Surviving The Challenges
of Mood Disorders

There is nothing necessarily wrong when your mood shifts from time to time. It is natural for people to feel good and under the weather at times. What can be upsetting is when your mood shifts happen consistently and, maybe, without justifiable reasons. When this happens, give it your serious attention because it could be a sign of a mood disorder.

Mood disorders are “an emotional health class that health professionals use to broadly describe all types of depression and bipolar disorders,” says Johns Hopkins Medicine. According to a National Comorbidity Survey-Replication study, depression isn’t rare. It is a leading cause that affects approximately 9.5 percent or 20.9 million adults in the United States. Other forms include dysthymia and the other types of substance-induced mood disorders.

These conditions must not be taken lightly because the symptoms can be painful and persistent. The symptoms of mood disorders can be so severe they can distort your feelings and interfere with your day-to-day functioning. They can trigger negative thoughts that can overwhelm you, ruin your relationships, wreak havoc on your health, and diminish the overall quality of your life.

Know that you need not unduly struggle. The outlook of mood disorders can be improved with proper diagnosis and treatment. Understanding your mood condition is important as it can bring about empowerment, helping you make the right decisions and finding the right professional help. If you wish to be enlightened about mood disorders, here are some basic facts to know:

  • Mood disorders are often misconstrued. Scientific advancement and education have significantly improved society’s perception of depression, bipolar disorder, etc. Not many people with any of these mood conditions, however, would openly seek help to be free from its unwanted symptoms. Why? It is because it continues to carry a “bad” reputation or stigma, which can be extended even to their families. It is important to know that enduring in silence is not your only option. You can seek help to improve its outcome.
  • It needs to be treated because mood disorders are conditions. It is true that there is no confirmed single reason for a mood condition. What is certain is that there is imbalance in the neurotransmitters or chemicals in your brain, which could be generated by a genetic predisposition, medication, change in hormonal levels, a medical ailment, or substance abuse. Since mood disorders are not something that you can shake off or “snap out” of, it is important to seek professional help.
  • The symptoms are non-specific and challenging to recognize. Mood disorders cannot be diagnosed using a test. In addition, the symptoms are generally non-specific. This means that the manifestations can be linked to a number of possible emotional conditions. For instance, sadness can be misconstrued as the mellowing of an older adult or the introverted personality trait of a person, but not a depressive symptom. Similarly, euphoria/mania can be thought of as a positive attitude, but not as a symptom of bipolar disorder. But what about when it is resulting in unfortunate consequences in life. The key is to have the symptoms assessed when mood shifts are becoming intense and frequent.
  • Paying attention to red flags or “hallmark” symptoms is important. Even when most symptoms are nonspecific, there are warning signs that you must not ignore.  When these symptoms occur with greater intensity, and the mood swings are becoming frequent or without good reason, it is best that these are properly evaluated by a qualified expert. According to PsychGuides, some physical and emotional symptoms to note are:

Physical Symptoms

Mood Disorder

  • Decreased energy or fatigue
  • Headaches, body aches, pains, cramps or digestive problems
  • Difficulty remembering details, making decisions or concentrating
  • Loss of appetite or overeating
  • Excessive sleeping or insomnia

 

Mania

  • Racing thoughts and jumping from one idea to the next
  • Pressured or rapid speech
  • Increased goal-directed activities
  • Being easily distracted
  • Insomnia

Emotional Symptoms

Mood Disorders

  • Thoughts of and attempts at suicide
  • Loss of interest in activities that were pleasurable in the past
  • Unyielding anxiety, sadness or feelings of emptiness
  • Feelings of worthlessness, helplessness or guilt
  • Feelings of hopelessness or pessimism

Mania

  • Prolonged periods of elation
  • Restlessness
  • Irritability, agitation or excessive energy
  • Feelings of grandiosity
  • Impulsive, risky or hedonistic behavior
  • These conditions can increase your vulnerability to other health conditions. Aside from the emotional turmoil that may overwhelm you, mood conditions can similarly increase your risks to other medical issues, like coronary ailments and diabetes. These can also increase your susceptibility to emotional conditions, such as overwhelm, anxiety, etc. This is among the many reasons why it is critical to seek professional assistance before the symptoms worsen and the impact on your functioning and health become more complicated.
  • They can have immediate and lasting effects. Mood disorders can bring about dramatic changes in your behavior, temper, thought, and energy. Any of these conditions can prevent you from undertaking regular, day-to-day chores, from striving for your dreams or doing what it takes to succeed in your academic pursuits or career. It can alienate you from your family and friends. Becoming reckless because of mania can ruin your finances or endanger your health. The impact of these behaviors can leave a deep dent, not only on your present life, but on your future as well.
  • They can’t just be stopped or prevented. Despite medical and scientific advances, the roots of these conditions are still not very clear. Being a result of the interplay between several factors, it is difficult to reduce the vulnerability risk of a person. Early recognition and assessment of the symptoms, however, can help. With interventions, the outlook of the disorder can be improved. This underscores the value of recognizing the symptoms and seeking help, especially when you have a genetic predisposition – you have it in the family, you are an introvert, you had a traumatic or painful experience, etc.
  • With treatment, the symptoms can be alleviated. Mood disorders can happen to anybody. The fact that it happened to almost anyone at a time when it is better understood and there are breakthroughs in neuroscience, however, bring hope that things can improve. The diagnostic techniques and treatment strategies are improving the quality of emotional health care. Genetics is now being utilized to predict susceptibilities. The continuing effort to improve the outlook for mood disorders is paying off and it is resulting in diagnosis and treatment being more available and accessible to those that need it.

Where to Seek Help

There are many good reasons to feel distraught by mood disorders – the intense and difficult symptoms, the long-term impact on your health and life, and the fact that the root causes are unclear. Know, however, that you are not helpless. There’s a good outlook for mood conditions with early recognition of the symptoms and professional interventions. So, know the physical and emotional symptoms of the common mood disorders and have them assessed by a proficient therapist independently contracted with Carolina Counseling Services – Southern Pines, NC.

You may find it confusing to know the best thing to do when you are being incapacitated by a mood condition. It can be a natural reaction to gravitate to the people you trust. While they can support you in your uphill climb to get better, do not forget that you need the dedicated care and informed interventions of a professional. Move past mood disorders. Let an experienced counselor/therapist independently contracted with Carolina Counseling Services – Southern Pines, NC journey with you, so you can bounce back faster. Call today!

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