Mood disorders are psychiatric conditions in which you experience negative emotions, such as extreme sadness, hopelessness, and self-loathing. These feelings are persistent and often overwhelming. Mood disorders affect your ability to function in daily life and interfere with studying, work, and relationships.
Mood disorders the Mesquite Valley Integrated Health team treats include:
Depression (major depressive disorder) can cause such intense misery and despair that life no longer seems worth living.
Persistent depressive disorder (dysthymia)
Depression that lasts for years without ever going away is known as dysthymia.
Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)
PMDD causes exhausting mood swings before a woman’s period each month.
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)
SAD is depression that develops when you have restricted access to daylight.
People with bipolar disorder experience periods of depression with episodes of mania (excitability and excessive energy) in between.
Cyclothymic disorder is a less extreme version of bipolar disorder.
What symptoms can mood disorders cause?
The primary symptom of mood disorders is depression. When it takes hold, depression saps your energy, affects how you sleep and eat, and smothers you with harmful thoughts and emotions.
The pattern and severity of your depression can vary. Someone with SAD might feel much better in the spring and summer months when there’s more sunlight, then descend into worsening depression from autumn into winter, when the days shorten.
If you have bipolar 1 disorder or major depressive disorder, depression can become so extreme you’re unable to look after yourself. Thoughts of suicide or self-harm might become a problem. When mania develops, your confidence increases, and you might engage in reckless behavior.
These mood disorder symptoms aren’t something you can manage successfully without expert help and ongoing support. The Mesquite Valley Integrated Health team has extensive experience helping people overcome curable mood disorders and manage incurable conditions.
How are mood disorders treated?
Mesquite Valley Integrated Health takes an integrated approach to treating mood disorders. That means they use the most effective mainstream and complementary therapies in combination. Some of the treatments that might be in your personalized plan include:
Patients with SAD often benefit from daily exposure to a full-spectrum light box.
For an accurate diagnosis and effective treatment of your mood disorder, call Mesquite Valley Integrated Health today or book an appointment online.
