Contents
Introduction
Ever catch yourself in a mood and don’t know why?
Lucky for you, mood disorders could be here to give you an answer.
Mood disorders, such as unipolar depression, bipolar disorder and dysthymia, tell us why we sometimes feel so low even when everything else in life is incredible.
It can often be hard to recognize mood disorders: their mood swings have the potential to affect people’s lives both subtly and drastically.
Knowing what they are and the signs to look out for as well as learning how to manage them can lead to a longer and healthier life – no matter your mood!
What Is a Mood Disorder?
Ah mood disorders, the oh-so-merry source of upheaval in our lives.
For millions of people across the globe, mood disorders are not just an abstract concept; they are an unwelcome guest who sometimes overstays their welcome.
But what exactly constitutes a mood disorder?
A mood disorder can be defined as a mood shift that is extreme and lasts for an extended period of time, negatively influencing one’s thoughts, feelings, and behavior.
Whatever form it may take, it’s likely that mood disorders can have a profound impact on our mental wellbeing and should not be taken lightly.
Let’s Get Technical…
If you’re someone that likes to know the full ‘in’s and out’s” of what constitutes a mental health condition, look no further than the DSM.
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM-5, is the official manual for grouping together mental health conditions, such as mood disorders.
A mood disorder is characterized by mood disturbances that are so severe that they impact a person’s daily functioning.
According to the DSM-5, mood disturbances like depressed mood, unhappiness, irritability and altered mood states have to be present for at least two weeks in order for someone to be officially diagnosed with a mood disorder.
If left untreated, mood disorders can become debilitating so it’s important to seek out professional help if you find yourself experiencing mood disturbances on a constant basis.
How Do I Know If I Have a Mood Disorder?
It’s easy to label mood swings as a mood disorder; the real challenge is recognizing when your mood shifts become something more.
Physical and emotional symptoms are usually the most obvious indicators that you may have a mood disorder.
A few of the physical signs of mood disorder include:
- Fatigue
- Changes in appetite
- Excessive sleeping or insomnia
- Changes in weight
- Restlessness
Emotional symptoms which may suggest a mood disorder include:
- Feelings of helplessness
- Feelings of hopelessness
- Anger or irritability
- Difficulty concentrating
- Changes in self-esteem
If any of these sound familiar, it’s worth getting checked out by a medical professional who can assess what type of mood disorder you may be experiencing.
What Are The Top 3 Most Common Mood Disorders?
Mood disorders can feel daunting to discuss — sure, everyone has a bad day here and there, but what really defines mood disorder?
When we take a closer look, it turns out there is actually quite a bit of variety in the common mood disorders.
From depression to bipolar disorder, their prevalence might surprise you.
Although more awareness is needed to make sure people can get the help they need, knowing more about these conditions is an important first step towards deeper understanding. Let’s discuss the 3 most common mood disorders a bit more:
Major Depression
Major depression is no laughing matter—it’s a serious mental health condition that can take a toll on your everyday life. Major depression is characterized by serious and persistent feelings of sadness, guilt, fatigue, and even hopelessness.
According to the DSM 5, major depression is diagnosed if someone has five or more of the following symptoms for at least two weeks:
- Changes in thoughts
- Changes in behavior
- Changes in sleep patterns
- Loss of energy or interest in activities
- Inability to concentrate
To put it simply: major depression is essentially feeling down all the time without any relief.
However, its tricky too because not everyone experiences it the same way; some feel mostly sadness and lethargy while others experience existential dread or recurrent suicidal thoughts.
Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder is sometimes referred to as the “woman and man of two minds.”
Affecting an estimated 4.4% of adults in the United States, bipolar disorder can be a difficult disease to comprehend.
Bipolar disorder is an illness that often leaves individuals feeling like they’re on a roller coaster, swaying between extreme highs (called manic episodes) and debilitating lows (called depressive episodes).
What Is a Manic Episode?
For bipolar disorder sufferers, the manic episode is like the Olympic 100-meter dash — it’s the grand finale of the bipolar roller coaster. After an extended period of depression or hypomania or general back-and-forth between moods, bipolars get a burst of energy when they enter a manic episode.
Symptoms of a manic episode include:
- Restlessness
- Rapid speech
- Inflated self-esteem and grandiose thoughts
- Decreased need for sleep
- Impulsive behavior
- Racing thoughts and ideas
- Distractibility
- Irritability
- Aggression.
A manic episode can become dangerous if it includes psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations or delusions.
If you think you or someone you know might be exhibiting signs of bipolar disorder during a manic episode, it’s best to seek professional help right away.
What Is a Depressive Episode?
Bipolar disorder takes a wild ride in the brain, from mania to depression and back again. Unlike regular, plain-old depression which is like a gray cloud hovering over someone’s life, bipolar disorder’s depressive episodes are a slightly different type of sadness.
Major depression and bipolar disorder’s depressive episodes share some common symptoms – feeling low energy, worthlessness and having thoughts of death or suicide – but bipolar’s lows have other unique distinguishing features.
One major difference is that bipolar depression varies in intensity, length and structure depending on where an individual falls on the bipolar spectrum.
Dysthymia
Dysthymia, sometimes jokingly referred to as bipolar disorder lite, is a mental health disorder that’s characterized by ongoing and long-term depressive symptoms that can have serious impacts on a person’s life.
Unlike its more extreme bipolar brother, major depressive disorder, dysthymia’s smaller symptoms tend to go unnoticed due to their low intensity and long-term effects.
According to the DSM 5, dysthymia is defined as having a depressed mood most days for at least two years in which there has been no more than two months of remission.
If bipolar disorder is a rollercoaster, then dysthymia could be better compared to an unending leaf raking session – it doesn’t seem like it ends.
Dysthymia isn’t usually as severe as bipolar disorder, but both disorders can still lead to various struggles that people experience in their personal and professional lives.
How Are Mood Disorders Treated?
We all experience mood highs and lows in our lives, but mood disorders are a whole different ball game – they can feel like an eternal black hole.
It might seem daunting to take the next steps, but trust us when we say that mood disorders are completely treatable.
From talking therapies and lifestyle changes to medication, psychoeducation and more, there are a plethora of ways to help you get your life back on track.
But what are the most common treatments? Let’s explore some of the best mood disorder treatment methods around.
Psychotherapy:
Mood disorders like depression and anxiety can be serious to deal with all on your own – that’s why psychotherapy is such a great resource.
There are many different kinds of psychotherapy out there, so you’re sure to find one that fits your needs!
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive-behavioral therapies are popular treatments for mood disorders, focused on helping patients change the way they think and behave in order to reduce mood disorder symptoms.
CBT approaches mood disorders like a puzzle, helping individuals learn how to identify triggers, moods and respond in healthier ways.
During CBT sessions, people are able to strategize regarding their mood disorder which helps them create cognitive and behavioral strategies for a wide range of emotions.
These tools are designed to help people understand the origin of mood swings– why they occur and how to stop those reactions from continuing into cycles. By reducing mood spikes, people can take back control of their lives and balance their daily routines better.
Interpersonal Therapy
There’s also interpersonal therapy, which emphasizes improving communication with friends, family and partners to gain an understanding of mood disorder patterns.
It focuses on helping people resolve interpersonal problems that can contribute to mood disorders such as depression or anxiety. The approach works by getting to the root cause of mood disorders and helping people modify their behavior in order to reduce the symptom intensity.
Through increased self-awareness, interpersonal therapy can nurture adaptive patterns of interacting with others and give someone the tools necessary to tackle mood issues – all without having to take an extra pill or pay for expensive medical treatments!
Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy
Finally, there’s mindfulness-based cognitive therapy – this practice focuses on training patients in relaxation techniques and attending to their moods so that emotions don’t become overwhelming.
It’s a revolutionary new therapy that combines two effective principals – mindfulness and cognitive restructuring – to treat mood disorders.
This unique approach encourages patients to focus on their feelings in the present moment and recognize patterns of thinking that may be contributing to the mood disorder.
Through this process, they can learn to identify pleasant thoughts and behaviors that bring about positive moods and create a healthier thought pattern overall. With this approach, patients can more effectively address their mood disorder and make lasting changes for better health and wellbeing.
Medications
There is a wide range of medications used in the treatment of mood disorders.
These mood disorder drugs are divided into three categories: antidepressants, mood stabilizers, and antipsychotics.
Antidepressants are usually recommended to treat major depressive disorder and may be used in combination with other mood stabilizers or antipsychotics.
Mood stabilizers are typically prescribed for individuals experiencing bipolar disorder to help reduce mood swings.
Finally, antipsychotics may be used alone or in conjunction with other medications to manage symptoms like delusions and hallucinations that often accompany mood disorders. The type and dosage of each medication is tailored to the individual based on their unique needs.
A Quick Overview
Mood disorders come in a variety of forms and affect one’s moods and behavior.
There are signs you may notice, such as feeling down or hopeless, difficulty concentrating, changed eating habits, changes in sleep patterns, lack of motivation, mood swings, chronic fatigue or low energy.
If things get to the point of feeling too much to handle by yourself then know that mood disorders are not a life sentence – there are many treatments available for you like therapy and medication.
Remember that you don’t have to face this alone; reaching out for help is an incredibly brave step in the right direction.
Featured Image Credit: Photo by Lamar Belina (Pexels)
Resources
- https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/mood-disorders
- https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapy-types/interpersonal-psychotherapy
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2933381/
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/mood-disorders/symptoms-causes/syc-20365057#:~:text=Overview,being%20excessively%20happy%20(mania).
- https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/bipolar-disorder#:~:text=Prevalence%20of%20Bipolar%20Disorder%20Among%20Adults,-Based%20on%20diagnostic&text=An%20estimated%204.4%25%20of%20U.S.,some%20time%20in%20their%20lives.
0 Comments