Mood Disorders

It’s common for someone to think they’ve dealt with their feelings for years and that what they’re feeling isn’t going to change. This includes fatigue, loss of energy, and exhaustion even after getting enough rest. In addition, many people deal with things they think everyone deals with.

Though your body and mind may feel tired for days, there may be a root cause for how you feel. Something that may seem like a personality trait or something caused by your upbringing or even a temporary circumstance could actually be a mood disorder. Mood disorders have specific names, distinct symptoms, and, interestingly enough, have effective treatments.

Dr. Mapendo Karen Safari treats patients of all ages across Maryland, with offices in Glen Burnie and Laurel, and offers telehealth visits.

Conditions We See and Treat

Major Depressive Disorder

The symptoms of mood disorders are not what are typically thought to be negative moods. Depression can present as lethargy or even apathy. Even if someone sleeps for ten hours and is fatigued, they have depression if they are apathetic or disinterested in anything.

If depression becomes severe, it can even present as a loss of interest in eating. Every day tasks may seem exhausting.

Although major depressive disorder may be the most common mood disorder, it is actually the most treatable mood disorder.

Persistent Depressive Disorder

Persistent Depressive Disorder has earned its reputation for being the “silent” depression because it lacks the overwhelming symptoms of major depression and is more chronic and pervasive. It is something that many people feel that they can simply cope with and choose to live with it.

However, chronic low moods are the kind of burden that no one should have to suffer with.

Bipolar I and Bipolar II Disorder

Bipolar disorders are often misdiagnosed, mostly in the very early stages. Many people will present during a depressive episode, while the hypomanic or manic phases go unrecognized or are mislabeled. For Bipolar I, this includes full, severe manic episodes. For Bipolar II, this includes hypomanic phases that are less severe, but still significant.

It is critical to get the correct diagnosis for Bipolar disorders, because if we treat it like a regular depressive disorder, the symptoms might increase. For example, if there is a Bipolar disorder and an antidepressant is given, there is a high chance that a full manic episode will be triggered. If we get the correct diagnosis for Bipolar disorders, we completely change the treatment.

Cyclothymic Disorder

This includes the chronic cycling of moods. Recognized as a less severe version of Bipolar disorder, it includes episodes of elevated moods, which include increased talkativeness and decreased need for sleep, followed by depressed and less motivated phases. While it may not be severe enough to reach the full Bipolar disorder diagnosis, it does cause a great deal of instability in both personal and professional relationships.

Seasonal Affective Disorder

Mood that reliably drops when daylight does. Fall arrives, the days shorten and so does the mood. Winter comes. The daylight and the mood are at their lowest. Spring brings the return of the daylight and the return of the mood.

There are treatments available that are intended to help with the Fall/Winter symptoms.

Postpartum Depression

There is an overwhelming cultural perception that postpartum depression is just an extension of the baby blues.

The baby blues are a brief period of mild depression after childbirth. Postpartum depression is a full major depressive episode that can include being emotionally and physically disconnected from the infant, an inability to sleep while the infant is sleeping, and becomes more severe with the development of anxiety and intrusion of distressing and shameful thoughts.

This disorder can go undiagnosed because it is considered taboo to talk about, but it is more common than thought. There are no negative consequences of seeking treatment. This is not a reason to suffer in silence.

Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder

PMDD is not the same as PMS.

Symptoms of PMDD can include mood disturbances and irritability that can become severe and eventually lead to depression and anxiety that affect personal and occupational relationships and can last for a week or more before the menstrual period. The good news is that these symptoms are temporary because they have a clear association with the hormonal cycle and there are effective treatments available that can drastically improve symptoms.

Why the Right Diagnosis Matters

Mood disorders overlap in ways that make diagnosis genuinely complex. Depression is a feature of several different conditions, each of which responds to different treatments. Someone can spend years on medication that is not quite right because the underlying diagnosis was not fully worked out.

Dr. Safari takes the evaluation seriously. She looks at the full clinical history, not just the current presentation, and does not rush a diagnosis. If something in a previous diagnosis does not add up given how a patient has responded to treatment, that gets revisited.

What Treatment Looks Like

The combination of medication and therapy offers improvement in most mood disorders. Therapy deals with the influence of the mood disorder on relationships and thought patterns, while medication addresses the immediate clinical needs of the patient.

The treatment of children and adolescents is different. The presentation of young patients is of a different nature, there is a great need for diagnostic evaluation of young patients, and parents participate in every step of the process.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if this is a mood disorder or just a rough patch?

Having a rough patch typically has a reason and resolves when the situation causing it changes. What can identify a mood disorder is if the symptoms are persistent with no cause, or occur in patterns that are inconsistent with what is happening in the life of the person. If things have been tough for a prolonged period, and it is hard to carry on with day to day responsibilities, that is worth having a clinical evaluation done.

Could I have bipolar disorder if I have only ever been diagnosed with depression?

Yes, and it is relatively common. Bipolar disorder is often missed because the depressive diagnosis is what brings the person to care.

 If the treatment of depression has been relatively ineffective, then the most common reasons for that should be assessed.

My mood changes a lot. Does that mean I have bipolar disorder?

Not necessarily. Mood variability has a lot of potential causes, including anxiety, ADHD, trauma responses, and personality-related patterns, as well as cyclothymia or bipolar disorder. A thorough evaluation is what separates those possibilities, not the presence of mood shifts alone.

Can mood disorders be managed long term?

For some people, yes. The management of mood disorders, including bipolar disorder, can allow individuals to live full and stable lives. The most important component of this is consistent care.

The management of conditions like bipolar disorder occurs when treatment is sought during a crisis and is abandoned when the individual is stable.

Is medication always part of the plan?

For milder presentations, sometimes therapy and other supports are enough to make a real difference. For conditions like bipolar disorder or severe depression, medication is usually an important part of stability. Dr. Safari is straight about this in evaluations and does not default to prescribing without clinical reason.

Do you see kids and teenagers for mood disorders?

Yes. Children and adolescents can develop mood disorders and they present differently than in adults. A depressed teenager often looks more irritable or angry than sad. Diagnosis at younger ages requires more care and different clinical considerations. Dr. Safari works with pediatric patients and involves parents throughout the process.

What insurance do you accept?

Accepted plans include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, UHC, Carelon, Oscar, and others. Private pay is welcome and flexible payment plans are available. Visit the Insurance page or call the practice before booking to confirm coverage.

Book an Appointment

If mood has been a problem for a while and nothing has quite addressed it, or if a current diagnosis does not feel like the full story, an evaluation with Dr. Safari is a reasonable starting point.

Access Psychiatry is in Glen Burnie and Laurel, Maryland. Telehealth appointments are available across the state. Schedule online or call the practice directly.