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Mood disorders are a class of mental disorders that directly affect your emotional state. To understand what a mood disorder is, it is important to distinguish between moods and emotions.
Emotions are short-term yet intense feelings experienced in response to a situation, person or thing. On the other hand, mood is a long-standing state that is not very easy to shake. Moods also do not have a specific or obvious context associated with them.
Typically, mood changes occur in response to a situation. However, to be diagnosed with a mood disorder, the symptoms should be present for weeks or longer. These symptoms should also significantly affect functioning, such as your sleep and eating cycle, your relationships with others, and your sense of self.
Being fired from a job, getting divorced, losing a loved one, a death in the family, and financial trouble can all be difficult. These life events can bring on additional feelings of sadness and make mood disorders harder to manage.
5 types of mood disorders
Mood disorders are generally misunderstood. In pop culture, they are usually depicted as something that can be fixed by 'being positive' or spending a day at a spa.
However, these disorders are characterized by emotional extremes and challenges in regulating mood. Understanding common mood disorders is the first step in the treatment process.
Disclaimer: These symptoms are not for the purpose of diagnosis and you should seek professional advice for more help.
1) Clinical depression or major depressive disorder
Depression goes beyond typical sadness and can become an all-encompassing mood disorder. Its evident symptoms begin with neglect of friends and hobbies.
Things you enjoyed before, like going out for lunch with your friends, may not interest you any more. You may also feel hopeless or discouraged in carrying out daily life activities. Getting out of bed or even taking a bath can seem cumbersome when you have depression.
2) Bipolar disorder
Being diagnosed with bipolar disorder does not mean that you are moody or have mood swings. It is a serious mood disorder that involves drastic shifts in mood, emotions, and energy, ranging from extreme lows, called depressive episodes, to excessive highs or mania. These shifts may not happen from moment to moment - they usually happen over days or weeks.
A depressive episode is identical to clinical depression. On the other hand, in a manic state, people can feel overly energetic, extremely happy or excited, and have very high self-esteem.
On the surface, mania looks like a positive state to be in. However, when someone is in a manic state, these characteristics can be really extreme. For instance, a person in a manic state may invest all their money in a risky business venture.
3) Dysthymia or persistent depressive disorder
Dysthymia or persistent depressive disorder is best defined as low-grade depression. Even though it may be low-grade, it does not mean that it is not serious. The symptoms carry on for years, and you will only be diagnosed with it after you have experienced it for about two years.
4) Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder (DMDD)
A core feature of disruptive mood dysregulation disorder is severe and persistent irritability. It is important to note that the symptoms must be present before a person is 10 years old.
Young children throw tantrums from time to time and go through periods of irritability. But if these symptoms become more intense and frequent, and your child frequently shows physical aggression towards others and damages property without any provocation, they may be experiencing DMDD.
5) Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)
The concept of "Monday blues" is not supported by scientific evidence, but seasonal affective disorder is. SAD is a mood disorder that is usually experienced with the onset of late fall or winter. This mood disorder often starts with fatigue, low energy, and has all or most symptoms of depression.
This disorder is also prevalent in countries where winter is the dominant season and exposure to sunlight is limited. Light therapy is the preferred choice for the treatment of this disorder.
If you are noticing drastic changes in your mood and enjoyment of life, it is best to reach out to a mental health professional. You may relate to some of the symptoms here, or you may not, but understanding if you have a disorder is crucial to your well-being.
A mental health professional can help you understand how each of these disorders impact you. Mood disorders can be severe and persistent, but help and support is available.
