Understanding whether you have a mood or a personality disorder can be tough. Often, symptoms overlap, and this leads to wrong diagnoses. An accurate diagnosis is essential because mood disorder treatment won’t necessarily work with personality disorders and vice versa. So, how can you receive the assistance you need?
To understand what condition you are struggling with, the right choice is to participate in treatment programs led by therapists who can assess the challenges you face and find the right ways of managing them. Learn more about mood disorders vs. personality disorders and how treatment programs at Promises Behavioral Health can make a difference.
Mood Disorders vs. Personality Disorders
Mood disorders typically impact your emotional state, and the symptoms can appear episodically. They center on your emotions and can affect how you regulate them on a daily basis. Mood disorders are some of the most diagnosed mental health concerns, with depression leading the pack, and there are specific medications for each.
Personality disorders, in contrast, are conditions that involve patterns of behaviors and thoughts that are present at all times. They become most apparent in interactions with others. Because they cause disruptive behaviors, they can impact overall functioning and could affect careers and relationships of all types.
Personality disorders are not as common as mood disorders. They are also more difficult to treat, especially because there aren’t medications specifically made to treat such conditions.
Types of Mood Disorders
There are many types of mood disorders, though these tend to be divided into two major groups: bipolar disorders and depressive disorders. Bipolar disorders are conditions that cause fluctuations between emotional highs, called “manic episodes,” and lows, called “depressive episodes.” The conditions in this category include:
- Bipolar I disorder
- Bipolar II disorder
- Cyclothymia
Depressive disorders lead to a loss of pleasure in most activities and affect your energy levels, concentration, appetite, and sleeping patterns. There are several types of these mood disorders, such as:
- Major depression
- Seasonal affective disorder
- Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder
- Persistent depressive disorder
- Premenstrual dysphoric disorder
Both depressive and bipolar disorders can be caused by genetic factors because having family members with these conditions can increase your chances of having them yourself. Exposure to traumatic experiences, especially during childhood, can make these conditions more likely, too.
Treating Mood Disorders
Mood disorders are treated with a combination of medication and therapy. The most effective options are behavioral therapies such as cognitive and dialectical behavior therapy, which can help you understand the way in which negative thoughts impact your mood and conduct. You also learn emotional regulation with these therapies.
Medications tend to be illness-specific, but selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are particularly helpful for depressive conditions. Lithium is still one of the most effective options for bipolar disorders.
The treatment of mood disorders can occur in inpatient and outpatient settings. Inpatient programs allow you to step away from your normal life and focus on your treatment. Not everyone can participate in these, however, which is why outpatient options are available as well.
Outpatient programs maintain a high standard of care while allowing you to return home each night. This can be more manageable for people who have family and work responsibilities.
Enroll in Mood Disorder Treatment at Promises Behavioral Health Today
Mood disorders can be overwhelming. They can impact every aspect of your life and make getting through each day a struggle. There is help available, however. By combining therapy with medications, you can find the balance you need in your life.
At Promises Behavioral Health, we know accepting that you need help is never easy—and neither is doing the work of healing. Our team is here to offer the support and guidance you need. Call Promises Behavioral Health at 844.875.5609 or use our online contact form to communicate with our admissions team.