Mood disorders are mental disorders characterized by disturbance in one’s mood. The mood disturbance may be severe and can include depression, mania, or hypomania, or any combination of these.
There is a certain type of mood disorder called bipolar disorder. It entails mood swings from elation to depression with no identifiable external cause. The patient experiences swings from depression to mania. In the manic phase of this disorder, the patient may show unnecessary, unwarranted silliness. They may also show poor judgment and recklessness and may be argumentative. A manic person may speak rapidly, have unrealistic ideas, and jump from subject to subject. They may not be able to sleep. These symptoms are major characteristics of bipolar disorder for a specific period of time lasting for a few months. Hospitalization can often be necessary to keep the person from harming themselves and others. Bipolar disorder has another side, the depressive episode. Bipolar depressed patients often sleep more than usual and are lethargic. Distinguishing it from major depression, they usually has trouble sleeping and is agitated. Irritability and withdrawal symptoms can be seen during bipolar depressive episodes.
There is still no identifiable reasons as to what causes mood disorders. There are chemicals in the brain, called endorphins, that are responsible for positive moods. Other chemicals in the brain, called neurotransmitters, regulate endorphins. Most likely, depression and other mood disorders are caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. Unwanted incidents in life can also add to a depressed mood. Also, genetic factors could be a prospect in causing bipolar disorder. Since it is related to depression, a gene may be responsible for the occurrence of the disorder. And this gene may be triggered by the environment, such as serious life-changing events. Evidence suggests that environmental factors play an important role in the development and course of bipolar disorder, and that individual psychosocial variables may interact with genetic dispositions.
There are long-term studies that people who develop bipolar disorder have shown subtle early traits of sub-threshold cyclical mood abnormalities, full major depressive episodes, and possibly ADHD with mood fluctuation . There may be hypersensitivity and irritability. There is some disagreement whether the experiences are necessarily fluctuating. A history of stimulant utilize in childhood is found in large numbers of bipolar patients and has been found to cause an earlier inception of bipolar disorder, worse clinical course, independent of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Bipolar disorder is often treated with mood stabilizer medications, and sometimes other psychiatric drugs. Psychotherapy also has a role, often when there has been some recovery of stability. In serious cases in which there is a threat of harm to oneself or others involuntary commitment may be used; these cases generally entail severe manic episodes with hazardous behavior.
Making a diagnosis of bipolar disorder is quite a complicated case. The reason is due to the fact that the pattern of highs and lows varies in every patient. For some people, mania or depression can last for weeks or months, even for years. For some, bipolar disorder takes the form of frequent and dramatic mood shifts.
According to Michael Aronson, MD, a clinical psychiatrist, there’s a whole spectrum of symptoms and mood changes that have been found in bipolar disorder. It’s not always dramatic mood swings. There are people who get along fine. The manic periods can be very, very productive. They think things are going great. The threat comes when the mania grows really worse. The change can be very dramatic, with catastrophic outcomes. People can get involved in reckless behavior, spend a lot of money, there may be sexual promiscuity, sexual risks. The depressed phases can be equally dangerous: A person may have frequent thoughts of suicide.
