A mood disorder is a health condition that primarily affects a person's persistent emotional state or mood. Mood disorders can significantly impact daily functioning, quality of life, and relationships.
The two main types of mood disorders are:
Some potential symptoms of mood disorders include:
If you are struggling with mood swings, depression, or mania, the caring medical providers at Renew Medical HRT Clinic can provide compassionate care and hormone balancing treatments tailored to your unique needs. Their integrative therapies aim to get to the root cause and help you reclaim your mental health.
Diagnosis of a mood disorder is typically done by a mental health professional like a psychiatrist through a clinical assessment, physical exam, psychiatric evaluation, and discussion of symptoms. They may use criteria from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5th edition (DSM-5) to make a diagnosis.
Mood disorders are often caused by a complex interaction of genetic, biological, environmental, and psychological factors. Common risk factors include family history, major life changes, trauma, medical problems, stress, use of certain medications or drugs, and thyroid abnormalities.
Treatment commonly involves psychotherapy, medications like antidepressants or mood stabilizers, building a support system, lifestyle changes to manage stress, adequate sleep, a healthy diet, regular exercise, and in some cases light therapy or brain stimulation therapy.
With appropriate long-term treatment and self-care, many people with mood disorders can achieve stabilized moods and significant improvements in their condition. However, mood disorders often require lifelong management. Recurrence is common without adherence to maintenance treatment.