A mood disorder is a type of mental health condition where there is a disconnect between actual life circumstances and the person’s state of mind or feeling. A mood disorder can negatively affect your ability to function normally. It can have serious consequences in all aspects of life, from personal to professional.
Children, teens, and adults can all have mood disorders. But children and teens don’t always have the same symptoms as adults. It’s harder to diagnose mood disorders in children. That’s because they can’t always express how they feel, and symptoms may look different in children from how they look in adults.
What are the different types of mood disorders?
These are the most common types of mood disorders:
- Major depression. Having less interest in normal activities, feeling sad or hopeless, and other symptoms for at least 2 weeks may mean depression.
- Dysthymia. This is an ongoing (chronic), low-grade, depressed, or irritable mood that lasts for at least 2 years.
- Bipolar disorder. With this condition, a person has times of depression alternating with times of mania or a higher mood.
- Mood disorder linked to another health condition. Many health conditions (including cancer, injuries, infections, and chronic illnesses) can trigger symptoms of depression.
- Substance-induced mood disorder. Symptoms of depression may be caused by drug abuse, alcohol use disorder, exposure to toxins, or side effects of medicines.
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What causes mood disorders?
Many factors help lead to mood disorders. They are likely caused by an imbalance of brain chemicals. Life events (such as stressful life changes) may also help lead to a depressed mood. Mood disorders also tend to run in families.
Who is at risk for mood disorders?
Anyone can feel sad or depressed at times. But mood disorders are more intense and last longer. They are also harder to manage than normal feelings of sadness. Children, teens, or adults who have a parent with a mood disorder have a greater chance of also having a mood disorder. But life events and stress can expose or worsen feelings of sadness or depression. This makes the feelings harder to manage.
Sometimes life’s problems can trigger depression. Things such as being fired from a job, getting divorced, losing a loved one, having a death in the family, and financial trouble can be difficult. Coping with the pressure may be troublesome. These life events and stress can bring on feelings of sadness or depression. Or they can make a mood disorder harder to manage.
The risk for depression in women is nearly twice as high as it is for men. Once a person in the family has this diagnosis, their siblings and their children have a higher chance of the same diagnosis.
What are the symptoms of mood disorders?
Depending on age and the type of mood disorder, a person may have different symptoms when they become depressed. The following are the most common symptoms of a mood disorder:
- Ongoing sad, anxious, or “empty” mood
- Feeling hopeless or helpless
- Having low self-esteem
- Feeling inadequate or worthless
- Excessive guilt
- Not interested in normal activities or activities that were once enjoyed, including sex
- Relationship problems
- Trouble sleeping or sleeping too much
- Changes in appetite or weight
- Decreased energy
- Trouble focusing
- Less able to make decisions
- Frequent physical complaints (for example, headache, stomachache, or tiredness) that don’t get better with treatment
- Running away or threats of running away from home
- Very sensitive to failure or rejection
- Irritability, hostility, or aggression
- Repeated thoughts of death or suicide, planning for death, or wishing to die
(Note: People with this symptom should get treatment right away!)
In mood disorders, these feelings are more intense than what a person may normally feel from time to time. It’s also of concern if these feelings continue over time. Or if they interfere with someone’s interest in family, friends, community, or work.
Any person who has thoughts of suicide should get medical help right away. If you can’t get in immediately to your primary care provider, go to a reputable mental health facility in your community. Don’t put it off.
The symptoms of mood disorders may seem like other conditions or mental health problems. Always talk with a healthcare provider for a diagnosis.
How are mood disorders diagnosed?
Mood disorders are serious illnesses. A psychiatrist, clinical psychologist, advanced practice registered nurse, or licensed clinical social worker can diagnose mood disorders after completing a complete health history and psychiatric evaluation.
Could You Have A Mood Disorder?
If your emotions and moods seem out of your control over a long period of time, you may have a mood disorder. There are several different types, and all of them can be treated.
Bipolar Disorder
This causes extreme mood swings, from depression to emotional highs called mania. During the highs, you have more energy and your thoughts may come quickly — you may be unusually talkative. You might get a lot of things done, but also might behave in unpredictable, unhealthy ways. These mood shifts can happen only a few times a year or as often as several times a week.
Treatment
You may need to see a psychiatrist, who can prescribe medication, along with a psychologist, who focuses on talk therapy to help you deal with problems at work or family tension. Antidepressants, antipsychotics, anti-anxiety medications, and mood stabilizers can treat bipolar disorder. In severe cases, electroconvulsive therapy — when an electric current is passed through your brain — helps some people.
Major Depressive Disorder
This is also called clinical depression, or simply depression. It’s more than having “the blues” — it’s long periods of extreme sadness that keep coming back. You may get angry or frustrated easily, or lose interest in things you used to enjoy. Small tasks may seem overwhelming, and you may feel empty, hopeless, tired, and distracted. You also may have trouble with sleeping — either too much or too little. Some people with the major depressive disorder could have some minor manic symptoms but not often enough to call their condition bipolar disorder.
Treatment
Your doctor may suggest that you speak with a trained mental health professional (a therapist). This is called talk therapy or psychotherapy. You may talk with someone one-on-one, or go to group sessions with other people who have the same condition. Your doctor may also give you medication to help your mood, especially if your symptoms are severe.
This is a form of the major depressive disorder where symptoms last at least 2 years. It combines two former types of depression that had been called dysthymic disorder and chronic major depression.
Treatment
Talk therapy may help with PDD, too. For example, with cognitive behavior therapy, you learn about your condition and do things to help you understand and change your thoughts and behavior. That might include reflection, meditation, and journaling. Medications can help with PDD as well.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
This may feel a lot like major depressive disorder, but the symptoms are brought on by the change of seasons: It begins and ends at about the same time every year. It’s most likely to start in fall, continue into winter, and not end until spring. As with other kinds of depression, you may have less energy, feel moody and anxious, and have trouble sleeping.
Treatment
Talk therapy or antidepressants may help, and your doctor also might suggest light therapy. That’s when you sit or work near a bright light that’s similar to natural outdoor light.
Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD)
This is like premenstrual syndrome (PMS) but worse. You might feel sadness, anxiety, irritability, and extreme moodiness in the 7 to 10 days before your period. Doctors aren’t sure why some women are affected by this, but it can be linked to depression and anxiety. Only a doctor can tell you for sure if you have PMDD.
Treatment
It can help to exercise, stay away from caffeine and alcohol, and eat a healthy diet. Nutritional supplements like vitamin B6 and magnesium may also help, but talk to your doctor first. In severe cases, your doctor may give you antidepressants to take all the time or just between the time you ovulate and have your period.
Depressive Disorder Due to a Medical Condition
Depression, or symptoms of it, are often linked to serious health problems that can affect your mood, such as thyroid disease, some kinds of infections, or brain conditions like Huntington’s disease or Parkinson’s disease.
Treatment
Your doctor will treat the medical problem that’s causing it, but you also may need medication or talk therapy for your depression as well.
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