Mood Disorders: Causes, Effects and Treatments (Term Paper Sample)

Mood Disorders: Causes, Effects and Treatments Name: Institution: Abstract In today's world, people tend to have many problems, which are categorized as mood disorders. These mood disorders include: schizophrenia, depression, bipolar, as well as even SAD (seasonal affective disorder). The fast stigma, which is placed upon majority if not all mental syndromes, is that they are illnesses. For instance, people confuse depression, a common mood, with biological dejection or depression, an ailment. Further down this path of unfounded concept is the conviction that mood disorders are not curable and the individual affected is somehow, disconnected from civilization. This research paper will endeavor to tear down these unfair typecasts on this topic, attempt to explain the behaviors, as well as shed light upon remedies for the different disorders. The paper will also attempt to comprehend and answer the following questions: a. what mood disorders are and their signs? b). what causes mood disorders? c). how can mood disorders' stigma be removed? d. What types of remedies are the very successful? Mood Disorders: Causes, Effects and Treatments Mood disorders and Symptoms To have a better notion of what triggers mental disorders, it is crucial to classify the various divisions of mood disorders. According to Coon & Mitterer (2008), mood disorders are major interruptions in emotion or mood, for instance, mania or depression. The two main divisions are: bipolar and depressive. Depressive disorders causes extended spells of apathy, depression, loss of optimism, sleep deficiency, as well as excessive eating patterns. Bipolar disorder is a disorder, which triggers causes strange shifts in energy, mood, activity levels, as well as the capacity to perform everyday tasks. Major depressive disorder entails having severe emotional depressions for at least two weeks. A person experiencing the disorder this faces extended bouts of invalidation, depression, and bleakness. This causes irrational performance to the stage of considering suicide, frequently with no prior caution pattern or signals. In accordance with Coon & Mitterer (2008), women are likely to suffer from depression more than men. This is somewhat interesting and odd based upon the point that women seem to exhibit more emotion within their daily lives and, therefore, would consider to not display this behavior as easily as men. Schizophrenia is a syndrome, which is mostly misinterpreted. The term schizophrenia is stemmed from a Greek word schizein, denoting to split while phren means the mind. Therefore, schizophrenia does not mean to have split personalities. In contrast, the mind splitting, (in this thought) is where one should focus to understand the disorder. Özcan (2013) advises that schizophrenia must be treated to stop it from recurring. Actually, schizophrenia is a brain syndrome in the Parkinson, Multiple Sclerosis, and Alzheimer's category. Bipolar disorder is a nervous system syndrome, which affects the body and the body. Changes in the brain cells plus chemical imbalances in the nervous system cause irregular fluctuations in emotions, metabolism, as well as thought processes. Elements influencing this state vary from hereditary, environmental to biological and genetic. This ranges from panic to depression, therefore, generating a twofold polarity in the person's state of being and mind. There are 3 disorder levels while the difference among is based upon the degree of depression (deep vs. mild), and occurrences of panic. Type I depicts those who have distinct manic plus depressed series. Type II portrays individuals who have imbalanced cycles, with a trend in whichever direction. Type III is not an approved group yet, although it is mostly triggered by an early adverse reaction to antidepressant medicines, resulting to the early bipolar disorder onset within these patients (Özcan, 2013). S.A.D. (seasonal affective disorder) is a quite unclear disorder, though it is as severe a struggle to individuals who have suffered it. SAD is described as a distinctive depression disorder resulting in intense changes within otherwise happy and healthy people. The seasonal approach on this syndrome is based upon the symptoms occurring during the winter and fall seasons mostly, but occasionally affects people in the summer and spring (Crisp et al., 2005). People who experience depressive syndrome are often restless, lethargic, slip into episodes of decreased efficiency, and low self-regard. Causes of mood disorders Major depressive disorder triggers have been credited to concepts in psychoanalytic, environmental, behavioral, interpersonal, and cognitive. Mind diseases are triggered by unconscious clashes between human conscience ("superego”) and the human instincts, which collectively are called the "id”) (Crisp et al., 2005). Moreover, there have been some attempts to consider that the disorder is directly linked to childhood conditions. According to Coon & Mitterer (2008), childhood stress triggers depression only in individuals with a specific genetic susceptibility. Schizophrenia has been difficult to pinpoint its basic cause, but within recent history, researchers concur that it is because of interplay amid biological predisposition (such as inheriting particular genes) plus the type of environment an individual is subjected to. According to D'Angelo & Augunstein (2012), in a research carried out for over 15 years comprising of one hundred families, the proposal was modeled that a specific chromosome (#13) raised the vulnerability to schizophrenia in the cases. This does not denote that it affects individuals with this particular gene; nonetheless, it does contribute to the concept that genetics do play an enormous part within the formation of the condition. Actually, researchers reckon that the triggers are a distinctive combination of biological, social, and psychological factors (Crisp et al., 2005). In studies on bipolar disorder, the causes are more linked to physiological and biochemical factors, with an undeviating link to the nervous-system. These factors command the mind and body and, hence, the moods. This, consecutively, results in an imbalance within the discerning and conduct of the individual. Moreover, a possible cause of the mental imbalance is excessive action of the biological stress reaction. Stress triggers the natural neurochemicals releases and the neurochemicals aggravate bipolar disorder (D'Angelo & Augunstein, 2012). With regard to SAD, research has revealed that its cause is directly linked to the melatonin amounts-a hormone formed within the pineal gland. Melatonin reacts to the light exposure variations in an individual daily routine. In a study to monitor Melatonin levels, (D'Angelo & Augunstein, 2012), large doses of melatonin were offered to humans. The effects were somewhat significant. The substantial doses reduced reaction time, induced sleepiness, and reduced attentiveness levels – all evidently S.A.D.-associated occurrences. How to remove the stigma of mood disorders Unluckily, the haze of controversy hovering over mental disorders largely generates a stigma, which is very hard to overcome. A person diagnosed with these syndromes has to firstly review the situation and establish how to handle the condition. The actual world views an individual with a mood syndrome as an outcast. This is unacceptable and unfair. Consequently, the patient will automatically label himself/herself as somehow less than normal. This self-inflicted blame and condemning of segregation in some instances leaves the individual hating everyone and everything they come across. Frequently, it shifts into self-contempt. With these emotions there might be a powerful desire to hurt themselves in rather severe way – not merely because they are disillusioned and feel disappointed, but because they hate parts of themselves (Crisp et al., 2005). The stigma, in schizophrenia, often results to bias on a larger part. Education is vital in incapacitating these biases though. Several establishments have been founded to fight this rising problem. The NAMI (National Alliance for the Mentally Ill) and the NMHA (National Mental Health Association) have each established programs and instructive literature to accomplish just that. For instance, NAMI initiated a campaign to oppose any as well as all occurrences of stigma or bias a placed upon schizophrenia victims. Individuals who are listed with the establishment are alerted through e-mail if an individual is referred or depicted to in a disparaging or inappropriate behavior in the means. They are trained on how to interact with the wrongdoer and how to tackle the problem with certain individuals (Crisp et al., 2005). Patients with S.A.D. often struggle with extreme moods, interpersonal and emotional reactions. S.A.D. can regularly pose a tough problem for the patient and their families. Frequently psychotherapy is commended. Self-esteem issues might arise as well as the patient might find it hard to depict a distinct line amid the condition's signs and the many other influences upon the patient's emotive wellbeing (Crisp et al., 2005). The family affected angle is explicated through the depression issue being associated with the family (self-image and isolation deficiencies). They seem to feel embarrassed of themselves as well as are frequently extremely moody. Forming a supportive atmosphere for the victim is vital since this will inspire the victim to beat whatever stigma is self-inflicted. In bipolar disorder, removal of stigma is tough. The patients seem to hold an uncertainty veil hovering over them and, therefore, are considered too challenging to handle because of the dangerous contrasts linked with the syndrome. Psy...