What Is Mood Disorder?

Life isn’t perfect. It has its highs and lows, and so do you. Situations and environments can cause you to have a roller-coaster of emotions which can lead to some degree of emotional imbalance.

Some individuals bounce back immediately in their search for emotional peace, but some find it difficult to do so. They struggle to maintain a balance of emotions even if their lives are seemingly great on the outside. This condition is known as a mood disorder.

What is mood disorder?

Mood disorders are nothing but a broad classification of all types of depression and bipolar disorders. People from all ages can be affected by mood disorders, although the symptoms might vary greatly.

Some of the more common types of mood disorders are:

• Chronic Depression. Feeling down or sad for prolonged periods of time, feeling hopeless and losing interest in day-to-day activities.
• Bipolar Disorder. Experiencing periods of depression alternating with periods of elevated mood.
• Substance-induced or Health Condition Related Symptoms. Symptoms of depression can be a direct result of substance abuse or effects of medication, while sometimes severe health conditions can bring on depression.
• Dysthymia. A condition that involves suffering from a depressed or irritable mood for at least 2 years.

Various factors like age and medical history can affect the nature of symptoms in different people. Some of the more common symptoms include low self-esteem, sleep issues (deprivation or oversleeping), appetite and weight issues (loss or gain), concentration and memory problems etc.

Mood disorders are very real and seeking medical help is recommended if they tend to interfere with the way you live your life. Here are a few treatments a mental health professional may advise you to successfully overcome your disorder over time:

• Psychotherapy. One of the most popular therapy methods for patients of depression, this treatment involves identifying and avoiding stress points in the environment as well as changing the patients’ often negative views about themselves and their surroundings.
• Medication. Often prescribed in congruence with psychotherapy, antidepressant medication has been known to have a highly positive effect.
• Family Therapy. This technique enlists the help of close personal relatives and family of the patients to effectively nurture development and change.

There are a few more methods like electro-convulsive therapy which can be used to treat mood disorders. Whatever the case, family plays an important role in treating patients of depression. Early diagnosis and treatment of people with mood disorders can help them recover better and live stable and healthy lives.
Hope we answered your question: what is mood disorder.