It is often a turning point in treatment when the patient accepts the need to monitor their own mood and to ask for help early on. The enduring psychosocial consequences of mania and depression. The wide variety of emotions, joy, grief and sadness, are an integral part of the rich tapestry of human experience. Without them we would lose part of what it is to be an individual. However, mood swings or chronic depression can become so intense or fixed that they interfere with our lives or even put us in dangerous situations.
Mood disorders can also co-exist with other problems such as anxiety or attention deficit disorder.
Accurate diagnosis is important because we can often tailor psychotherapy, medication and other treatments for specific types of mood problems. Mild to moderate depression that develops within 3 months of a significant life stress. Although this may resemble depression, it is generally not classified as a mental disorder. Sometimes, though, it may develop into a clinical depression. Changes in sleep, appetite and energy are common.