MOOD DISORDERS

Mood disorder encompasses a plethora of disorders which are Unipolar disorder or major depressive disorder , Bipolar disorder , Cyclothymia , Dysthymia , and Hypomania. Mood disorders if left untreated can be crippling to the person experiencing it and also to the people related to the person.

Major Depressive Disorder or Depression comprises of the following symptoms for 2 weeks which are :

·        Depressed mood most of the day or everyday

·        Loss of pleasure in day to day activities

·        Changes in weight and food intake

·        Fatigue

·        Sleeping more or less than usual

·        Feeling of worthlessness and inappropriate guilt

·        Lack of ability to think and concentrate

·        Suicidal ideations

Causes of Depressive Disorders :

1.      Genetic/biological :  The monoamine hypothesis is the common reason for depression which suggests that the reason behind depression is a depletion in the level of serotonin, norepinephrine and or dopamine in the central nervous system.

2.      Personality : The personality of an individual can be an important factor in the development of depression. A highly sensitive individual would be more at risk to develop depression due to oversensitivity to external stimuli such as criticism.

3.      Drug and Alcohol use : A lot of abuse of drug and alcohol can ultimately lead to depression.

4.      Social Causes : Social factors such as unemployment, financial crisis  poverty  can be the leading causes of depression.

Treating  Major Depression  :

Eating right :   Foods rich in vitamin B are quite helpful in treating major depression. Food rich in magnesium is also important in dealing with depression.

Avoid alcohol or processed food : Avoiding  alcohol and processed food can help divert depressive symptoms to a great extent.

Sleeping well :   Sleeping well would help a person with depression to a great extent. A minimum of 8 hours sleep is crucial for an individual with depression.

Exercise :  Exercising can help a lot in fighting depression. Going for walks can be an immediate mood booster.

Therapist :  Going to a therapist is crucial to help cure major depressive symptoms since a therapist is trained in giving proper psychological therapy in order to make the client/patient feel better.

Challenging negative beliefs :  Since depression gives rise to a lot of negative thoughts and emotions , it is important to challenge the negative beliefs and replace them with positive thoughts/emotions. Writing down thoughts can be helpful.

Identifying distorted thought patterns :  Distorted thought patterns need to be identified.