Anxiety disorders are characterized by abnormal fear, worry, or nervousness, while mood disorders involve extreme sadness or euphoria. Both are classified into three categories and can be treated with various medications. Examples of anxiety disorders include phobias, panic attacks, and obsessive-compulsive behavior, while mood disorders include major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder.
The difference between anxiety and mood disorders is the type of feeling or mood being described. Abnormal cases of fear, worry, or nervousness describe an anxiety disorder. Examples of anxiety disorders are phobias, panic attacks and obsessive-compulsive behavior. Mood disorders describe varying degrees of extreme sadness and euphoria. A depressive or bipolar state of mind is indicative of a mood disorder.
Anxiety and mood disorders are both divided into three different classifications. The three classifications of anxiety disorder are generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), phobias and panic attacks. Mood disorders are listed as major depressive disorder (MDD), bipolar disorder (BD), and substance induced disorder.
GAD sufferers typically have an abnormally chronic fear and worry that is not specific to normal daily activities. Because of GAD, everyday decisions become difficult and worrying. Unlike GAD, phobias are rooted in a specific trigger such as an object or place that causes irrational fear. The fears of sufferers are often disproportionate to the actual danger posed by an object.
A disturbance with a specific trigger such as stress or fear along with an extreme physiological reaction is considered a panic attack. These attacks are often brief but extremely terrifying for the sufferer. Rapid heartbeat, difficulty breathing, and trembling are just some of the visible features of a panic disorder.
Compared to anxiety classifications, mood disorders describe depressive behavior patterns. Depressive disorder is a classification of mood that deals with intense feelings of sadness and hopelessness. The classification describes conditions such as clinical depression, or MDD, which is defined as one or more attacks of a major depressive episode. A well-known mood disorder called postpartum depression (PPD) is a type of DCS in which childbirth is a trigger for depressive behavior.
BD is similar to DCS, except that the disorder features alternating mood states of mania and depression. In some cases, stimulants such as amphetamines can trigger episodes of mania and depression. When substance abuse is the direct cause of a mood disorder, it is considered a substance-induced mood disorder. When used as direct prescription drugs they can be helpful in treating anxiety and mood disorders.
Anxiety and mood disorders can both be treated with various antidepressant-type medications such as tricyclic selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs). Benzodiazepines and buspirone are known for treating anxiety disorders; while norepinephrine and dopamine reuptake inhibitors (NDRIs) and monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) are usually prescribed for mood disorders. Mood stabilizers and anticonvulsants can also be used to treat mood disorders.
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