Mood Disorder

Whether your mood disorder makes you feel sad and depressed or energized and elated, your symptoms make it hard to keep up with your life at home and work. At Intuitive Mind Behavioral Health in New Braunfels, Texas, Lydia Kimeli-Pope, MSN-PMHNP, specializes in providing holistic care for mood disorders, helping you regain balance with medication and therapy. If you have a mood disorder, call the office today or book an appointment online to learn how their compassionate care can improve your life.

What are mood disorders?

Mood disorders are a group of mental health conditions that affect your energy and impair your ability to function. These disorders are divided into two categories: depressive disorders and bipolar disorders.

Depressive disorders cause low energy, sadness, and loss of interest in your daily life. Bipolar disorders cause mood swings between low-energy depression and high-energy, hyperactive mania.

What are the different mood disorders?

There are at least 11 mood disorders. A few of the most common include:

Major depressive disorder (MDD)

MDD causes a low mood, fatigue, hopelessness, and other symptoms nearly every day.

Postpartum depression

Postpartum depression is a major depressive disorder that begins during your pregnancy or after your baby is born. 

Persistent depressive disorder (dysthymia)

Dysthymia causes less severe symptoms than MDD, but your symptoms last two years or longer.

Bipolar I and II disorder

Bipolar I disorder causes swings between major depression and severe mania. Bipolar II disorder causes major depression alternating with episodes of hypomania, a milder form of mania.

Cyclothymic disorder

This is a type of bipolar disorder that causes mild depression and hypomania, but you have frequent mood swings for at least two years.

What symptoms can mood disorders cause?

All mood disorders cause mild to severe depression. In addition to classic feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and worthlessness, depression affects your sleep and eating habits and makes you feel like you have brain fog. Most people also prefer to stay isolated and stop spending time with family and friends.

Bipolar disorders also cause mania, filling you with energy and euphoria and boosting your productivity. However, mania also makes you hyperactive and prone to taking risks you wouldn’t normally consider, such as buying something you can’t afford. Manic episodes often reduce your need to sleep.

How are mood disorders treated?

Your Intuitive Mind Behavioral Health provider treats mood disorders with therapy and medication. They may prescribe mood-stabilizing or antidepressant medications to restore the neurotransmitters needed to maintain a stable mood.

During therapy, you talk with an experienced counselor who helps you learn to manage your mood disorder. For example, you may learn to recognize and change negative thinking and develop strategies that improve your daily life.

Call Intuitive Mind Behavioral Health today or use online booking to request a consultation.