable, or stuck. Low mood, irritability, numbness, and anxiety are common and often track with nervous system states rather than current events. Healing involves both addressing the underlying causes (therapy, medication if needed, nervous system care, rest, connection) and learning to meet one's own moods with curiosity and kindness instead of shame.