Describe the symptoms of the major types of mood disorders.
Classify the type of disorder illustrated by individual cases.
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1. Everyone has mild mood swings that are normal emotional reactions to the events of the day or week. But if a mood swing becomes extreme and disrupts the person’s ability to function in life, it might be classified as a psychological disorder. An extremely negative mood would be considered depression, while an extremely positive mood is called mania.
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2. There are two basic forms of mood disorders: major depressive disorder (extreme mood swings only in the negative direction) and bipolar disorder (extreme mood swings in both directions).
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3. In major depressive disorder, a person experiences a deeply depressed mood for two weeks or more, usually accompanied by feelings of worthlessness, sleep disturbances, a loss of energy and appetite, and a loss of interest in formerly pleasurable activities.
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4. In contrast, a person with bipolar disorder alternates between periods of depression and mania. The manic phase is a strikingly elevated mood (intense feelings of happiness, optimism, and enthusiasm) that lasts for several days or more, usually accompanied by a powerful urge to talk (fast and loud), a whirlwind of restless and reckless behavior, thoughts that jump from one idea to the next, and a decreased need for sleep.
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5. There are also two less-disruptive mood disorders. One is a milder version of major depressive disorder. A person who experiences mild, persistent depression would be diagnosed as having dysthymic disorder (also called persistent depressive disorder). This can last up to several years.
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6. A milder form of bipolar disorder is called cyclothymic disorder. A person with this disorder has relatively mild periods of mania alternating with mild periods of depression. Some well-known artists, musicians, and novelists have created their masterworks during bursts of manic energy.
Practice: Exploring Mood Disorders
Roll over each graph to view a description of that type of mood disorder.
Major depressive disorder: two or more weeks of significantly depressed moods, feelings of worthlessness, and loss of interest in pleasurable activities
Bipolar disorder: alternating between the hopelessness of depression and the overexcited state of mania
Dysthymic disorder: persistent mild depression that can last for several years
Cyclothymic disorder: alternating between mild manic episodes and relatively mild periods of depression
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