Mood Disorders

MOOD DISORDERS

Mood Disorders

Mood disorders are more intense and harder to manage than typical feelings of sadness. Life events, stress, poor diet and sedentary activity can expose or worsen feelings of sadness or depression. This makes the feelings harder to manage.

Sometimes, life's problems can trigger depression. Being fired from a job, getting divorced, losing a loved one, death in the family, and financial trouble all can be difficult and coping with the pressure may be troublesome. Life events and stress can bring on feelings of sadness or depression or make a mood disorder harder to manage.

Depending on age and the type of mood disorder, a person may have different symptoms of depression. The following are the most common symptoms of a mood disorder:

Ongoing sad, anxious, or “empty” mood
Feeling hopeless or helpless
Having low self-esteem
Feeling inadequate or worthless
Excessive guilt
Repeating thoughts of death or suicide, wishing to die, or attempting suicide
Loss of interest in usual activities or activities that were once enjoyed, including sex
Relationship problems
Trouble sleeping or sleeping too much
Changes in appetite and/or weight
Decreased energy
Trouble concentrating
A decrease in the ability to make decisions
Frequent physical complaints (for example, headache, stomachache, or tiredness) that don’t get better with treatment
Running away or threats of running away from home
Very sensitive to failure or rejection
Irritability, hostility, or aggression

In mood disorders, these feelings are more intense than what a person may typically feel from time to time. It’s also of concern if these feelings continue over time, or interfere with one's interest in family, friends, community, or work.
The symptoms of mood disorders may sometimes look like other conditions or mental health problems.

Common Mood Disorders

Depression
Having less interest in usual activities, feeling sad or hopeless, and other symptoms for at least 2 weeks may indicate depression.
Dysthymia
This is a chronic, low-grade, depressed, or irritable mood that lasts for at least 2 years.
Bipolar disorder
This is a condition in which a person has periods of depression alternating with periods of mania or elevated mood.
Mood disorder related to another health condition
Many medical illnesses (including cancer, injuries, infections, and chronic illnesses) can trigger symptoms of depression.
Substance-induced mood disorder
Symptoms of depression that are due to the effects of medicine, drug abuse, alcoholism, exposure to toxins, or other forms of treatment.

The above conditions often occur concurrently with:
~ Addiction disorders
~ Anxiety disorders
~ Attention disorders
~ Emotion and behavior dysregulation
~ Low self-esteem
~ Trauma disorders

Risk Factors for Mood Disorders

History of mental health disorder. Having another mental health disorder, like anxiety, raises your risk for developing depression, or other mood disorders.
Abuse and Neglect. Emotional, physical, and sexual abuse or neglect during any stage of life is linked to mood disorders.
Trauma. Living through a traumatic event increases the risk of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which can cause irritability and mood dysregulation.
Adverse life events. Stressful or negative life events, like death of family or friends, losing a job, broken relationships, losing a home, financial distress, can lead to experiences of depression and other mood disorders.
Severe illness or chronic health condition. Constant worry about your health or the health of a loved one, or caring for someone who is sick, can cause you to feel overwhelmed, fearful, sad, and lonely.
Substance abuse. Some people use alcohol, THC, prescription medication, and illicit substances to hide or ease symptoms of mood dysregulation. Improper use, abuse, and dependency on these substances exacerbate mood disorders.
Being bullied. Some people who are victims of bullying may isolate, have difficulty trusting, question their self-worth, struggle with low self-esteem and, as a result, feel a deep and profound loneliness.
Low self-esteem. Negative perceptions about yourself may lead to social isolation, beliefs of inadequacy, and a sense of disconnection and loneliness.

Mood reactions can include a variety of responses, such as:

~ intense and ongoing emotional upset
~ behavioral changes
~ difficulties with self-regulation
~ problems relating to others or forming attachments
~ attention problems
~ academic difficulties
~ change in sleep patterns
~ change in appetite
~ physical aches and pains & other physical symptoms
~ use drugs or alcohol
~ increase in risky behaviors
~ difficulty in establishing fulfilling relationships
~ difficulty maintaining employment

Treatment interventions

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy * Cognitive Behavioral Therapies * Creative Expression Therapies
Dialectical Behavior Therapy * Holistic & Integrative Techniques * Therapeutic Play * Prescription Medications
Mindfulness * Meditation * Narrative Therapies * Emotional Freedom Technique (Tapping) * Hypnosis
Neurolinguistc Programming (NLP) * Somatic Therapies