Mood Disorders

What are mood disorders?

Mood disorders, including bipolar disorder and depression, are mental health disorders that negatively affect your ability to function at your best in professional, scholastic, or social settings. These disorders affect children, teenagers, and adults. Seek treatment with the Paramount Health Directions team at the first sign of extreme or ongoing mood changes.

What are the various types of mood disorders and their symptoms?

The various types of mood disorders include the following:

• Bipolar disorder: depression cycled with mania (elevated mood)
• Major depression: sadness and other depression symptoms lasting at least two weeks
• Dysthymia: low-grade depression or irritability lasting at least two years
• Substance-induced mood disorder: mood disorder linked to substance misuse or medication side effects
• Mood disorder from a health condition: depression caused by cancer or another medical problem

Generalized symptoms of mood disorders include severe mood swings, ongoing or extreme sadness, loss of interest in favorite things, and thoughts of suicide. 

You might also experience impulsive decision-making, problems sleeping, difficulty concentrating, appetite changes, tiredness, or physical aches and pains.

What are the risk factors for mood disorders?

Mood disorder risk factors may include:

• Brain chemical imbalances
• Stress
• Trauma
• Family history of mood disorders
• Job loss
• Financial challenges
• Loss of a loved one
• Divorce or breakup
• Military combat 
• Physical health problems
• Hormone imbalance
• Anxiety disorder

The cause of a mood disorder isn’t always clear, but it can negatively affect your relationships, school, work, and physical health.

How are mood disorders diagnosed?

Diagnosing mood disorders at Paramount Health Directions involves a discussion about your symptoms, moods, emotions, thoughts, behaviors, lifestyle, and medical history. Paramount Health Directions completes a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation and genetic testing to determine which medicines are likely to be the most effective.

How are mood disorders treated?

Paramount Health Directions offers the following treatments for mood disorders:

• Medications
• Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
• Interpersonal therapy
• Other types of psychotherapy
• Family therapy
• Couples therapy
• Child psychiatry
• Esketamine (Spravato®)
• Intravenous (IV) vitamin therapy
• Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)
• Nutritional health
• Metagenics and other vitamins and supplements

Esketamine may help reduce treatment-resistant depression if traditional treatments haven’t provided relief. 

Your Paramount Health Directions provider follows up to ensure the treatment restores your mind, body, and soul. They take a holistic approach whenever possible and utilize cutting-edge solutions backed by research.

Schedule an evaluation at Paramount Health Directions by phone or request one online today to get treated for a mood disorder.