Mood Disorder Treatment
A mood disorder is far more serious than mood swings. While moods usually shift with events and pass in hours or days, a mood disorder leaves you feeling disconnected and unable to “snap out of it,” affecting your life, career, and relationships.
It can feel like a constant battle with your own emotions, but there’s hope. Mood disorders are treatable with medication (e.g., antidepressants like SSRI, lithium, antipsychotics, mood stabilizers), therapy, and support.
At Blue Hills Recovery, we offer personalized care to help you regain stability and take control of your mental health. Read on to learn more about mood disorders and how we can help.
Overview of Mood Disorders
A mood disorder is a mental health condition that causes marked disruptions in a person’s emotions. It involves extended periods of severe lows (depression), highs (mania), or both.
Having a mood disorder can negatively affect your ability to function normally, causing significant consequences in work, daily life, and relationships.
Mood disorders can leave people feeling misunderstood and out of control. At Blue Hills, we’re here to support you.
We’ll help you build the skills to manage stress, develop healthy coping strategies, and address negative thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, so you can live a fulfilling, productive life — unhindered by your condition.
What Causes Mood Disorders?
The exact cause of mood disorders is unclear, but it appears to be due to an interaction between different factors. They tend to run in families.
Brain chemical imbalances and adverse stressful life events also play a role. Certain conditions and medications can also cause mood disorders.
Certain circumstances also put you at a higher risk of developing a mood disorder.
Risk Factors for Mood Disorders
While there is no single cause of mood disorders, several risk factors contribute to a greater chance of having a mood disorder:
- Having a family history of mood disorder or other mental illness
- Having particular genes or abnormal brain structure
- Trauma or stressful life events
- Adverse childhood experiences, like abuse, violence, and neglect
Who Is Affected by Mood Disorders?
Nearly one in 10 adults (18 and older) have a mood disorder. Here are other relevant statistics on mood disorder rates in the U.S.:
- One in five U.S. adults experience any mood disorder at some point in their lives.
- 9.7% of U.S. adults had any mood disorder in the past year.
- Mood disorder in adults is higher for females (11.6%) than males (7.7%).
- Around 15% of children and adolescents have a mood disorder, and 12% have a mood disorder with severe impairment.
Signs & Symptoms of Mood Disorders
How a mood disorder presents depends on a person’s age and type of mood disorder.
Here are the most common symptoms:
- Prolonged sadness
- Racing thoughts
- Changes in sleep and appetite
- Significant weight changes
- Anger, irritability, agitation, and anxiety
- Loss of energy
- Indecisiveness
- Feelings of worthlessness and guilt
- Poor concentration
- Lack of interest in activities formerly enjoyed
- Unexplained physical complaints (e.g., headache) that don’t go away with treatment
- Suicidal thoughts
Types of Mood Disorders
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) categorizes mood disorders into depressive and bipolar disorders.
Here are the conditions under depressive disorders:
Major Depression
Dysthymia
Bipolar Disorders
Substance-Induced Mood Disorders
What Happens When a Mood Disorder Goes Untreated?
When you don’t get treatment for mood disorders like depression and bipolar disorder, they often get worse. Symptoms can last from weeks to years, which will ultimately affect your quality of life.
Studies show that patients who delay treatment exhibit a more severe disorder, with more episodes, more days depressed, more rapid mood shifts, and fewer days in a stable emotional state.
Additionally, a longer duration of illness is associated with worse outcomes, especially in terms of self-harm, suicide, and developing substance use disorders. It can also lead to other conditions like anxiety disorders.
Mood Disorder Treatment in Massachusetts
Different treatment options are available for mood disorders, but the most effective approach typically combines medication with psychotherapy, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and group therapy.
Brain stimulation therapy, including transcranial magnetic stimulation and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) are also effective for mood disorders, especially for treatment-resistant depression.
With the right treatment plan, you can reclaim a full, productive, and stable life. Our specially trained healthcare providers at Blue Hills Recovery can help you choose the best plan based on your needs, preferences, and overall health.
Mental Health Recovery Programs
Dual Diagnosis Care
Therapies & Counseling
Continuing Care
Get Expert Care for a Mood Disorder at Blue Hills Recovery
Having a mood disorder can feel like you’re out of sync with your own emotions, taking a serious toll on your life and those around you. Getting help quickly is crucial to prevent symptoms from worsening and to improve your overall well-being.
At Blue Hills Recovery, we understand the complexity of mood disorders, but we also know that the right balance of therapy and support can make all the difference in helping you achieve a stable, fulfilling life.Take the first step toward healing — reach out to Blue Hills Recovery today and let us help you regain control of your mental health and your future.
Mood Disorder FAQs
How do I know if a loved one has a mood disorder?
At what age do mood disorders often begin?
Can mood disorders lead to long term health risks?
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You deserve to become your best self. With decades of combined experience in the field of addiction medicine, our staff knows what it takes to build a foundation for recovery.