Depression and Mood Disorders

What is a Mood Disorder?

Everyone has days where they feel sad, angry, or wanting to be left alone - this is just part of being human. But if you feel that your mood and emotions are out of control for an extended period of time, it could be the indication of a mood disorder. There is a number of different mood disorders, but the good news is that all of them are treatable.

 

Depression

There’s a difference in feeling sad, lonely, or grief-stricken for a while, and being affected by clinical depression. If you get back to normal, you’re usually fine. When it becomes a problem is if you don't. When the feelings linger and affect your work, relationships, hobbies and sleep, even small tasks may seem impossible, and people with depression struggle to live normal lives. If it gets even worse you might start to feel daily fatigue or even become suicidal. And the problem is you can’t just “pull yourself together” to get out of the depression. Treatment is key in these situations.

Signs of Major Depression

  • Feelings of sadness, grief, emptiness, loneliness

  • Feeling fatigued

  • Losing interest in activities you used to enjoy

  • Problems sleeping, either sleeping too little or too much

  • Feeling worthless, guilty, or worrying that you’re being a burden to others

  • Problems concentrating

  • Quickly losing or gaining a lot of weight

  • Feeling irritated, restless, or frustrated

  • Thoughts of death or suicide, or suicide attempts

 

Other Mood Disorders

Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder can cause extreme mood swings, going all the way from depression to an emotional hyperactivity. During the hypomanic/manic phase, thoughts come quickly and you are quick to act on them, and it’s usually coupled with talking both fast and a lot. How often these swings occur differ - for some it's a couple of times a year, for others the moods can cycle several times a week.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

Some people suffer from symptoms similar to depression, but they come and go at the same time of year. Mostly it starts in autumn and ends in spring. This disorder is more common where winters are dark and long, but it could affect anyone.

Feelings of Anger, Anxiety, and Grief

You might be carrying around negative feelings. Maybe you do not reflect on exactly why you feel the way you do, but your mood might swing quickly or you have problems controlling your emotions. This could result in difficulties with family or friends, and at work or at school. If you feel that you have emotions that cause trouble in your life, or just interfere with your daily life, contact us. We can help with understanding your emotions and give you guidelines for handling them when you feel them becoming unmanageable.

 

Treatment

If you believe you have any of the above, you should talk to an expert. The problem might be realizing when you actually need professional help. You might not know you could get help for your mental health. Depression is tricky in that it can leave the person feeling too defeated and unable to seek help for themselves. If you believe a loved one is suffering, take action on their part. Therapy is usually the start for recovering from depression, but a doctor may also prescribe drugs to help increase or stabilize your mood.