Mood disorders, such as bipolar disorder and depression, are characterized by unusual mood experiences. Unipolar disorders, like major depression and mania, are treatable with medication and psychotherapy. Bipolar disorder involves both states of mania and depression, and nearly 1% of the US adult population suffers from it. Many people go untreated due to difficulty accepting their illness, but treatment is available and growing public recognition of mood disorders as illnesses is increasing.
Mood disorders, also called affective disorders, are a group of disorders that have as a hallmark an experience of mood that is unusual for the circumstances. Common mood disorders include bipolar disorder, depression, postpartum depression, cyclothymia, schizoaffective disorder, and seasonal affective disorder. Most of these conditions are at least somewhat treatable with medication and psychotherapy.
Mood disorders in which a single mood exists to an unhealthy extent are called unipolar disorders. Major depression is an example of unipolar disorder and is relatively common among both adolescents and adults. Depression can be characterized by a range of symptoms, including decreased pleasure or interest, irregular sleep patterns, fatigue, suicidal thoughts, lack of concentration or memory, and delusions of guilt. In general, a person can be diagnosed with depression if four or more of these characteristics have been present over a two-week period, in tandem with loss of interest or a generally depressed mood.
Mania is another unipolar mood disorder. Mania is essentially the inverted state of depression, often characterized by an unrealistically high self-image, lack of sleep accompanied by little or no fatigue, uncontrolled thinking, engaging in pleasurable activities that are potentially alarmingly harmful, distractibility, and an increased movement agitation. If these symptoms persist for more than a continuous week, are not the result of drug use, and are severe enough to impair social interaction, a diagnosis of mania may result.
Bipolar disorder, also sometimes referred to as manic depression, is a disorder in which both states of mania and depression exist at different times. Those with bipolar disorder will likely experience a period of mania, followed by a period of depression. These changes usually follow a set pattern, with mood changes occurring anywhere from once every few months to, in some rare cases, once every few hours. Furthermore, for those with bipolar disorder, characteristics of both a manic state and a depressive state may coexist.
Mood disorders are quite common in the modern world, with nearly 1 percent of the US adult population suffering from bipolar disorder alone. These disorders often go untreated for long periods of time, because many people find it difficult to accept that they have an illness, rather than “normal” depression or mania. Fortunately, treatment is available and there is growing public recognition of mood disorders as illnesses that can and should be treated.
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