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Our office will be closed on Monday, September 7, 2026, in observance of Labor Day. We will resume normal operating hours on Tuesday, September 8, 2026.
Mood disorders are mental health conditions that significantly affect a person’s mood and emotional well-being. They can impact sleep, energy, concentration, relationships, and the ability to handle everyday responsibilities. Depression and bipolar disorder are two familiar examples, but the category encompasses a range of conditions.
Mood disorders are treatable. Discover how the right diagnosis and evidence-based care help people manage symptoms and live full, meaningful lives.
Find support that’s right for you.
A mood is a temporary state that affects how we experience and respond to the world. Everyone goes through mood shifts, including periods of unhappiness, frustration, and low energy. But when those changes persist, become severe, or interfere with daily life, they may point to a mood disorder.
Symptoms of mood disorders can include ongoing sadness or detachment, feeling unusually elated or irritable, lack of motivation, difficulty concentrating, or distinct episodes of depression or excitement. These can seem like the effects of stress or a rough patch, making mood disorders easy to overlook or attribute to personality.
Mood disorders are divided into two major groups: depressive and bipolar. Depressive disorders involve continuous or recurring low mood. Bipolar disorders can include episodes of depression alongside bouts of mania or hypomania (a milder form of mania).
Bipolar disorder, in particular, can be missed when someone seeks care. A depressive episode may be what brings someone to treatment, while euphoria or irritation, unusually high energy, or reduced need for sleep might not feel concerning enough to bring up. However, this may represent a manic episode and also benefits from mental health treatment.
Accurate diagnosis requires looking at individual history, circumstances, and patterns over time. A provider will consider how long symptoms last, how much distress they cause, their effect on daily life and relationships, and whether someone has experienced both depressive and elevated periods.
A personalized care plan may incorporate therapy, medication, or both. With the right treatment, many people manage symptoms, improve their relationships, and achieve greater stability and well-being.
Depression (Major Depressive Disorder)
People experiencing major depressive disorder often cite feeling persistently sad, empty, hopeless, or emotionally numb, and may lose interest in activities that once brought pleasure. Sleep, appetite, energy, and focus can shift alongside mood, and even familiar tasks can feel exhausting. Depression alters how someone views themselves and their future, making it harder to feel hopeful, motivated, or connected. If this is you, you’re not alone — major depressive disorder is one of the most common mood disorders.
Bipolar Disorder
For someone living with this condition, life can feel unpredictable. Bipolar disorder involves both depressive episodes and periods of mania or hypomania, although the pattern, timing, and intensity vary. A depressive episode may leave someone detached or listless. During mania or hypomania, they may feel unusually energized, confident, restless, or driven, with plans exceeding what’s sustainable. What seems exciting or productive in the moment can lead to commitments that are difficult to manage later. These shifts can affect work, relationships, finances, and a person’s sense of control.
Persistent Depressive Disorder (Dysthymia)
People navigating this condition often describe experiencing a low mood for years. Symptoms can be less intense than those of major depression, but their duration can be similarly exhausting. Someone may feel consistently tired, unmotivated, discouraged, or unable to enjoy things fully, yet still keep up with work, responsibilities, and relationships. Over time, these feelings can become so familiar that they may seem like part of who the person is rather than symptoms of a treatable condition.
Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD)
Individuals experiencing PMDD notice severe irritability, sadness, anxiety, or emotional sensitivity in the week or two before a menstrual period, with symptoms easing shortly after it begins. During this time, emotions can feel unusually intense or difficult to manage, affecting concentration, relationships, work, and daily plans. Because the pattern repeats with each cycle, a person may find themselves anticipating or repeatedly recovering from the same challenging time month after month.
Mood disorder symptoms can affect emotional well-being, thought patterns, physical health, and behavior. The examples below represent a range across depressive and bipolar conditions.
It may be time to get help if:
• Low mood, emptiness, hopelessness, or loss of interest has lasted most of the day, nearly every day, for two weeks or longer, especially if accompanied by changes in sleep, appetite, energy, or focus.
• You go through periods of unusually high energy, little need for sleep, rapid thoughts, or impulsive behavior, alternating with depression.
• Your mood, irritability, or anxiety reliably worsen before your menstrual period and interfere with work, relationships, or daily life.
• You’re struggling to keep up with work, school, childcare, household tasks, or other responsibilities that you normally manage.
• Your mood or behavior is negatively affecting your relationships, or loved ones tell you they’re concerned.
• You’re drinking alcohol or using drugs to calm down, sleep, or manage difficult emotions.
• You notice disruptions in your mood, sleep, energy, or motivation returning around the same time each year. Seasonal patterns can occur with both depressive and bipolar disorders.
• You’ve felt low, empty, or irritable for years and can’t remember the last time you felt consistently well.
You have thoughts of harming yourself or feel that life is not worth living. If so, get immediate support by calling or texting 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, available 24/7 in the U.S. You can also use the Lifeline chat. Services are free and confidential.
Genetics can play a significant role, particularly in bipolar disorder. Mood disorders tend to run in families, but there is no “mood disorder gene.” Instead, many genetic variations can contribute to a person’s overall susceptibility. Brain biology, hormones, sleep, and other physical processes can also affect mood. This may help explain why some mood disorders or symptoms emerge around hormonal changes, pregnancy and the postpartum period, or seasonal shifts.
Stressful or disruptive life events, including loss, relationship concerns, financial strain, or major changes at home or work, can contribute to the onset of a mood disorder or activate an episode. Thyroid problems and some medications can cause symptoms that resemble depression, while alcohol and other substances can worsen mood symptoms or interfere with treatment. Chronic conditions and ongoing pain can also negatively affect mood.
The way someone learns to understand themselves, manage emotions, respond to stress, and cope with difficult experiences can influence their vulnerability to mood disorders. Patterns such as harsh self-criticism, hopelessness, or withdrawing when things feel overwhelming may develop over time and become reflexive. During periods of stress or depression, these tendencies can become more pronounced and make it harder to regain a sense of perspective or move forward.
Mood disorder treatment can bring significant relief and make daily life more manageable. Your care plan may involve therapy, medication, or both. Our clinicians adapt to your evolving needs and begin with a careful evaluation of your personal history, challenges, and goals. From there, we build a strategy tailored to you.
How it works:
Connect with our team to ask questions, share your experiences, and explore care options. We’ll match you with a licensed clinician whose expertise and approach align with your needs.
Schedule an initial appointment to begin a thoughtful, collaborative evaluation. Your clinician will listen closely to your experiences, learn about your symptoms and history, and use evidence-based tools to better understand what’s going on. This process ensures recommendations are tailored to you.
Start your care journey. Therapy for mood disorders can help you understand and manage symptoms, work through difficult emotions, and develop strategies that build resilience. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is one possible approach, along with other evidence-based modalities tailored to your needs.
Medication may also be integrated. Antidepressants are often used for depressive disorders, while bipolar disorder is typically treated with mood stabilizers or atypical antipsychotics. Antidepressants can be used for bipolar depression in some circumstances, but are generally not prescribed alone.
Regular sleep, physical activity, and avoiding alcohol or non-prescribed drugs can complement clinical treatment and support overall well-being.
Connect with our team to ask questions, share your experiences, and explore care options. We’ll match you with a licensed clinician whose expertise and approach align with your needs.
Schedule an initial appointment to begin a thoughtful, collaborative evaluation. Your clinician will listen closely to your experiences, learn about your symptoms and history, and use evidence-based tools to better understand what’s going on. This process ensures recommendations are tailored to you.
Start your care journey. Therapy for mood disorders can help you understand and manage symptoms, work through difficult emotions, and develop strategies that build resilience. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is one possible approach, along with other evidence-based modalities tailored to your needs.
Medication may also be integrated. Antidepressants are often used for depressive disorders, while bipolar disorder is typically treated with mood stabilizers or atypical antipsychotics. Antidepressants can be used for bipolar depression in some circumstances, but are generally not prescribed alone.
Regular sleep, physical activity, and avoiding alcohol or non-prescribed drugs can complement clinical treatment and support overall well-being.
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