Your mood is versatile, ranging from happiness, contentment, and euphoria to anger, sadness, and grief. However, if your mood interferes with your life or isn’t consistent with your circumstances, you may have a mood disorder. Luis J. Olivera-Rodriguez, MD, a board-certified psychiatrist practicing at Lumos Psychiatric Services in Orlando, Florida, provides expert diagnosis and customized treatments to regulate your mood and restore your quality of life. Call or request a consultation online today.
What are mood disorders?
Mood disorders are a type of mental health condition that affects your mood and interfere with your ability to function normally. Depression and bipolar disorder are two of the most common types of mood disorders.
Depression
Depression causes overwhelming feelings of sadness, despair, and worthlessness. While the condition may be triggered by a loss or other event in your life, depression is caused by a chemical imbalance in your brain. Additionally, the symptoms persist much longer and are often more intrusive than sadness or grief.
Other signs of depression include:
- Loss of interest in activities
- Changes in sleep patterns
- Changes in appetite
- Fatigue
- Poor concentration
- Thoughts of self-harm, suicide, or death
As your mood becomes more depressed, your behaviors begin to reflect your emotions and you may struggle to perform at work or interact with your friends and family.
Bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder causes swings between high or manic moods and depression. There are several types of bipolar disorder, which are identified by the severity of your symptoms. Bipolar disorder causes depressed, manic, and hypomanic symptoms. Depressed symptoms are the same as those caused by depression.
Manic symptoms include:
- Feelings of euphoria or grandiosity
- Irritability
- More talkative than usual
- Scheduling too many activities and multitasking
- Sleeping less
- Risky or reckless behavior
Hypomanic symptoms are similar to manic symptoms but less severe.
Bipolar disorders can be extremely disruptive to your life and ability to succeed at work, school, or in your personal life.
What causes mood disorders?
In most cases, mood disorders are caused by a chemical imbalance in the region of your brain that regulates mood. Your hormones can also contribute to a mood disorder. Stressful life changes, such as the loss of a loved one or financial trouble, can trigger a mood disorder.
How are mood disorders treated?
Dr. Olivera-Rodriguez provides customized treatments for mood disorders, beginning with a thorough evaluation of your mental and overall health. He uses pharmacogenetic testing to identify the best medicines for you.
Depending on your needs, he may combine different therapies, including medication and psychotherapy. Dr. Olivera-Rodriguez has a background in transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and can provide a referral to a trusted provider if you have treatment-resistant depression.
If you’re concerned about depression or another mood disorder, call Lumos Psychiatric Services or request an appointment online today.
