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Better Understanding Mood Disorders
An estimated one in 10 Americans today suffers from mood disorders, including depression and bipolar disorder. While mood disorders can have a wide range of symptoms and behaviors, almost all can prevent sufferers from leading their most productive lives.
Nationally-renowned psychiatric programs within Sibcy House at Lindner Center of HOPE offer diagnostic and treatment expertise provided by some of the leading, internationally recognized experts in the fields of depression and bipolar disorder.
What Is a Mood Disorder?
A mood disorder (also called a depressive disorder or depressive illness) is a state of sustained emotion that, in extreme cases, colors the patient’s view of the world. It affects the way an individual feels about the future and can alter basic attitudes about the self.
Mood disorders are characterized by disturbances in feelings, thinking, and behavior and may range from severe depression to severe mania.
- Depression is much more than sadness.
- A depressive illness is painful, often debilitating, and can take a terrible toll on patients and families.
- Depression can result in severe emotional, behavioral, health and even legal and financial problems that affect every area of a patient’s life.
- Left untreated, depression can lead to a downward spiral of disability, dependency and, in its most severe state, thoughts of hopelessness and suicide. A depression treatment center can help both teen depression and adult mental health issues.
- Severe, prolonged depressed moods that interfere with a person’s interpersonal or occupational functioning may signal a mood disorder or mental health problem.
Types of Mood Disorders
People with depressive illnesses do not all experience the same symptoms. The severity, frequency and duration of symptoms will vary depending on the individual and his or her particular illness. There are several forms of mood disorders. The most common are:
Major Depressive Disorder – This mental health disorder is characterized by symptoms that interfere with an individual’s ability to work, sleep, eat, or even enjoy life.
Dysthymic Disorder – This disorder usually includes less severe but longer-term symptoms of chronic, mild depression.
Bipolar Disorder – This disorder is characterized by extreme shifts in mood, energy, and functioning, similar to major depression disorder, but with a history of mania or hypomania.
While not all health care professionals agree on how to characterize and define various forms of depression, other mood disorders that exhibit slightly different characteristics or that may develop under unique circumstances include:
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) – This disorder is characterized by the onset of a depressive illness during winter months or even summer months.
- Psychotic Depression – This occurs when a severe depressive illness is accompanied by some form of psychosis, such as a break with reality, hallucinations, and delusions.
- Postpartum Depression – This is diagnosed if a new mother experiences a major depressive episode within one month after delivery. It is estimated that 10 to 15% of women experience postpartum depression after giving birth.
Causes of Mood Disorders
Although doctors at mental health rehabilitation centers are still determining the exact causes of mood or depressive disorders, most believe that mood disorders may result from a complex interaction of genetic, medical, psychological and psychosocial factors.
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