Types of Mood Disorders
There are several types of mood disorders, and each of them represents a very specific condition with its own symptoms and treatment options. Here is some basic information about the main types of mood disorder to help you understand what’s going on with your body if you suffer from one of these conditions: major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, seasonal affective disorder, cyclothymic disorder, dysthymic disorder, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, substance-induced mood disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic attack or generalized anxiety disorders or social phobia or miscellaneous phobias and personality disorders.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Also known as GAD, people with generalized anxiety disorder tend to worry about things non-stop. They have trouble concentrating and tend to ruminate over what’s worrying them. They will often be unable to fall asleep or stay asleep as they are plagued by racing thoughts. This type of mood disorder is also accompanied by physical symptoms like fatigue, nausea, headaches and muscle tension.
Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder
This mood disorder can make women with PMDD feel incredibly anxious, agitated, depressed, and even suicidal. Symptoms usually begin seven to 14 days before menstruation and end within four days after. They are typically at their worst during ovulation, which is when some women begin to bleed. Physical symptoms include fatigue, abdominal bloating and pain, breast tenderness and swelling, headaches or migraines (especially behind one eye), and constipation or diarrhea.
Postpartum Depression
This type of mood disorder falls under a category called Postpartum Psychosis, or postpartum psychosis. Psychosis is when a person loses touch with reality and has hallucinations, delusions, or other disturbing thoughts. Although depression is more common among women who have had children, it’s estimated that 1 to 2 percent experience postpartum psychosis.
Schizoaffective disorder
People with schizoaffective disorder exhibit symptoms similar to schizophrenia, such as hallucinations and delusions, but they also experience periods of mania or depression. Schizoaffective disorder is often misdiagnosed because people tend to be very high-functioning and mask their symptoms well. According to NAMI, a mental health advocacy group, approximately 200,000 Americans have schizoaffective disorder. Individuals with schizoaffective disorder can be treated with antidepressants or antipsychotic medications like clozapine.
Seasonal Affective Disorder
SAD, more commonly known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), is a type of mood disorder that comes about during specific times throughout each year. Seasonal Affective Disorder usually happens between fall and winter months and is caused by a lack of exposure to sunlight. While symptoms may come and go at other times during years, they tend to be most severe in fall or winter seasons. SAD occurs when your body doesn’t get enough light, particularly natural daylight.
Bipolar I Disorders
People who suffer from bipolar I disorders cycle between extreme high and low moods, but often experience a normal mood in between episodes. The symptoms are severe and range from manic highs to depressed lows. If you have bipolar I disorder, it’s likely that you’ll also have other mental health problems such as anxiety or an eating disorder. These additional problems may be related to your condition or caused by it – but with help from a professional, it should be possible to control all of these at once.
Bipolar II Disorders
When bipolar disorder is associated with hypomania, a milder form of mania that involves elevated mood but not to an extreme extent, it’s called bipolar II disorder. People with bipolar II tend to be more functional and are less likely to experience psychosis or require hospitalization than those who suffer from bipolar I, or full-blown mania. However, when symptoms do occur, they may be particularly severe because hypomanic episodes can push sufferers into a depression if left untreated. Individuals with bipolar II disorder typically have longer periods of stability between their depressive and manic phases than people diagnosed with bipolar I. Bipolar II also tends to emerge later in life—typically in your 20s or 30s—than other forms of bipolar illness. That said, onset before age 25 isn’t unheard of.
Cyclothymic disorder
When a person suffers from cyclothymic disorder, they experience frequent but not always noticeable mood swings. Some people only notice their extreme mood changes when reflecting on their emotions, and these are referred to as soft symptoms. Cyclothymic disorder can sometimes be misdiagnosed as bipolar II or bipolar NOS (not otherwise specified). It may also go undetected because it causes milder shifts in mood that don’t trigger serious attention from others. A doctor will often diagnose cyclothymic disorder after ruling out other conditions with similar symptoms. A patient’s family history is often useful for diagnosing mood disorders.
Types of Mood Disorder in children and adolescents
The two major types of mood disorder in children and adolescents are depression and bipolar disorder. (Mood disorders in children younger than age 13 aren’t considered by psychiatrists to be bipolar disorder; rather, they’re called pediatric depressive disorders.) Common symptoms of depression include sadness, loss of interest in activities once enjoyed, sleep disturbances, fatigue or lack of energy, changes in appetite or weight, low self-esteem and guilt.
Bipolar disorder is characterized by dramatic shifts in moods, from highs (mania) to lows (depression). During manic episodes, people with bipolar disorder may feel euphoric and elated, have racing thoughts and a decreased need for sleep. They may engage in risky behaviors such as spending sprees or sexual indiscretions. In contrast, during depressive episodes people with bipolar disorder may feel sad or hopeless, lose interest in their favorite activities and experience a decreased ability to concentrate.
More information can be found on the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) website – https://www.dbsalliance.org/