Mood disorder - Rejuvenate Clinic

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Mood Disorders

Mood disorders are a category of mental health conditions that involve prominent and persistent changes in mood. The two main types are depressive disorders and bipolar disorders.

Some key things to know about mood disorders:

• They involve emotions and moods that are either elevated (manic highs), depressed, or both in alternation. This differs from normal emotional ups and downs.
• They can significantly impact daily functioning, relationships, work/school performance, and quality of life.
• They often run in families, suggesting genetic and biological factors. But environment and life experiences also play a role.
• Effective treatments exist in the form of medications, psychotherapy, brain stimulation therapies, lifestyle changes, and often a combination.

Depressive Disorders involve persistent feelings of sadness, emptiness, guilt, or hopelessness, accompanied by other symptoms like fatigue, changes in sleep/appetite/concentration, and thoughts of death or suicide. The two main types are major depressive disorder and persistent depressive disorder (dysthymia).

In contrast, Bipolar Disorders involve cycles between very high and very low moods. Bipolar I involves severe manic episodes with or without depressive episodes. Bipolar II involves less extreme manic periods called hypomania, alternating with depression.

During manic/hypomanic phases, people have unusually elevated, expansive, or irritated moods. They may feel euphoric, overflowing with energy and ideas, have little need for sleep, take risks, and show poor judgment. The highs are followed by depressive crashes.

Effective Treatments for mood disorders include medications like antidepressants, mood stabilizers, psychotherapy, brain stimulation therapies like ECT or TMS, support groups, lifestyle changes to reduce stress and improve sleep and diet, and often a combined approach.

With appropriate treatment, many people with mood disorders can manage their symptoms, function well, and enjoy healthy, fulfilling lives. But these conditions can certainly be challenging. Having compassion, avoiding judgment, and providing emotional support to loved ones with mood disorders is important.

The causes of mood disorders appear to involve a web of genetic, biological, environmental, and psychological factors that interact in complex ways. Research to better understand these illnesses continues, aimed at improving treatments and outcomes for the many people worldwide affected by them.