Mood disorders are a set of mental health issues that affect a person’s emotional state. A mood disorder may cause unbearable and persistent sadness or be accompanied by intense feelings of joy or anger. Fortunately, mood disorders are often treated with medication and counseling sessions. Join us in this article to check what mood disorders are and how to treat mood disorders.
What is a mood disorder?
Mood disorders include many mental health problems that directly impact people’s emotional states. Due to mood disorders, a person experiences long periods of happiness, sadness, sadness, and extreme anxiety, which usually do not match the external reality. Anger, irritability, intense emotions, feelings of emptiness or alternating periods of depression, and mania (excessive happiness) are other feelings that suffer a person with a mood disorder.
It should be noted that we cannot consider every intense feeling as a mood disorder. Naturally, people’s moods change depending on different circumstances. The possibility of mood disorders can only be considered if the symptoms last several weeks or more or if the person’s behavior changes dramatically. For example, these disorders may cause a person to be unable to cope well with routine daily tasks and activities.
Each type of mood disorder has different symptoms and patterns that a doctor or psychotherapist can diagnose. Symptoms of mood disorders include mood, sleep patterns, eating habits, energy levels, and ability to think (such as distracted thoughts or lack of concentration).
Anyone can suffer from mood disorders, from children and teenagers to adults. About one-third of people with mood disorders suffer from psychotic disorders and another one-third from anxiety problems during their lifetime. People with mood disorders may also abuse alcohol and drugs, drop out of work or school, or have trouble taking care of themselves and maintaining social interactions. Therefore, familiarity with the most common types of mood disorders seems necessary to prevent the occurrence or intensification of the symptoms of these disorders.
What are the types of mood disorders?
As we said, mood disorders include many emotional and emotional problems. The most common types of these disorders are depression and bipolar disorder. In this section, we introduce some of the most common types of mood disorders by classifying them.
1. depression
Depression is one of the most common mental health problems, associated with extreme sadness, and sometimes disrupts a person’s daily activities. This mood disorder may include a wide range of problems. Depression is also associated with chronic diseases such as diabetes, Parkinson’s, and heart disease. Depressed people experience some or all of the following issues and symptoms:
- feeling sad most of the time or almost every day;
- constant crying without reason;
- Lack of energy or feeling tired and lethargic;
- despair and feeling worthless;
- Losing interest in activities that the person used to enjoy;
- thoughts of death or suicide ;
- Difficulty concentrating when doing various tasks;
- decision-making problem;
- guilt ;
- Oversleeping or lack of sleep;
- Anorexia or overeating.
In the following, we introduce some common types of depression.
1. severe or clinical depression ( major or clinical depression )
Major or clinical depression involves prolonged and persistent periods of intense sadness, sadness, and hopelessness. This problem may cause thinking, memory, eating, and sleeping disturbances. Of course, these symptoms must last at least two weeks to be diagnosed with clinical depression. Also, the probability of this type of depression in women is twice as high as in men.
2. postpartum depression _
Women struggle with hormonal, physical, emotional, financial, and social changes during pregnancy and after. These changes may lead to symptoms of postpartum depression.
3. persistent depressive disorder
This disorder lasts at least two years. During this period, the severity of depression symptoms may sometimes decrease or increase. The severity of symptoms in chronic depression is less than in clinical depression. However, it is continuous and affects a person’s life.
4. seasonal affective disorder
This type of depression occurs in certain seasons and is sometimes accompanied by symptoms such as clinical depression. Seasonal depression usually starts in late fall or early winter and lasts until spring or summer. Symptoms of seasonal affective disorder often disappear or lessen with the onset of spring and summer.
5. Depression with psychosis _
Sometimes depression is accompanied by episodes of psychosis. In these cases, the person occasionally experiences the illusion of seeing or hearing things others do not. Also, people with this disorder suffer from delusions and think about suicide more than people with other types of depression.
2. Bipolar disorder
The following significant disorder is bipolar disorder, also called manic depression. This lifelong problem can cause extreme changes and fluctuations in people’s mood, energy level, thinking patterns, and behavior. Bipolar disorder causes episodes of mild or severe mania (hypomania) with periods of severe depression in a person. The intensity and duration of depression and mania episodes of bipolar disorder are different in different people.
Symptoms of bipolar disorder include:
- A feeling of overwhelming and uncontrollable energy or euphoria;
- fast speech and behavior, and movement;
- restlessness or irritability;
- risky behaviors such as excessive spending or reckless driving;
- disturbed thoughts;
- Insomnia or severe sleep problems.
Cyclothymia disorder can also be considered one of the sub-branches of bipolar disorder. In cyclothymia disorder, people have mood swings and experience unstable feelings. Sufferers suffer from periods of mild mania and mild depression. To diagnose cyclothymia, the specialist must ensure that the disorder’s symptoms have lasted at least two years.
3. Premenstrual Dysfunction ( PMDD )
The symptoms of this mood disorder are seen 7 to 10 days before a women’s period and disappear within a few days after the start of the period. This is a more severe disorder than premenstrual syndrome (PMS). In premenstrual syndrome, a person experiences mood swings and suffers from fatigue, irritability, depression, and anxiety.
According to researchers, premenstrual dysphoria occurs due to hormonal changes caused by the menstrual cycle. In this situation, the person experiences anger, irritability, anxiety, depression, and insomnia.
4. Disruptive Mood Disorder ( DMDD )
This disorder often occurs before age ten, including frequent, intense anger and persistent irritability in unrelated situations. Disruptive Mood Disorder is a more severe form of Intermittent Explosive Disorder (IED) and causes the child or adolescent to feel anger and rage constantly.
Intermittent explosive disorder (IED) also causes intense anger in unrelated situations. In such a situation, the affected child or teenager shows behaviors such as shouting in response to relatively insignificant events.
Is anxiety a mood disorder?
No, a generalized anxiety disorder cannot be considered a mood disorder. Pervasive anxiety is included in anxiety disorders, panic disorders, and phobias. However, a person experiences anxiety and chronic stress in many mood disorders. Therefore, mood disorders and anxiety are related to a large extent, but fear does not belong to the category of mood disorders.
What factors cause mood disorders?
According to researchers, several factors play a role in the occurrence of mood disorders. The following are some of the most important reasons that can cause mood disorders:
- Biological factors: The two main brain parts responsible for controlling our emotions are the amygdala and the orbitofrontal cortex. Problems related to these areas may contribute to developing or exacerbating mood disorders. For example, by examining the recorded images of the brains of people with mood disorders, it has been determined that the amygdala size in these people is more significant than usual.
- Genetic and hereditary factors: People with a history of mood disorders in their family are usually more susceptible to mood disorders, which may be related to the function of different genes in the body.
- Environmental factors: stressful changes in life, such as the death of a loved one, terrible events and trauma, chronic stress, or being a victim of abuse in childhood, maybe the underlying factors for a person to suffer from mood disorders, especially depression.
- Physical diseases and the use of certain drugs: symptoms of some mood disorders, such as depression, may occur when taking or withdrawing from them. In addition, some diseases that affect the physical condition may directly impact a person’s daily activities and cause mood problems.
How is mood disorder diagnosed?
Suppose you or someone close to you has a lot of mood swings and you experience emotions such as sadness, happiness, and anger very intensely and continuously, or you see changes in other aspects of life such as your sleep and energy level. In that case, it is better to see a general doctor first to avoid the possibility of diseases, Such as thyroid problems or vitamin deficiency in your body.
If possible physical problems are ruled out, ask a psychiatrist or psychotherapist for help. By conducting psychological interviews and tests, examining sleeping and eating habits, and other methods, the mental health specialist will check the criteria for various mood disorders in you. If you have these symptoms and problems, the treatment of your mood disorder will begin.
Can mood disorders be treated?
Yes, fortunately, mood disorders are treatable. So if a mental health professional confirms that you or someone close to you has a mood disorder, don’t worry.
Treatment courses and methods depend on the severity of symptoms and people’s living conditions, but in general, these treatments include drug therapy and psychotherapy counseling sessions. In some rare cases, some brain stimulation treatments are also used.
1. drug therapy
Medications to treat mood disorders include the following:
- Antidepressants: Most drugs are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and are generally prescribed to treat depression and bipolar disorder. Some antidepressants are serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), which have the same function as SSRI drugs. Some antidepressants may be more effective depending on the individual’s condition. Antidepressants often take 4 to 6 weeks to take effect. Note that even if you feel better after taking these drugs, you should continue taking them as long as your doctor prescribes.
- Mood stabilizing drugs help regulate mood swings by reducing abnormal brain activity. Some mental health professionals prescribe mood stabilizers along with antidepressants. Lithium and anticonvulsants are some of the most commonly used mood stabilizers.
- Antipsychotics: Some mood disorders, like bipolar disorder, may not be treated with an antidepressant. In these cases, the doctor prescribes atypical antipsychotic drugs that work against psychotic problems. One of the most widely used antipsychotic drugs is aripiprazole.
If you have concerns about taking, changing, or stopping medications prescribed by your mental health professional, talk to your mental health professional about your problems. Also, if your prescription is impractical or has unpleasant side effects, you may need to try another remedy or change the dose under your doctor’s supervision.
2. psychotherapy _
In psychotherapy, the patient gradually improves during dialogue sessions with his therapist, psychologist, or psychiatrist. Psychotherapists use various methods to identify and change a person’s unhealthy feelings, thoughts, and behaviors. Counseling and psychotherapy sessions can provide a person with the necessary training and guidance for better functioning and improving the quality of life and support him on the way to treatment. The following methods are some of the most common types of psychotherapy.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy ( CBT ): This technique is structured and goal-oriented, and the specialist uses it to improve or control the individual’s mental health problems and emotional concerns. In CBT treatment, with the therapist’s help, the person tries to analyze and revise his thoughts, opinions, and attitudes.
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy ( DBT ): This method is also based on the CBT technique but is more suitable for people with intense and uncontrollable emotions.
- Psychodynamic therapy: Psychodynamic therapy is based on the idea that childhood experiences influence a person’s behavior and mental well-being. In this treatment, recurring thoughts and feelings that occur unconsciously are analyzed.
3. Other treatments for mood disorders
Apart from drug therapy and psychotherapy, other treatments are also prescribed to improve mood disorders, including:
- Electroshock therapy ( ECT ): In this treatment, the patient is unconscious, and a mild electric current is passed through his brain, which causes short-term seizures. These sessions can also be done on an outpatient basis. Research finds this method effective for improving the mental health of people resistant to standard treatments for mood disorders, including depression and bipolar disorder. It usually takes 6 to 12 sessions to heal a person through electroshock therapy.
- Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation ( TMS ): This treatment is prescribed for people with severe depression who have not been helped by at least one antidepressant. The magnetic energy of the TMS treatment device is converted into an electrical current under the skull that can help regulate a person’s emotions.
- Light therapy: The technique has long been used to treat seasonal depression. Phototherapy is done by supplementing natural sunlight with artificial light during autumn and winter.
Methods of predicting mood disorders and preventing them
Unfortunately, there is currently no way to prevent mood disorders, but various treatments may affect issues related to mood disorders. Seeking help as soon as symptoms appear can help reduce problems and mood disorders.
In addition, to predict the recurrence of mood disorders, we must pay attention to the type of disease and its severity and check how successful the treatment has been. Problems such as depression and bipolar disorder may recur or persist even after initial treatment. Therefore, these problems sometimes require long-term or lifelong therapies.
last word
Millions worldwide suffer from different mood disorders and benefit from other treatments. Therefore, it is essential to know that mood disorders are common and treatable. Suppose you see symptoms of mood disorder in yourself or one of your loved ones. In that case, you should only seek the help of mental health experts and remain committed to following up and doing the prescribed treatment methods until the expert confirms a complete recovery.
Warning! This article is only for educational purposes; to use it, it is necessary to consult a doctor or specialist.
