Everyone has an off day now and then, especially when you’ve had a rough day at work or someone’s rubbed you the wrong way. It’s part of what makes us human and it’s really hard to control regardless of your age or what you do. However, it’s important to keep in mind that you might not be having just a bad day–it could be a mood disorder, especially if you feel like that fairly regularly.
So let’s talk about it and discuss what the differences are.
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What is a mood disorder?
A mood disorder is a type of mental health condition that is usually described as being a prolonged disturbance in someone’s emotional state. While this may sound perfectly normal, it’s important to remember that mood disorders are strong enough to impact one’s daily life to the point that it becomes disruptive and potentially harms their relationships or ability to work.
There are two really common examples of mood disorders: depression and bipolar disorder.
Depression is often described as being a sad feeling, but in reality, it’s a lot more than just sadness. It usually involves long-lasting feelings of sadness, but can also be described as feeling hopeless. Some common symptoms include feeling like you’ve lost interest in things, changes in your appetite, or a lack of energy when trying to complete basic tasks. If it’s disrupting your life and preventing you from doing basic things, then it’s likely depression.
On the other hand, bipolar disorder usually involves extreme mood swings that can also be related to depression. However, they are usually a lot more manic and tend to make people feel energetic or irritated. This condition can cause people to make poor decisions, it could lead them to make bad judgments when dealing with people, and it can harm relationships.
When is it a mood disorder and when is it just a bad day?
It’s important to consider psychiatric services or even just speaking to your family doctor if you think that you may have depression, bipolar disorder, or any kind of mood-related problem. The sooner you get it checked, the sooner you’ll be able to find a solution.
In many cases, you can often tell if you’ve got a mood disorder based on the duration of your bad mood. If you’ve got a bad mood, then it’ll probably last just a few hours or maybe a day or two. However, a mood disorder could last weeks, months, or potentially even years if left unchecked!
It’s vital that you practice self-care when attempting to diagnose or even manage your mood disorder. Allowing it to control your daily life can cause difficulties in the future, and it’s vital that you don’t let it negatively affect your relationships. Seeking health and support may be daunting, but it’s an essential component of recovering from a mood disorder. Plus, it’s never a bad idea to be surrounded by a support group even if it’s just a bad day.