Initially classified as manic-depressive disorder, mood disorders (also called affective disorders) are mental illnesses characterized by extreme emotional states such as joy, sadness, anger, fear, and confusion. These conditions can last for weeks or months, and may recur throughout a person’s life. Mood disorders include major depressive disorder, dysthymia, cyclothymia, bipolar disorder, and seasonal affective disorder. They also include substance abuse/dependence. At one extreme is euphoria, energy, and high creativity, often accompanied by grandiosity. At the other extreme is depression, characterized by negative thoughts, insomnia, and loss of energy and self-confidence.
Depression can often occur as a single event, as an episode of bipolar disorder. However, in a minority of cases, the two are present together in a bipolar disorder (also known as bipolar II disorder). Bipolar sufferers experience prolonged periods of depression or mania, rather than sudden mood changes. While opinions vary about the causes and treatment of these conditions, personality extremes are also identified as disorders. People who would previously be called ‘psychopaths’ may now be diagnosed with an antisocial personality disorder.
