Mood disorder is the term for mental illness characterized by periods of depression, sometimes alternating with periods of elevated mood. While everybody goes through sad or elated moods from time to time, people with mood disorders suffer from severe or prolonged mood states that disrupt their daily lives. Among the general mood disorders classified in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) are major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, and dysthymia.
The classification and diagnosis of mood disorders is done by doctors to determine if the mood disorder is unipolar or bipolar. When the depressive state is the only one experienced by a person, this type of depression is called unipolar disorder (or clinical depression). Major depression refers to a single severe, long-term period of depression, which is marked by negative or hopeless thoughts and physical symptoms like fatigue and sleep irregularities. When experiencing a major depressive disorder, patients have isolated, long episodes of depression, but in between these lengthy depressive periods, the patient does not feel depressed or have any other symptoms associated with depression. Some patients may have more frequent episodes which are short-term.
Bipolar disorder or bipolar depression (sometimes called manic depression) refers to a condition in which people experience two extremes in mood. They alternate between depression (the .low. mood) and mania (the .high. mood) or hypomania (the .less high. mood). These patients swing from depression to a frenzied, abnormal elevation in mood and then back again to depression. If these mood swings follow each other within days, the person is said to suffer from .rapid cycling. bipolar disorder. Mania and hypomania are similar, but mania is more severe and debilitating to the patient, usually crippling the ability to function normally, while a patient with hypomania is more capable of functioning normally.
Dysthymia is a recurring or lengthy depression that may last a lifetime. While it is similar to major depressive disorder, dysthymia is chronic, long-lasting, persistent, but a milder form of depression. Patients may have symptoms that are not as severe as with major depression, however the symptoms may last for many years. A mild form of the depression always seems to be present in those suffering from dysthymia. Sometimes, those people with dysthemia may also experience a major depressive episode on top of their dysthymia, a condition sometimes referred to as a .double depression..
Mood disorders are relatively common among both adolescents and adults. Depression may be characterized by a number of symptoms, including diminished interest in pleasurable activities, irregular sleep patterns, fatigue, suicidal thoughts, lack of concentration or memory, and delusional guilt. Mania is another form of a unipolar mood disorder. Mania is essentially the opposite state to depression, and is often characterized by an unrealistically high self-image, a lack of sleep accompanied by little or no fatigue, speeding thoughts, engaging in potentially harmful pleasurable activities to an alarming degree (like drug use, sexual promiscuity or uncontrollable spending sprees), inability to concentrate or focus on just one topic, and an increased agitation in physical movement. If these symptoms persist continuously for more than a week, and are not the result of drug use, and are severe enough to impair social interaction, a diagnosis of mania may result.
Bipolar disorders and unipolar disorders occur in millions of Americans every year. If they are properly recognized, diagnosed and treated, most bipolar or unipolar sufferers can lead normal lives. There are many treatment forms available such as psychological therapy (.talk. therapy) and electro-shock therapy. The most common form of treatment is drug therapy and there are many drugs which have been proven to lessen, control, and in some cases, even eradicate the symptoms of bipolar or unipolar disorder. Almost all of these medications have few side effects and are safe for long-term use.