Mood disorders are a group of psychiatric illnesses characterized by sustained states of emotional highs or lows that interfere with your ability to function in a normal manner. Depression and bipolar disorders are the most common forms of mood disorders and within each illness there is a broad range of experiences and a variety of presentations which may vary from person to person; while people within each diagnostic category share a number of similar traits, what depression or bipolar disorder looks like in one person can be drastically different in another.
Because mood disorders represent a heightening of “normal” emotional experiences, it is common for some to try to minimize the disorders or believe that someone with depression or bipolar disorder can just pull themselves together. But in fact, these conditions are serious mental health disorders that can produce a host of distressing symptoms that cannot be alleviated via willpower alone. Both depression and bipolar disorder can lead self-isolation, damaged interpersonal relationships, self-harm, and even suicidal ideation.
For most mood disorders, there is no singular cause, but a complex combination of biological and environmental factors. Although research reveals that depression and bipolar disorder often run in families, this is not always the case; you can spontaneously develop a mood disorder regardless of family history. Mood disorders may also be triggered by specific, often traumatic events, such as the death of a loved one, separation from a partner, a sexual assault, or any significant life change.
