What is mood disorders?

Depression

You may:

• Feel sad or hopeless nearly every day.
• Lose interest in or not get pleasure from most daily activities. You feel this way nearly every day.
• Have low energy, changes in your appetite, or changes in how well you sleep.
• Have trouble concentrating.
• Think about death and suicide.

Bipolar disorder

Symptoms depend on your mood swings. You may:

• Feel very happy, energetic, or on edge.
• Feel like you need very little sleep.
• Feel overly self-confident.
• Do impulsive things, such as spending a lot of money.
• Feel sad or hopeless.
• Have racing thoughts or trouble thinking and making decisions.
• Lose interest in things you have enjoyed in the past.
• Think about death and suicide.

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)

Symptoms come and go at about the same time each year. For most people with SAD, symptoms come during the winter when there is less daylight. You may:

• Feel sad, grumpy, moody, or anxious.
• Lose interest in your usual activities.
• Eat more and crave carbohydrates, such as bread and pasta.
• Gain weight.
• Sleep more and feel drowsy during the daytime.

Where to get help 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

If you or someone you know talks about suicide, self-harm, a mental health crisis, a substance use crisis, or any other kind of emotional distress, get help right away. You can:

• Call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.
• Call 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255).
• Text HOME to 741741 to access the Crisis Text Line.

Consider saving these numbers in your phone.

Go to 988lifeline.org for more information or to chat online.

The different types of mood disorders in children include:

• Major depressive disorder. Your child feels grouchy, down, or sad, or has a loss of interest in most activities, lasting for at least 2 weeks.
• Persistent depressive disorder. Your child has a depressed or grouchy mood more days than not, lasting for at least a year.
• Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder. Your child:
  • Is very grouchy in many settings. For instance, this may happen at school, at home, or with friends.
  • Has frequent and severe outbursts. These may be verbal or physical.
  • Has a grouchy or angry mood for most of the day, nearly every day.
• Bipolar disorder. Your child has extreme mood changes. Their moods cycle between very high energy and extreme lows of depression. Not all experts agree on what should be the minimum age for diagnosing bipolar disorder.

Mood disorders in children are usually treated with medicines, counseling, or both. Treatment may vary based on your child's symptoms and age. Don't be discouraged if you need to try more than one treatment. Sometimes it can take some time to find the type of treatment that works best for your child.

Mood disorders are a health problem. They can cause big changes in how your child feels and behaves. All kids have strong emotions or tantrums sometimes. But mood disorders involve intense, distressing emotions that don't go away. Those emotions affect your child's everyday life.