Mood disorders are those mental health disorders that majorly impact the emotional well-being of an individual. These disorder impact for a long duration and deals with severe forms of expression of both happiness and sadness. Mood changes are normal in daily life circumstances but when an individual experiences mood disorders it means that the individual has been having symptoms the same for several weeks or months and these symptoms had a negative impact on the well-being a person. There are various types of mood disorders such as major depressive disorder, dysthymia, bipolar disorder, mood disorder due to another medical condition, mood disorder due to substance abuse, etc.
Mood disorders can be diagnosed and identified amongst adults but in cases of teens or children, it is difficult to diagnose mood disorders. The reason for the difficulty in diagnosis of mood disorders in children and teens is due to the fact that not all teens and children are expressive about what they are feeling and experiencing.
Types of Mood disorders
The types of mood disorders are as follows:
- Major Depressive Disorder: It is also known as clinical depression or major depression. The individual diagnosed with this disorder experiences long periods of sadness, lack of interest in anything, feeling hopeless, etc.
- Dysthymia (Dysthymic Disorder): This disorder lasts for at least 2 years and shows irritable mood, ongoing or chronic depression, etc.
- Bipolar I Disorder: This disorder mainly evidences manic episodes. The manic episode includes feeling euphoric, elevated energy, elevated activity, irritability, etc. In this disorder, during manic episode individual usually engage in risk-taking behaviors that have negative consequences for themselves or others.
- Bipolar II Disorder: This disorder is diagnosed in an individual if they have experienced at least one episode of hypomania (a less severe form of mania), and at least one episode of major depression, currently or in past. This disorder is not diagnosed when the person has experienced a full manic episode.
- Cyclothymia (Cyclothymic Disorder): In this disorder, the individual experiences symptoms of hypomania and depression but none of these symptoms meet the full criteria of hypomanic or depression. This disorder lasts for at least two years.
- Mood Disorder due to Another Medical Condition: There are certain medical conditions that can induce or trigger the symptoms of mood disorder. Such medical conditions can be injuries, infections, cancer, etc.
- Mood Disorder due to Substance Abuse: Excessive intake of substances like alcohol, drugs, medicines, or other kinds of toxins can trigger or induce symptoms of mood disorders.
Signs and symptoms:
There are various physical symptoms that individual experiences when diagnosed with mood disorders, such as, feeling fatigued, excessive sleep or insomnia, body aches and cramps, digestive concerns, loss of appetite or eating a lot, trouble concentrating, troubles in decision making, pressured speech, hypersexuality, racing thoughts, being easily distracted, etc. The individual diagnosed with mood disorders experiences several emotional symptoms as well, which are: feeling hopeless, loss of interest, feeling sad and empty, feeling worthless, having thought of attempting suicide, feeling restless, feeling grandiosity, feeling irritated or agitated, feeling risky or impulsive, loss of interest in things that were pleasurable earlier, etc.
Causes and Risk Factors:
The causes of mood disorders can vary, as they can be genetic, environmental, biological, or due to other factors related to mood disorders. The risk factors for mood disorders include family history, physical illness or use of medications, traumatic events in life, brain functioning and structure, history of mood disorders, etc.
Treatment for Mood disorders
The treatment of each mood disorder uses a method according to the severity of that illness, which include pharmacological drugs and psychotherapy techniques. The measures of treatment include antidepressants, antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, cognitive behavior therapy, interpersonal therapy, problem-solving therapy, electroconvulsive therapy, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, etc.
Conclusion:
Mood disorders are mental health disorders that impact the emotional state and various spheres of our lives negatively. Mood disorders are of various types based on the differences in symptoms and severity of each disorder impacting our mood. There are several measures of treatment for mood disorders.
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