Mood Disorders

Now seeing patients via telemedicine in Rockford, Chicago, Champaign, Peoria, Springfield, the Metro East, and across Illinois.

What are mood disorders?

Mood disorders are mental health conditions affecting your emotional state. They’re often characterized by sadness, anger, and/or excitability. Examples of mood disorders include depression and bipolar disorder. 

Mood disorders are treatable, often with medications and talk therapy. If you or a loved one has symptoms of a mood disorder, visit ClariPath Psychiatry for an evaluation. 

What are the different types of mood disorders?

Depression and bipolar disorder are common mood disorders. Others include premenstrual dysphoric disorder, which occurs about 7-10 days before menstruation in women, and disruptive mood dysregulation disorder (frequent angry outbursts, often in children and teenagers).

Which symptoms can mood disorders cause?

Mood disorders can cause:

• Ongoing and/or severe sadness
• Mood swings
• Depression cycled with extreme happiness
• Anger 
• Irritability
• Anxiety 
• Depression
• Insomnia
• Fatigue or excessive energy
• Feeling hopeless, worthless, or helpless
• Loss of interest in favorite activities 
• Sleep changes
• Difficulty concentrating
• Thoughts of suicide
• Appetite changes
• Agitation 
• Racing thoughts
• Risky behaviors

Mood disorder symptoms last several weeks or longer. They can negatively affect your ability to perform well at work or school and maintain healthy interpersonal relationships. 

What are the risk factors for mood disorders?

Mood disorder risk factors include:

• Being female
• Family history of mood disorders
• Stress
• Trauma
• Brain changes
• Chronic diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease

Mood disorders are common in both men and women, but affect women twice as often. 

How are mood disorders diagnosed?

The experts at ClariPath Psychiatry diagnose mood disorders by completing a mental health evaluation using DSM-5 criteria. They discuss your symptoms, medical history, moods, emotions, thoughts, behaviors, and lifestyle to determine if you have a mental health condition and if you’re a candidate for treatment.

How are mood disorders treated?

Your customized mood disorder treatment plan may consist of:

• Medication management
• Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
• Psychodynamic therapy
• Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT)
• Other forms of psychotherapy (talk therapy)
• Healthy lifestyle modifications 
• Stress management
• Light therapy
• Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)
• Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)

ClariPath Psychiatry can treat any coexisting conditions like anxiety disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), substance use disorder (SUD), or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

It’s also helpful to eat healthy foods, minimize stress, get enough sleep, stay active, and avoid drugs and alcohol.

Schedule a telemedicine mood disorder evaluation at ClariPath Psychiatry by calling the office or requesting an appointment online today.