Mood Disorders All People Experience Mood Changes.

Mood Disorders

All people experience mood changes. We are happy or sad. We may be overjoyed or in despair, but our reactions are in proportion to the situations we face. In mood disorders, this balance is not present. Moods are extreme. Depression is a sad state where things seem hopeless. Mania is elation or extremely heightened energy. In both states the person's perception of the world is somewhat distorted. Many famous people have had these disorders including Winston Churchill and Eugene O'Neill.

Unipolar depression: is the most common mood disorder, and is more than just a short period of "the blues." Up to 15% of the population may be clinically depressed during any given year.

Symptoms: Emotionally, people with depression feel sad. They may describe themselves as feeling miserable or empty inside. They lose pleasure in thing they used to enjoy, and lose their sense of humor. Depression can also cause agitation, anxiety, or anger, and have spells of crying. Depression may be linked to anxiety and the same treatments often help both disorders. Behaviorally, their activity level may drop. They may avoid people and spend excessive amounts of time in bed. They may even move and speak more slowly. Cognitively, they will have a markedly negative view of themselves. They will blame themselves for events over which they had no control, and won't acknowledge the good things they do. They tend to be pessimistic, see the future as bleak and believe they have no power to improve their situations. They may be very easily distracted. They may have physical symptoms including headaches or indigestion. Their appetite may decrease and may even develop delusions, or unrealistic beliefs.

Diagnosing: As with all psychological and psychiatric disorders, The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-IV) provides the critera. DSM lists specific symptoms for a major depressive episode, which must last at least two weeks; a major depressive disorder, and dsysthimc disorder, all forms of depression.

Cause: Depression is often triggered by some major event, although sometimes the cause may be within the individual (biological). Biology, psychological, and social factors may all play a part. Genetics are implicated for some people and may provide a predisposition to the disorder, as has been indicated in adoptive studies that rule out common environmental triggers among biological twins separated at birth. Neurotransmitters appear to play an important role in depression, which is why medication can play an important role in treatment. Freud credited unconscious processes after major loss, such as the death of a loved one that caused the person to regress. However, the sadness of the loss of a loved one is temporary in people who do not develop depression. Freud argued that depression is more likely to develop in individuals who were inadequately nurtured in childhood. Some studies suggest that those who lose a parent relatively early in life are more likely to become depressed later on.

Behaviorists note flawed thinking in depressed people, such as making arbitrary inferences from events and selective abstraction, where one small negative aspect of something assumes major importance. The person's larger culture may affect how depression is expressed, and having good social support decreases the likelihood that depression will develop.

Bipolar disorders: the person switches from depression to mania. A state of mania without experiencing depression at other times is uncommon.

Symptoms of mania: are described by those who have it as being on an emotional rollercoaster with exaggerated highs (manias) and lows (depression). In mania, emotions are dramatic and inappropriate for the situation. They may feel they are virtually invincible and that they can do anything, sometimes leading to dangerous behavior. Their interactions with others may be overwhelming and intrusive but they will not be aware of it. They tend to be highly active and high energy. Talk can be rapid and pressured. They may dress and act flamboyantly. Judgment and planning are impaired in mania. They may be excessively irritable.

Diagnosing: DSM recognizes two kinds of bipolar. In bipolar I, the patient experiences full manic episodes with major depressive episodes. Each episode can last weeks or months or the person may have mixed episodes when the mood switches rapidly from one to the other and back again within short periods of time. Bipolar II is the more mild form, sometimes called hypomanic, or mildly manic accompanied by episodes of major depression. About 1 -- 1 1/2% of people have some form of bipolar disorder.