Overview Of Mood and Anxiety Mental Disorders And Their Symptoms
A wide variety of mental health conditions can affect people and interfere with relationships, emotions, and overall well-being. According to the National Alliance on Mental Issues (NAMI), roughly one in five adults experiences some form of mental illness each year. Without a diagnosis, it can be difficult to know where to start. Read on for an overview of mood and anxiety mental disorders and their symptoms. This information may help you identify signs you or a loved one may be experiencing, so you have a framework to talk to your mental healthcare provider.
When Should You Seek Help?
Significant changes to personality, sleeping, or eating patterns
Inability to cope with problems or perform daily activities
Persistent feelings of sadness, anxiety, disconnection, or apathy
Withdrawal from usual activities and social contact
Substance misuse
Extreme mood swings
Excessive anger or violent behavior
Thoughts or statements about suicide or violence
If you or a loved one are experiencing suicidal thoughts, reach out for help immediately. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline can be reached at 988 and is available 24/7.
Mood Disorders
In general, mood disorders affect your emotional state or mood by distorting what you feel. According to the Mayo Clinic, these distortions can make your mood inconsistent with your circumstances. Mood disorders can cause substantial interference with your ability to function in various ways.
Major Depressive Disorder
Depression is a serious mood disorder that can touch every part of your life in significant ways, often leading to mental, emotional, and physical symptoms. Depression is a mental health condition. Neurotic disorders like depression are not a weakness or character flaw but rather an imbalance in your brain chemistry that requires treatment.
Persistent feelings of sadness, anxiety, or emptiness
Loss of interest or enjoyment in nearly all activities, anhedonia
Changes in appetite, weight, and sleep patterns
Decreased energy levels, feeling tired and worn down daily
Feelings of worthlessness and undue guilt
Difficulty concentrating
Suicidal thoughts or ideation (Note: This requires emergency treatment.)
Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder was formerly known as manic depression. This mental illness causes abnormal shifts in mood, energy, concentration, and the ability to function in daily life. People with bipolar disorder typically experience periods of mania with excessive energy and irritability, cycling with longer times of sadness and depression.
Mania and Hypomania (a less severe form of mania)
Unusually upbeat mood and excessive energy levels
Feelings of euphoria and exaggerated self-confidence
Decreased need or ability to sleep
Poor judgment, racing thoughts, and easy distraction
Depressive Episodes
See symptoms of “major depressive disorder.”
Feelings of sadness, emptiness, hopelessness, or irritability
Noticeable loss of interest in nearly all activities
Slowed or restless behavior
Sleeping too much or not enough
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
Seasonal affective disorder is a type of depression categorized by mood shifts beginning and ending with the change of the seasons.
See symptoms of “major depressive disorder.”
Winter-Pattern SAD: oversleeping, overeating (particularly carbohydrates), weight gain, social withdrawal
Summer-Pattern SAD: insomnia, poor appetite and weight loss, restlessness, agitation, anxiety, and violent behavior
Persistent Depressive Disorder
Some people experience chronic, low-level depression known as persistent depressive disorder (formerly dysthymic disorder). While typically not as severe as major depressive disorder, the symptoms may last longer. This condition requires a combination of depressive symptoms lasting two years or longer.
See symptoms for “major depressive disorder.”
Postpartum Depression Disorder (PPD)
After childbirth, some parents experience difficulties with their emotional state. Postpartum depression is believed to be triggered by the extensive hormone shifts related to childbirth. PPD occurs after roughly 15% of births. While most people think of PPD as something only mothers go through, fathers can also experience this mental health condition.
Feelings of anxiety
Overwhelming sadness
Trouble sleeping
Disturbing thoughts
Other Mood Disorders
Cyclothymic Disorder—Emotional cycling less extreme than bipolar disorder
Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder—Mood shifts and irritability during the premenstrual stage of a female’s cycle. More severe than PMS (premenstrual syndrome).
Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder—Chronic, severe, and persistent irritability in children
Depression Due To Medical Illness—Depression directly related to the effects of another medical condition
Depression Induced By Substance Use Or Medication—Depression developing soon after or related to substance use or withdrawal
Anxiety Disorders
While many experience temporary worry or fear about various issues like health, family problems, or finances, those worries don’t typically linger for an extended period or substantially impact your life. You may have an anxiety disorder when your concerns or fears become pervasive and persistent, affecting your daily life, mental or emotional state, and behaviors.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
With a generalized anxiety disorder, people may experience persistent feelings of dread or anxiety, often interfering with daily life functioning.
Feelings of restlessness, irritability, or being on-edge
Easily becoming fatigued
Trouble concentrating
Headaches, muscle aches, stomach aches, or unexplained pain
Excessive worrying and difficulty relaxing
Trouble sleeping
Easily startled
Panic Disorder
People living with a panic disorder may experience sudden periods of overwhelming fear and anxiety lasting for several minutes. These panic attacks may occur without warning or apparent trigger, further increasing worry levels.
Sudden, repeated panic attacks
Feeling out of control, fearing death, or feeling a sense of impending doom during an attack
Intense worry about the next panic attack
Fear or avoidance of places where previous panic attacks occurred
Physical symptoms during panic attacks can include a racing heart, sweating, chills, trembling, breathing trouble, weakness, dizziness, tingling or numb hands, chest pain, stomach pain, or nausea.
Social Anxiety Disorder
Many people have a social anxiety disorder, which is characterized by the persistent fear of social situations where they may be exposed to unfamiliar people or social scrutiny. People with this type of anxiety tend to worry that they will do or say something embarrassing.
Blushing, trembling, racing heart, sweating, or stomachaches
Excessive worry over behavior leading to humiliation
Rigid body posture and using a nearly inaudible voice
Trouble making eye contact or being comfortable around new people
Extreme self-consciousness or worry about being judged
Phobia-Related Disorders
Many people have intense fear or aversion to specific situations or objects, which is called a phobia-related disorder. Phobias are frequently due to irrational fears or something that poses little or no risk of real danger. However, they may elicit extreme reactions when a person encounters the source of their anxiety.
Disproportionate fear or excessive worry about encountering the subject of the phobia
Actively taking steps to avoid the feared situation or object
Immediate and intense anxiety when encountering the subject of the phobia
Simple phobias: Intense fear of things like flying, heights, specific animals, needles, blood, public speaking, etc.
Agoraphobia: fear of open spaces or claustrophobia: fear of enclosed spaces
Separation Anxiety Disorder
People living with a separation anxiety disorder may experience intense anxiety upon separation from the people they’ve formed emotional attachments to, often demonstrating extreme and unfounded fear that something terrible will happen while they are separated.
Intense fear and anxiety when separated from people to whom you’ve formed attachments
Nightmares about being separated from attachment figures
Physical anxiety symptoms when separated from attachment figures
Avoiding separation from attachment figures and time alone
Resources For Help
National Domestic Violence Hotline: Call 1-800-799-7233 or text "START" to 88788.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: Call 1-800-273-8255 or text “HOME” to 741741.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration: Call 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
Veterans Crisis Line: Call 1-800-273-8255 or text 838255.
Trevor Lifeline (LGBTQ Lifeline): (866)488-7386
SAMHSA National Helpline (Substance Use): (800)662-4357
How Therapy Can Help Treat Mental Health Conditions
Many people have built a successful relationship with a licensed therapist online through virtual therapy providers like BetterHelp. Working with a therapist can help you identify and correct harmful thoughts and behaviors, develop healthy habits and coping skills, learn better communication methods, and provide professional support and guidance as you improve your mental health. With flexible appointment formats through phone, video call, or online chat, teletherapy can be used to treat a vast array of mental health conditions from the comfort of your own home—often with substantially lower costs and reduced wait times.
According to the American Psychological Association (APA), many people have found online therapy to be a practical, affordable, and convenient alternative to face-to-face treatment in the traditional office setting. The APA suggests online therapy makes treatment accessible to many people, particularly in rural areas, who otherwise could not reach a licensed therapist.
Takeaway
Mental health is a crucial part of overall well-being. The information outlined in this article may make it easier to recognize the symptoms of an undiagnosed mental health condition in yourself or a loved one and seek help from your healthcare provider.