Mood Disorders

Most people worldwide do not give high importance to mood disorders which are devastating for mental health. They generally ignore a mood disorder because they lack knowledge about it. So, what is a mood disorder? A mood disorder is a mental health problem that affects a person’s mental state. When a person is suffering from mood disorders, the individual is likely to suffer long periods of extreme happiness or long periods of extreme sadness, or both.

Regular fluctuation in the mood is normal; feeling sad due to an unfortunate event is normal. However, if negativity and self-doubt persist, then there are chances that you are suffering from a mood disorder. There are different types of mood disorders, and some of them are explained below.

Types of Mood Disorders

Depression

One of the common mood disorders is Depression. Clinical psychologists have suggested that the primary reason behind Depression can be due to traumatic life events such as the death of a close relative, loss of a job, or a major health issue. Feeling depressed while going through a challenging and struggling phase is quite normal. But if feelings of negativity, self-doubt, worthlessness, etc., stays even after the end of stressful events, then it is a sign of Depression. If a person is diagnosed with Depression, the symptoms can last for two weeks.

The different types of Depression are as follows:- 

1. Postpartum Depression
2. Persistent depressive disorder
3. Seasonal affective disorder
4. Psychotic Depression
5. Depression due to medical conditions, medication, or substance abuse

Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder where people undergo mood swings that can lead to aggressive behaviour. In bipolar disorder, a person can experience low mood, which is one of the symptoms of clinical depression. However, when a person reaches the stage of aggressive behaviour, they can either feel highly satisfied or highly irritable. Thus, during bipolar disorder, a person expresses one emotion in excess.

There are four different types of bipolar disorder.

1. Bipolar 1 disorder
2. Bipolar 2 disorder
3. Cyclothymic disorder
4. Unspecified bipolar disorder

Premenstrual dysphoric disorder

Of all the mood disorders, premenstrual dysphoric disorder has a set duration. A premenstrual dysphoric disorder starts ten days prior to menstruation and goes away a few days after the menstrual period is over. According to different researchers, it is believed that premenstrual dysphoric disorder occurs due to the hormonal changes caused due to menstrual cycle. Some of the common symptoms of this disorder are anger, irritability, tension, lack of interest in everyday activities, and sleeping issues.

Intermittent explosive disorder

Intermittent explosive disorder is one of the lesser-known mood disorders. In this type of mood disorder, a person can show unwarranted anger. Thus an individual can get angry even at the slightest of events. Moreover, when an individual is suffering from an intermittent explosive disorder, the behavioural outbursts can go out of control.

Symptoms of mood disorders

The various symptoms of a mood disorder are:-

1. Feeling down and out for the majority of hours in a day.
2. Experiencing a shortage of energy
3. Experiencing the feeling of being worthless.
4. Deterioration in appetite
5. Increase or decrease in body mass
6. Not feeling interested in doing activities that previously brought enjoyment
7. Excessive sleeping
8. Getting thoughts of committing suicide.
9. Struggling to concentrate on work

Which mood disorder do I have? is a difficult question to answer because the symptoms of a mood disorder are diverse. Therefore, a proper survey needs to be carried out on the individual before determining the disorder he is suffering from.  

How are mood disorders diagnosed?

To identify whether a person is suffering from mood disorders, a doctor will perform certain physical examinations for ruling out physiological symptoms such as thyroid problems and other illnesses. The doctor will first ask the patient about their medical history and will take a note of the medicines the patient is consuming. After this, a psychologist or a psychiatrist will conduct a survey on the patient. In this survey, the psychologist will ask questions related to sleeping, eating, and other behaviours.

How to treat mood disorders?

The treatment of a mood disorder depends on the symptoms and illness a person is suffering from. Thus the treatment of a mood disorder depends on the result of the question: which mood disorder do I have? A treatment procedure for mood disorders is done by using medicines and psychotherapy. The therapy sessions are conducted by psychologists or other health professionals.

Different types of medication for treating mood disorders are as follows:-

1. Antidepressants
2. Mood stabilisers
3. Antipsychotics

Conclusion

People refrain from discussing issues related to mental health, which is extremely wrong. Mental health should be given the highest priority because if a person has an excellent mental state, then they have the power of achieving whatever they dream. Moreover, a good mental state radiates positivity and enhances a person’s problem-solving ability. 

Everyone faces challenges in their life. For example, a student feeling stressed before appearing in an examination, a corporate employee feeling anxious before giving a presentation, etc. But if a person has a good state of mind, it will help them in dealing with difficult situations with calmness and composure.