Mood Disorders

The main mood disorders are : Major Depression and Bipolar disorder.

Suffering from Major Depression, means experiencing some of the following symptoms for at least two consecutive weeks:

• Persistent sad, low mood most of the day nearly every day
• Tearfulness and/or feeling empty
• Loss of interest or pleasure in almost all activities previously enjoyed
• Reduced appetite or increased appetite
• Weight loss or weight gain when not dieting
• Sleeping difficulties such as insomnia, hypersomnia
• Restlessness, agitation and/or irritability
• Fatigue or loss of energy, feeling slowed down
• Difficulty with concentration, diminished ability in problem solving and decision making
• Feeling guilty and worthless
• Loss in motivation
• Recurrent thoughts of death or dying and attempted suicide

These symptoms cause distress and/or impairment in social, occupational and other important areas of the person’s functioning.

Suffering from Bipolar Disorder or Manic-Depressive Disorder means experiencing disruptive mood swings consisting of euphoric state (mania or hypomania) alternated with depressive state.
Symptoms of Mania are:

• Abnormally elevated energy levels
• Impulsivity
• Inflated self-esteem and grandiosity
• Poor decision making skills
• Pressure to keep talking
• Irritability
• Attention difficulties
• Excessive self-worth
• Decreased need for sleep (feeling rested after only 2/3 hours of sleep) 
• Subjective experiencing that thoughts are racing
• Psychomotor agitation
• Increase in goal directed activities at work or school, socially or sexually
• Excessive involvement in risky behaviours or in activities that have a high potential for painful consequences (e.g., engaging in unrestrained buying, sexual indiscretions, or foolish business investments)

These symptoms must be sufficiently severe to cause distress or impairment in occupational, educational, interpersonal or other important functioning.

In the bipolar disorder  mixed type the person experiences  both symptoms of depression and mania for at least a full week.