Mood Disorders
Mood disorders have an underlying feature of a disturbance in a person’s emotional mood. All people with mood disorders do not experience the same symptoms. The severity, frequency and duration of symptoms will vary depending on the individual and his or her particular diagnosis. Two of the most common mood disorders are depression and bipolar disorder.
Depression
Everyone occasionally feels sad, but these feelings are usually fleeting and pass within a couple of days. When a person has a depressive disorder, it interferes with daily life, normal functioning, and causes pain for both the person with the disorder and those who care about him or her. Common symptoms of depression include:
- Persistent sadness and despair
- Feelings of hopelessness
- Feelings of guilt, worthlessness and/or helplessness
- Irritability, restlessness
- Loss of interest in activities or hobbies once pleasurable, including sex
- Fatigue
- Difficulty concentrating and making decisions
- Insomnia, or excessive sleeping
- Overeating, or appetite loss
- Thoughts of suicide, suicide attempts
- Persistent aches and pain
Depression is a common but serious illness, and most people who experience it need treatment to get better. There are several forms of depressive disorders. The most common are major depressive disorder and dysthymic disorder.
Major depressive disorder, also called major depression, is characterized by a combination of symptoms that interfere with a person’s ability to work, sleep, study, eat and enjoy once pleasurable activities. Major depression is disabling and prevents a person from functioning normally. An episode of major depression may occur only once in a person’s lifetime, but more often, it recurs throughout a person’s life.
Dysthymic disorder, also called dysthymia, is characterized by long-term (two years or longer) but less severe symptoms that may not disable a person but can prevent one from functioning normally or feeling well. People with dysthymia may also experience one or more episodes of major depression during their lifetimes.
Some forms of depressive disorder exhibit slightly different characteristics than those described above, or they may develop under unique circumstances:
Psychotic depression, which occurs when a severe depressive illness is accompanied by some form of psychosis, such as a break with reality, hallucinations, and delusions.
Postpartum depression, which is diagnosed if a new mother develops a major depressive episode within one month after delivery. It is estimated that 10 to 15 percent of women experience postpartum depression after giving birth.
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), which is characterized by the onset of a depressive illness during the winter months, when there is less natural sunlight. The depression generally lifts during spring and summer.
Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder, also known as manic depression or manic-depressive disorder, involves dramatic shifts in mood from the highs of mania to the lows of major depression. More than just a fleeting good or bad mood, the cycles of bipolar disorder last for days, weeks, or months.
Unlike ordinary mood swings, bipolar disorder is much more intense and disruptive to everyday functioning, affecting energy, activity levels, judgment, and behavior. Bipolar disorder causes dramatic mood swings — from overly “high” and/or irritable to sad and hopeless, and then back again, often with periods of normal mood in between. The periods of highs and lows are called episodes of mania and depression.
During a manic episode, feelings of heightened energy, creativity, and euphoria are common. A person may impulsively quit a job, charge huge amounts of debt, or feel rested after sleeping two hours. Although mania feels good at first, it has a tendency to spiral out of control. People often behave recklessly during a manic episode and may become angry, irritable, and aggressive.
During a depressive episode, the same person might be too tired to get out of bed and full of self-loathing and hopelessness over his or her unemployment status and credit card bills. The depressive phase of bipolar disorder is very similar to that of major depression; however, with bipolar disorder, a person is more likely to experience symptoms of low energy.
A mixed episode of bipolar disorder features symptoms of both mania and depression. Common signs of a mixed episode include agitation, irritability, insomnia, appetite changes, loss of contact with reality, and suicidal thoughts. This combination of high energy and low mood makes for a particularly high risk of suicide.
This information is not meant to replace professional advice, diagnosis or care from a licensed mental health practitioner; its sole intent is for education.
Only an experienced mental health professional can make an actual diagnosis. If you believe you may be suffering from one of these disorders, please consult a mental health professional.