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Mood Disorders

What are mood disorders?

Mood disorders are mental health issues that affect your thoughts, behavior patterns, and emotions. They can cause mood swings and other bothersome symptoms that negatively affect your personality, job, relationships, and overall quality of life.  Common mood disorders include depression, bipolar disorder, and multiple personality disorder. Treatment at Karma Doctors & Associates can stabilize your mood and help you thrive.

What are the symptoms of mood disorders?

Common symptoms you may experience because of mood disorders include:

  • Constant or extreme sadness
  • Fatigue
  • Mood swings
  • Extreme happiness cycled with depression
  • Feeling hopeless or worthless
  • Having multiple personalities
  • Loss of appetite
  • Weight loss or weight gain
  • Loss of interest in favorite activities
  • Changes in sleeping patterns
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Problems focusing
  • Thoughts of suicide
  • Substance misuse
  • Impulsive behavior
  • Irritability
  • Agitation
  • Risky behaviors
  • Feeling jumpy
  • Racing thoughts

The symptoms vary based on the type of mood disorder you have and its severity, but everyone is different. Your symptoms could be mild, moderate, or severe, and long-lasting when left untreated.

What are the risk factors for mood disorders?

The cause of mood disorders isn’t entirely clear, but common risk factors include:

  • Family history of mood disorders
  • Traumatic life events
  • Certain personality traits
  • Previous mood disorder diagnosis
  • Other mental health conditions
  • Ongoing or severe stress
  • Some medications
  • Chronic illnesses or diseases

Adopting healthy habits, such as regular exercise and stress-reduction techniques, may reduce your risk of developing mood disorders. However, there’s no surefire way to avoid them if you undergo a traumatic life event or you’re prone to mood disorders.

How is a mood disorder diagnosed?

To find out if you have depression, bipolar disorder, multiple personality disorder, or another mood disorder, the Karma Doctors & Associates team reviews your symptoms and medical history. They ask questions about your thoughts, behavior patterns, mood, and lifestyle habits during a comprehensive psychiatric assessment.

Your specialist could complete a physical exam to detect or rule out underlying medical problems, as well as pharmacogenetic testing to determine which medicines likely work best with your genetic makeup.

How are mood disorders treated?

Common treatments for mood disorders include psychotherapy (talk therapy), medication management, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), dietary supplements, meditation, and other stress-reduction strategies.

The Karma Doctors & Associates team pairs you with a psychotherapist who offers cognitive-behavioral therapy, problem-solving therapy, interpersonal therapy, and more. TMS uses noninvasive electromagnetic energy to stimulate nerve cells in your brain to improve mood control. The Karma Doctors & Associates team personalizes each treatment plan to match your preferences, lifestyle, needs, and desired outcome.

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