What Are Mood Disorders? Types, Signs and When to Seek Help

What are mood disorders? They are mental health conditions in which a person's ongoing emotional state, not just a passing feeling, is disrupted enough to affect daily life. The main groups are depressive disorders and bipolar disorders. Mood disorders are common and treatable, and it is worth seeking help when low, irritable or unusually high moods last two weeks or longer.

This overview is for adults and teens who wonder whether their moods are more than ordinary ups and downs, and for family members who are worried about someone. It explains the main types, common signs and causes, how treatment usually works, and exactly when to seek help.

What is the difference between a mood and a mood disorder?

A mood is a temporary emotional state, while a mood disorder is a lasting pattern that changes how you think, feel and function. MedlinePlus explains that most people feel sad or irritable from time to time, but a mood disorder affects a person's everyday emotional state.

Three questions help separate the two:

• How long has it lasted? Days that pass are different from weeks that do not.
• What else has changed? Sleep, appetite, energy, concentration and interest in activities.
• How much is it interfering? With work, school, relationships or self-care.

Our article bad day or a mood disorder? walks through more examples.

What are the main types of mood disorders?

The main types of mood disorders are forms of depression and forms of bipolar disorder. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) describes several forms of depression:

• Major depression: depressed mood or loss of interest most of the time for at least two weeks, with other symptoms that interfere with daily life.
• Persistent depressive disorder (dysthymia): less severe symptoms that last much longer, usually at least two years.
• Perinatal depression: depression during pregnancy or after childbirth.
• Seasonal affective disorder: depression that comes and goes with the seasons, typically starting in late fall and early winter.
• Depression with psychosis: a severe form that includes symptoms such as delusions or hallucinations.

NIMH's bipolar disorder guide describes bipolar I disorder, with manic episodes lasting at least seven days or severe enough to need hospital care; bipolar II disorder, with depressive and hypomanic episodes; and cyclothymic disorder, with recurring hypomanic and depressive symptoms that do not meet full episode criteria. For more detail, see types of mood disorders.

What are common signs of a mood disorder?

Common signs of a mood disorder include persistent sadness or emptiness, loss of interest, irritability, changes in sleep and appetite, low energy, trouble concentrating and, in bipolar disorder, periods of unusually high energy. Signs vary by type and by person.

Depressive signs often include:

• Feeling sad, anxious, empty or hopeless most of the day
• Losing interest or pleasure in activities
• Sleeping too much or too little, and appetite changes
• Fatigue, slowed thinking or trouble concentrating
• Feelings of guilt or worthlessness

Elevated, or manic, signs listed by NIMH include feeling very up or extremely irritable, racing thoughts, decreased need for sleep and talking fast. If you are unsure whether low moods might be part of a bipolar pattern, read bipolar 2 vs. depression.

What are mood disorders like in teens and older adults?

In teens and older adults, mood disorders can look different from the typical picture of sadness. A teen with depression may seem mostly irritable, withdraw from friends, sleep at odd hours or lose interest in school and activities. Parents sometimes mistake this for ordinary adolescent moodiness. Our guide to teen moodiness or depression explains a practical two-week rule.

In older adults, depression may show up as low energy, poor sleep, aches and pains, memory complaints or a loss of interest rather than tearfulness. Life changes such as illness, retirement or the loss of a partner can contribute. At any age, the same core questions apply: how long has it lasted, what else has changed and how much is it getting in the way?

NIMH notes that research points to genetic, biological, environmental and psychological factors in depression, and those factors can show up differently at different stages of life.

What causes mood disorders?

Mood disorders are not caused by a single factor. NIMH notes that research suggests genetic, biological, environmental and psychological factors all play a role in depression. Family history, major life stress, trauma, other medical conditions and substance use can raise risk.

A mood disorder is not a character flaw or a lack of willpower. Understanding that it is a health condition often makes it easier to seek and accept treatment.

How are mood disorders treated?

Mood disorders are usually treated with psychotherapy, medication or both, along with support for sleep, activity and stress. NIMH notes that psychotherapy can help people with depression and can be delivered in person or virtually, and that antidepressants are commonly used to treat depression and usually take several weeks to work.

Treatment is individual. NIMH also notes that finding the best treatment may take some trial and error, which is why follow-up visits matter. Bipolar disorder is typically treated differently from depression, so an accurate diagnosis comes first. Talk with your provider before starting or stopping any medication.

For a practical guide to combining treatment with daily habits, see our article on managing a mood disorder.

When should you seek help for a mood disorder?

You should seek help when mood symptoms last two weeks or longer, interfere with daily life, or include thoughts of self-harm. NIMH's guide to caring for your mental health advises seeing a health care provider if distressing symptoms last two weeks or longer.

Make an appointment if:

• Low or irritable mood has lasted most days for two weeks or more
• You have lost interest in things you usually enjoy
• Sleep, appetite or energy have changed noticeably
• Work, school or relationships are suffering
• You have had periods of very high energy and little need for sleep
• You are using alcohol or drugs to cope
• A screening questionnaire came back positive; see positive depression screening: what next

Step by step: how to get evaluated

Getting evaluated is simpler when you know the steps. A typical path looks like this:

1. Write down your symptoms. Note when they started, how often they happen and what makes them better or worse.
2. List medicines and health conditions. Include supplements and alcohol or other substance use.
3. Note family history. Depression, bipolar disorder or suicide in close relatives matters.
4. Choose where to start. A primary care provider, a psychiatric clinician or a therapist can begin the process.
5. Book the visit. Ask whether telehealth or in-person care fits you better.
6. Bring someone if it helps. A trusted person can add details you might miss.
7. Leave with a plan. Ask what the next steps and follow-up timeline are.

The NIMH Find Help page notes that treatment works best when you have a good relationship with your mental health professional, so it is reasonable to look for a good fit.

What should you say at your first appointment?

At your first appointment, say what has changed, for how long and how it is affecting you. Simple, specific statements work best:

• "For the past month I have felt low most days and stopped enjoying things."
• "I am sleeping four hours some nights and ten on others."
• "There have been weeks when I felt unusually energized and did not need sleep."
• "My mother was treated for depression."
• "I have had thoughts that life is not worth living." This is important to say, even if it feels hard.

The NIMH Find Help page encourages people to bring up mental health concerns with a provider, and an honest first conversation is the foundation of a good working relationship.

When do you need help right away?

You need help right away if you or someone else is in danger. The NIMH warning signs of suicide include talking about wanting to die or being a burden, feeling hopeless or trapped, withdrawing from friends, displaying extreme mood swings and using drugs or alcohol more often.

Several nights without sleep with very high energy, or loss of touch with reality, also need urgent care. Call or text 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or call 911 if anyone is in immediate danger.

Where can Texans find mood disorder care?

Texans can find mood disorder care through primary care, psychiatric clinicians, therapists, community mental health centers and telehealth. Texas Health and Human Services lists 24/7 crisis lines run by local mental health authorities for each county, and 2-1-1 Texas can help people find mental health clinics and counseling services, with chat in English and Spanish.

Telehealth rules depend on where the patient is during the visit and vary by state. Lyte Psychiatry offers telehealth visits to patients who are physically located in Texas at the time of the visit.

Getting support in Texas

If you are still wondering what are mood disorders and whether one fits your experience, an evaluation is the clearest way to find out. Lyte Psychiatry offers therapy, psychiatric evaluation and medication management in Texas. In-person visits are available at Lyte Psychiatry's clinic in Pantego, in the Dallas–Fort Worth area. All Lyte Psychiatry services are available in Spanish. Most new patients are seen within 1–2 business days. Weekend appointments are limited.

Availability, insurance and clinician fit require confirmation. Lyte Psychiatry is an outpatient practice and does not provide inpatient care, crisis or after-hours coverage. Learn more about depression care and therapy and psychiatry.

If you are in a mental-health crisis in the United States, call or text 988. Call 911 for immediate danger.

Educational information, not a diagnosis or individual treatment plan.