Mood Disorder

Mood disorders like depression (major depressive disorder) and bipolar disorder can fill you with despair and make life seem pointless. If you feel like this, talk to the licensed therapists at Desert View Counseling & Consulting in Phoenix and Peoria, Arizona. The experienced team uses proven treatments, including the latest innovations, to help people manage mood disorder symptoms. Call Desert View Counseling & Consulting or book an in-person or telehealth appointment online today.

What are mood disorders?

Mood disorders are mental health conditions that alter how you feel and think. They trigger negative emotions that can overwhelm you, making it difficult to function in daily life. Examples of mood disorders include:

Major depressive disorder (MDD)

Major depressive disorder causes despair, sadness, and hopelessness that persists for months. Without treatment, it can make life so unbearable people sometimes consider suicide the only escape.

Dysthymia

Dysthymia (persistent depressive disorder) is depression that lasts for years.

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)

SAD is depression that develops when you don’t get enough daylight. In the United States, it primarily affects people in the winter months when the days are short.

Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)

PMDD triggers severe mood swings every month when a woman’s hormone levels change during her menstrual cycle.

Bipolar disorder

People with bipolar disorder endure depressive episodes that can last for many months. Between bouts of depression, they experience manic episodes when they feel full of energy, overconfident, and reckless. Cyclothymia is bipolar disorder where the mood changes are less extreme.

What symptoms might mood disorders cause?

The link between all mood disorders is depression. In addition to feeling unendingly worthless and sad, you might weep frequently, develop insomnia (an inability to sleep) or hypersomnia (sleeping too much), and struggle to think clearly.

Some people overeat when they have depression, while others lose their appetite. You may get irritated quickly and have little tolerance for others. You might withdraw into yourself and become isolated. Some people develop substance use disorders because they turn to alcohol and/or drugs to deaden the pain.

How are mood disorders treated?

Talking with a compassionate therapist at Desert View Counseling & Consulting helps you understand why you’re experiencing negative feelings. Your therapist also supports you through the process of facing problems from your past and learning ways to manage your current challenges.

Antidepressant medication helps your mood by adjusting the balance of chemicals called neurotransmitters in your brain. People with mood disorders often lack certain neurotransmitters, reducing their brain’s ability to regulate their mood.

Other treatments that could help include eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) and NeuroStar® transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS).

If you have mood disorder symptoms, reach out to the Desert View Counseling & Consulting team for expert diagnosis and treatment. Call the office or book an in-person or telehealth appointment online today.