Mood Disorders

Part two of Mood Disorders picks up with the sub-types of Major Depression. The first would be one known as 'Melancholia' which has features like a loss of interests and pleasures, has a distinct depressed mood more intense in the morning, weight loss, excessive guilt, lethargy, depression, maybe psychotic behaviors and delusions/false beliefs. There could also be hallucinations that give a false sense of perceptions and auditory hallucinations are more common. With Depression catatonic features along with behavioral disturbances.

Another sub-type is known as 'Catalepsy' that has features of showing rigidity in muscles, a lack of awareness of the environment, and there can also be excessive motor activity such as pacing and speech disturbances.

Some atypical depressive features are that exhibit positive feelings at certain events in life. There is a significant weight gain, increased appetite, hypermania, and maybe a heaviness in the limbs of the body. There could be a hypersensitivity to an interpersonal rejection.

Another subtype of Depression is one that occurs four weeks after delivery of a baby and this is called Depression with Post-partum onset. There is also 'Seasonal Affective Disorder' where seasonal patterns and one must have a two year history of this and is most common in the winter for the symptoms leave when the season ends.

Moving on to what is known as 'Mania' this is an elevated, expansive, or irritable mood and has occurred for one week with three or more symptoms. These symptoms are inflated self-esteem, grandosity, decreased need for sleep, pressured speech, and increased need to keep talking. There is also what is known as 'flight of ideas' where conversations covers several topics at once and does not make sense. There is distractibility when one cannot maintain focus in increased activities to reach a goal or goals which are not realistic goals to reach. Sometimes there is excessive involvement in dangerous activities and evolve into a psychotic state with delusions and hallucinations. A manic episode starts and ends suddenly.

Minor hypomania is a less severe form that show at least three symptoms and not severe enough to interfere with ADL's (activities of daily living) and no delusions or hallucinations.

I am not sure if I am saying this right, but an offshoot of Depression and Mania is what is known as being Bi-Polar I or II. Bi-Polar I is where one exhibits major depressive episodes but not necessary but must have criteria of manic episodes. Hypomanic episodes occur between the depressive episodes but not necessary to be bi-polar I. There are no gender differences, so men and women can develop this disorder and start at any age, but usually in the early 20's. Now for Bi-Polar II one must be Major depressive with a full criteria for mania. It cannot be met with hypomanic episodes and is more common in women and can start at any age.

There are many fluctuations in dealing and working with mood exchanges and there are periods of normalcy in these lives. In dealing and working with mania sometimes you do not want to comply with the treatment because of the energy you feel and exhibit to others. There are times that the client will self-medicate to remain manic and stay the way.

In the Mood disorders there is 'Cyclothymic disorder' that is a manic and depressive mood. It is chronic and relatively continual in nature, but it is not full blown mania. There are fluctuations with hypomania and major depression over a two year period and starts in adolesence.

To be continued: Cognitive theories

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