Mood disorders are treatable medical illnesses that can have profound effects on a person's mood, thinking, behavior, motivation and insight.


 Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness, affects about 2 million people in the U.S.  Bipolar disorder is characterized by periods of unusual acitvation (mania or hypomania) usually along with periods of depression.  Manic and depressive episodes are usually interspersed with periods of normal mood.
During mania, a person may behave impulsively or recklessly, has increased energy, decreased need for sleep, and often has grandiose thinking  (thinking they have the answers to everything, or that they are special or invincible.)  Sometimes mania is "euphoric," meaning the person has an unusally happy or elated mood.  Other times, mania is "dysphoric," meaning that the person has a negative, irritable or unpleasant mood.  Many times, mania includes psychotic symptoms (delusions or hallucinations.)

During depressive episodes of bipolar disorder, symptoms are often similar to those of major depressive disorder, below.  Some people experience severe irritability or rage instead of classic depression.

In addition to manic and depressive episodes, some people experience "mixed states."  Mixed states are when manic energy and activation accompanies a depressed mood.  

Major Depressive Disorder

Major depressive disorder, or clinical depression, is usually characterized by persistent low mood and low energy.  Depression affects 19 million people in the US.  During an episode of depression, people often feel unusually sad, empty, apathetic, or hopeless.  Often they feel fatigued or "weighed down" and may either sleep too much or have difficulty sleeping.  Irritability, anxiety, or feelings of guilt may also occur.  Depression takes the enjoyment out of life and people often lose interest in hobbies, work, and relationships.  Suicidal thoughts are common.  In severe cases, depression may also include psychotic symptoms and/or catatonia (stupor, slowed movements.)

Schizoaffective Disorder

Schizoaffective disorder combines features of a mood disorder and schizophrenia.  ("Affective" means mood.)  Patients with schizoaffective disorder experience both mood episodes (mania or depression) and psychotic episodes (delusions and/or hallucinations)  Psychosis can also occur in bipolar disorder, but it only occurs during mood episodes.  In schizoaffective disorder, though, psychotic symptoms can occur when there are no mood symptoms present.  This is the primary difference between bipolar disorder and schizoaffective disorder.  Schizoaffective disorder differs from schizophrenia because of the prominence of mood symptoms (true manic and depressive episodes do not occur in schizophrenia) and the episodic nature of the disorder.  While schizophrenia is chronically progressive, schizoaffective disorder tends to be episodic and not progressive.


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