OVERVIEW
Mood disorders affect a lot of people and are classified as a form of depression. Although most individuals may experience slight mood changes on a daily, weekly or monthly basis, the more advanced forms of mood disorders can develop into bipolar disorder (manic depression) and can have serious mental and physical consequences if left untreated.
Mood swings are characterized by periods, commonly referred to as episodes, of mania and depression. During an episode of mania, one may experience an abnormally elevated mood, irritability, decreased need for sleep, increased talking and racing thoughts. During episodes of depression, one may experience persistent sad and empty moods, loss of interest in activities, feelings of guilt, feelings of worthlessness and physical ailments such as headaches, chronic pain or digestive disorders.
Treating mood swings has an 80% to 90% success rate for those who seek help. However, only about one third (1/3) of individuals who have a mood disorder choose to seek treatment. As a result, over sixty percent of individuals who suffer from this potentially debilitating disorder never find relief.
CAUSES
Mood related episodes of mania and depression typically recur during a person's life. Between episodes, most people with mood swings are free of symptoms, but as many as one-third of people have some residual symptoms. A small percentage of people experience chronic unremitting symptoms despite treatment.
Most modern research indicates that mood disorder may be caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. When we experience feelings such as happiness, stress, fear, depression or anxiety, the brain releases chemicals called neurotransmitters. It is the release and re-absorption of these neurotransmitters that affects how we feel. People who experience anxiety and depression related disorders may have an imbalance of the neurotransmitters serotonin, norepenephrine, GABA and dopamine. There are medicines available that are designed to help 're-balance' the release, reuptake and absorption of these key neurotransmitters.
DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS
Individuals with mood disorders experience episodes of mania and depression with some, or all, of the following symptoms associated.
Depression
~Persistent sad, anxious, or "empty" moods
~Loss of interest or pleasure in common activities
~Loss of sexual pleasure or function
~Irritability, restlessness or excessive crying
~Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness, hopelessness, pessimism
~Sleeping too much or too little
~Insomnia
~Loss of Appetite and/or weight loss
~Overeating and weight gain
~Decreased energy, fatigue, feeling "slowed down"
~Suicidal thoughts, or suicide attempts
~Difficulty concentrating or making decisions
~Forgetfulness or trouble remembering
~Persistence of physical symptoms that do not respond to treatment, such as headaches, digestive disorders, and chronic pain
People with mood disorder and mood swings can lead healthy and productive lives when the disorder is effectively treated. Without treatment, however, the natural course of mood disorder tends to worsen. Previous experiences may build on the next cycle. Over time a person may suffer more frequent (more rapid-cycling) and more severe manic and depressive episodes than those experienced when the mood swings first appeared. But in most cases, proper treatment can help reduce the frequency and severity of episodes and can help people with mood disorder maintain good quality of life.
MANIA SYMPTOMS
Individuals with mood disorders experience episodes of mania and depression with some, or all, of the following symptoms associated.
Mania
~Abnormally elevated mood
~Irritability
~Decreased need for sleep
~Grandiose ideas or notions
~Increased talking
~Racing thoughts
~Increased activity
~An increase in sexual activity
~Visible increase in energy
~Poor judgment that leads to risk-taking behavior
~Inappropriate social behavior
People with mood disorder and mood swings can lead healthy and productive lives when the disorder is effectively treated. Without treatment, however, the natural course of mood disorder tends to worsen. Previous experiences may build on the next cycle. Over time a person may suffer more frequent (more rapid-cycling) and more severe manic and depressive episodes than those experienced when the mood swings first appeared. But in most cases, proper treatment can help reduce the frequency and severity of episodes and can help people with mood disorder maintain good quality of life.
A MANIC EPISODE
Manic episodes may begin with what is experienced as an improvement or upward shift in mood. You may feel more energetic, more able to concentrate and focus, and may find that you can work better and more productively. In the early stages of a manic episode, the you might feel quite euphoric (i.e., unusually happy or feelings of unusual content). A decreased need for sleep at the outset of a manic episode is very common. You may be up for days on end and still feel energetic, or you may awaken several hours earlier than usual.
As the episode progresses, thoughts and speech both seem to race. Ideas in your head jump from one topic to another in a dizzying jumble (this is what mental health professionals may refer to as "flight of ideas"), and the speech becomes even more rapid (or what mental health professionals call "pressured"). You may feel like talking for hours on end. In a more severe form, speech may become totally incoherent.
The initial increased sense of well-being brings with it an increased sense of confidence, but as your episode progresses, your judgment becomes impaired. You may begin to believe that they can accomplish things that they cannot realistically accomplish or otherwise engage in grandiose thinking.
Someone in a severely manic state is in as much danger as an individual with major depression. Overly confident (and having grandiose thoughts), there is an excess of what are usually thought of as "approach behaviors." Anything the that you might seek out while in normal mood (such as sex, alcohol or drugs, or excitement) becomes magnified. Wild spending sprees or impulsive purchases are not uncommon, nor are impulsive marriages or major commitments.
As with depression, in severe mania, an individual might experience hallucinations. With or without hallucinations, however, individuals in severely manic states had a significant mortality rate until doctors began treating it. In some cases, death was accidental, but related to the risk-taking or impulsive behaviors. In other cases, patients died of dehydration (they might neglect to eat and drink in their manic state) or cardiovascular collapse as the body couldn't keep up with increased psychomotor agitation and 'racing.'
Finding treatment for mood swings, depression, mania and/or bipolar depression is essential to feeling better.
I understand what you're going through... I'm here to help you seek medical treatment. Don't worry... You're still far from going crazy. There's hope. Always remember, GOD is good... ALL THE TIME.
