Mood disorders include depression and bipolar disorder. They can make your feelings get in the way of your daily life, and you may struggle to care for yourself. 

Your changes in mood and emotions can disrupt your family and friendships. Without the right care, mood disorders put you at risk of suicidal thoughts and self-harm. 

Depression

Depression is sadness or a loss of interest in things you used to like. It stays around for 2 weeks or more and interferes with your daily life. 

Types of depression include:

• Major depressive disorder: Also called clinical depression. It causes severe depression that gets in the way of living life.
• Perinatal depression: Depression that develops during pregnancy (prenatal depression) and after (postpartum depression).
• Persistent depressive disorder: Doctors used to call it dysthymic disorder. It causes ongoing, low-level depression. It’s not as severe as major depression, but it lasts longer, often at least 2 years.
• Seasonal affective disorder: This type of depression causes sadness in the fall and winter months. It gets better in the spring and summer. Doctors think less sunlight and shorter daytime hours trigger this seasonal mood disorder.

Bipolar disorder

People used to call bipolar disorder manic depression or manic-depressive disorder. 

Bipolar mood disorders cause extreme changes in how you feel, think, and act. You may go from a deep depression to feeling unusually upbeat and energetic, which doctors call mania. Your mood may swing back and forth on a regular basis.

There are 3 main types:

• Bipolar I: The most severe form. Your manic episodes can last 7 or more days, usually followed by depression for 2 or more weeks. 
• Bipolar II: You have less severe manic episodes but still get depressed.
• Cyclothymia: The mildest type. You may have repeated low-level or short-lasting manic and depressive episodes. 

Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder

If your child has severe verbal and physical outbursts and ongoing anger and irritability, they may have disruptive mood dysregulation disorder. Untreated, this can turn into depression and anxiety later in life.

Treatment for your mood disorder is a mix of medicine and talk therapy. Everyone has a different response to treatment. What doesn’t work for someone else may work better for you. 

At Carilion, we also offer treatments for mood disorders that don’t get better with other types of care. Our mental health experts work with you to decide what care options suit your needs and values. 

Outpatient therapy

Our first approach to treating mood disorders is often talk therapy or mental health counseling. It can be one-on-one, group, or family therapy. Our flexible scheduling allows you to plan mental health care that fits your schedule.

Our care team may use cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy. We offer START NOW, a strengths-based program for anxiety, stress and depression.

We also offer light therapy for seasonal affective disorder and milder forms of depression. We can offer this at our clinic or prescribe a light therapy device for you to use at home.

Medicines

Medicine can help get your symptoms under control. They can also help talk therapy work better. If you have depression, our doctors will try antidepressants. They treat bipolar disorder with mood stabilizers, antidepressants, and atypical antipsychotics.

At Carilion, we also offer ketamine therapy for managing severe mood disorders.

Brain stimulation

If your severe depression doesn’t respond, brain stimulation may be an option. It disrupts the signals in the brain that are causing your symptoms. 

They include:

• Electric stimulation therapy
• Magnetic stimulation therapy
• Vagus nerve stimulation

Inpatient programs

If your symptoms turn severe, you may need more intensive treatment. We can provide this through our inpatient mental health programs. We'll admit you to the hospital until you're stable. After your stay, we support you in returning to outpatient therapy or another facility.

College Students in Crisis Program

Managing college studies and life can take a toll on your mental health. It may worsen existing or trigger new mental health issues. If you’re a college student in need of help with severe mental health, our College Students in Crisis Program can help. 

Our mental health experts help take care of your urgent mental health needs—that’s first and most important. We also help you minimize the impact on your studies, making returning to school easier when ready.

Mood disorders can increase your risk of having thoughts of harming yourself or others. With bipolar disorder, manic episodes may make you feel unable to slow down or stop doing things. In these cases, you may need emergency mental health care.

When you’re in crisis, you need help right away. At Carilion, we offer a 24/7 hospital-based emergency psychiatry program. It's called the Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program (CPEP). You can enter CPEP on your own by going to the emergency department.

What to do in a mental health emergency?

If you or a loved one is in crisis, call CONNECT at 540-981-8181 or toll-free at 800-284-8898. You can also call or text 988 for the national Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.