| There are two categories of mood disorders | | | | considered a mood disorder that needs some sort of |
| recognized by the psychiatric community: unipolar and | | | | medical or psychiatric treatment.The exact cause of |
| bipolar disorder. Both are a type of depression with | | | | mood disorders is not known. It does appear that |
| the difference being those who suffer bipolar | | | | many combinations of outside events can trigger an |
| disorder, also known as manic depression, also | | | | episode. It is known that many people who suffer |
| experience extreme mood swings between | | | | mood disorders also have a chemical imbalance of the |
| depression and episodes of extreme mania or high | | | | brain that makes them more susceptible to these |
| energy.The unipolar, or depression, type of mood | | | | depressed feelings. Research has also shown that the |
| disorder can further be broken down into the | | | | different types of mood disorders can run in families |
| different types of depression which include:1. Major | | | | are thought to be a genetic trait.Treatment of mood |
| depression. | | | | disorders varies depending on the disorder itself and |
| 2. Dysthymia. | | | | any outside influences that may contribute to the |
| 3. Seasonal affective disorder. | | | | disorder. These outside influences include illness, drug |
| 4. Postpartum depression.Mood disorders are | | | | or alcohol abuse or a major life changing event. |
| characterized by continued feelings of sadness, | | | | Normally these need to be dealt with along with the |
| despair, guilt, irritability, loss of appetite, constant | | | | mood disorder for treatment to be successful.The |
| fatigue and suicidal thoughts. Different people will | | | | mood disorder itself can be treated with |
| have different combinations of these thoughts and | | | | anti-depressant medication, therapy or a combination |
| feelings, making it important for sufferers to seek | | | | of the two. The different types of mood disorder |
| professional help to help sort through the various | | | | can be treated successfully if its sufferers seek help. |
| symptoms. While some of these feelings are normal | | | | Unfortunately nearly half of the people who suffer |
| in daily life, when they become an on going problem | | | | from mood disorders never seek the help they |
| that last for weeks, months and even years it is | | | | need.Andrew Bicknell is a writer and Webmaster. |