Mood disorders have the ability to define the way an individual perceives the world, how they carry on from day to day, and how they perceive themselves. For millions of Americans, these are not “bad moods” or “phases”—they are a part of an overarching mental health disorder in need of treatment, support, and at times, clinical treatment.
Whether you’re trying to better understand your own emotional state or support a loved one, learning the signs and types of mood disorders is a vital step toward healing.
A mood disorder is a mental health condition that primarily affects a person’s emotional state. While we all experience highs and lows, a mood disorder involves patterns of extreme or prolonged emotional shifts that interfere with daily life, relationships, and overall well-being.1
They can manifest in the following ways:
Mood disorders can affect people of all ages and backgrounds, including adolescents, adults, and older individuals. These are typically linked to family history, life events, illness, or chemical brain imbalances involving serotonin and dopamine.
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Also referred to as clinical depression, MDD is characterized by pervasive depression, hopelessness, and emptiness of at least two weeks’ duration. It is a highly common mood disorder.3
Symptoms of depression may be:
Compared to MDD, persistent depressive disorder is less severe but longer in duration. Others might describe it as a low mood all the time, like perpetual fog. Its duration must be at least two years to be relevant in diagnosis.
This is a less severe form of bipolar disorder in which the patient shifts mood repeatedly within an interval of two or more years. The patient shifts their mood from hypomanic to mild depressive but never reaches the full bipolar diagnosis.
SAD is associated with changing seasons—winter and fall in particular. Lower light may precipitate depressive episodes, sleep disturbances, and lethargy. Light therapy is usually effective treatment.
This is depression in individuals after having given birth. Although “baby blues” are typical, this is severe and long-lasting. It may include severe feelings of sadness and guilt and separation from the infant.
Mood disorders can manifest in different ways, but common symptoms include:
Each person’s experience varies. Some have mostly depressive symptoms, while others may alternate between high and low moods. That’s why an individualized treatment plan is so important.8
Research shows that gender not only impacts the timing of schizophrenia, but also how it manifests:
This is not to say schizophrenia is easier for women. It simply reflects the fact that psychiatrists need to consider gender when diagnosing schizophrenia and planning treatment.
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Left untreated, mood disorders can affect nearly every area of a person’s life:
Mood disorders are also often linked with anxiety disorders, further worsening symptoms.
Fortunately, mood disorders are very treatable. Therapy, medication, and behavior modifications come together again and again to achieve long-lasting results.
Also referred to as “talk therapy,” psychotherapy might be used to find the underlying reasons for mood dysregulation and to acquire coping mechanisms.9 Types of therapy are:
Medications may include:
Side effects vary, and our mental health professionals will help you find the right medication.
If you are experiencing symptoms of depression, mania, or other mood changes, do not hesitate to come in. A mental health professional—whether a therapist, psychiatrist, or social worker—can manage the treatment process.
Early treatment is beneficial in long-term results, particularly in adolescents, in whom initial symptoms are often confused with “growing pains”.
Recovery doesn’t mean you’ll never feel down or overwhelmed again—it means those feelings won’t dominate your life. It means:
No matter whether you are struggling with bipolar II disorder, dysthymia, or PMDD, healing is possible. With adequate health care, it is possible to envision and plan a future free from moody unpredictability.
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If someone close to you is living with a mood disorder:
Supporting someone doesn’t mean fixing everything—it means showing up.
If either you or someone close to you is displaying symptoms of a mood disorder, particularly if it’s affecting daily life, reach out. Mood disorders left untreated will often develop into a crisis and even self-harm or suicide.
At AMFM (A Mission for Michael), we provide individualized care rooted in compassion and clinical excellence. We serve clients across California, Minnesota, and Virginia, and offer outpatient, residential, and trauma-informed care depending on your needs.
You are more than a diagnosis. Mental illness might capture the fabric of life, but it shouldn’t capture the end. If you are living with bipolar I disorder, clinical depression or one of the other depression types yet to be labeled—there is hope.
Mood disorders are curable. There is recovery. And it often starts by simply putting into words what is going on.
If you’ve been living with emotional ups and downs that feel like more than stress, you’re not alone—and you’re not broken. At AMFM, our team of trauma-informed clinicians, psychiatrists, and mental health professionals are here to walk with you toward stability.
Reach out today. Because everyone deserves to feel like themselves again.
Sekhon, S., Mood Disorder, StatPearls, National Center for Biotechnology Information, updated 2023, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK558911/
Major Depressive Disorder: Validated Treatments and Future Directions (Karrouri et al.). PMC (PubMed Central), 2021. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8610877/
National Institute of Mental Health. “Bipolar Disorder.” NIMH, updated December 2024. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/bipolar-disorder
StatPearls, Mishra, S., Elliott, H., and Marwaha, R., “Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder,” StatPearls Publishing, 2025, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK532307/
National Institute of Mental Health, “Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder: The Basics,” NIMH, accessed September 2025, https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/disruptive-mood-dysregulation-disorder
Sekhon, S., Mood Disorder, StatPearls, National Center for Biotechnology Information, updated 2023, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK558911/
Picardi, “Psychotherapy of Mood Disorders,” Clinical Practice and Epidemiology in Mental Health 10 (2014): 140‑151. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4258697/
“Electroconvulsive Therapy for Treatment‑Resistant Depression,” PubMed, accessed 2023, by M. H. Hsieh et al., https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37806717/
Campbell, P. D. et al., “Bright Light Therapy: Seasonal Affective Disorder and Beyond,” PMC – PubMed Central, 2017, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6746555/
