A Heart to Heart Discussion on Mood Problems
What is mood?
Your mood is the condition of your internal environment. It is the state of your emotions. Your mood describes how you feel. For instance, you may be in a happy mood, sad mood, or an angry mood. Numerous words may be used to describe mood, including pleasant words such as excited, happy, awesome, good, great, proud, blown-away, electric, fabulous, or unpleasant words such as tensed, stressed, anxious, depressed, annoyed, uneasy, worried, sick to my stomach, or disgusted.
There is no right or wrong word for your mood. That is because your mood is personal to you. It is how you feel. No other person can describe your mood better than you. Some of the time you may not find any word to accurately describe your mood. Whatever your situation, no particular mood is right or wrong per se. It is just what it is. A person may become upset or feel frustrated for a period of time because things did not go as expected. Another person may feel on top of the world because everything is falling in place. These may be considered as normal reactions to the circumstance of life.
When does mood become a concern?
A person’s mood may be described as mild, moderate, or severe in terms of how intense it becomes, how severely it is felt by the individual, or what it causes the person to do. Mood may also be short-lived or enduring. Mood may or may not be caused by an identifiable situation. One’s mood may or may not cause him or her to embark on a course of action, and when mood causes us to embark on a course of action, what we do may have good or bad outcomes. So, one’s mood may become a concern depending on the presence or absence of a precipitating factor, its severity, its duration, and/or what the mood causes the person to do.
For instance, a person’s mood may become a concern if it is unpleasant to the individual, severe, enduring, pervasive (negatively affects many other aspects of one’s life), interferes with the individual’s functioning, productivity, or quality of life, or produces adverse outcomes, such as mood that causes a person to engage in behaviors that have the potential to harm him/herself and/or others. That, among others, is when mood becomes a concern.
We are strongly advised to seek help if our mood becomes a concern. It your mood bothers you or others around you, it may be time to seek help. If your mood is unpleasant, long-lasting, cannot be shaken off easily, robbing you of your joy and vitality, reducing your productivity, interfering with your sleep and appetite, or threatens your safety or the safety of others, it is time to seek help.
What are some examples of mood disorders?
Mood disorders come in many different forms. These may include well-known conditions such as Depressive Disorders, Anxiety Disorders, Panic Disorder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), and Bipolar Disorder.
However, any of the following emotional challenges may be considered a mood disorder if they are of a chronic/long-lasting nature and are severe, and they must be approached with all the seriousness that they deserve: Anger/aggression/agitation, bitterness, burnout, fatigue, shame, stress, despair, discouragement, embarrassment, envy, excessive worrying, fear, grief, guilt, hopelessness, hurts, impulsivity or recklessness, feelings of inferiority or insecurity, insomnia, irritability, lack of fulfillment, lack of motivation, negative body image, nervousness, paranoia, purposelessness, pessimism, racing/crowded/foggy thoughts, repeated personal conflicts, restlessness, strife, timidity, unstable mood, and unstable relationships.
What causes mood problems?
As mentioned above, mood problems may be triggered by adverse life circumstances, such as relationship problems, job loss, financial challenges, trauma, or other stressful situations. In reality, it is not the events themselves that cause problems in our moods but the way we process or interpret them in our minds. Mood problems may also be caused by biological defects, chemical imbalances in the brain, or other medical conditions. With that said, it is important to note that some people may be more prone to having problems with their mood than others owing to their family histories or social and developmental histories.
What to do if your mood is of concern?
I will not attempt to exhaust the entire list of endless interventions for your mood. However, I will suggest the top five things that I have found to be the most helpful (I call them the 5 T’s of healing):
- Take a break. Get good rest/sleep– It will help you to think more clearly about the situation.
- Take notes. Journal– If you have time on your hands, record over a period of time (e.g. one week) exactly how you are feeling at various times. This may reveal patterns that will help you to better understand what you’re going through or at least, help you to get things off your chest.
- Think through the situation – Take a moment and answer some critical questions for yourself, such as: How did I arrive here? What happened? If things continue this way, what are the possible outcomes?
iii. Talk to someone you trust – There is always someone for everyone. A problem shared is often a problem halved.
- Tap into a higher power.The weakest point in your life is a perfect time to plug into a power source that is bigger than yourself. If you’re so inclined, pray, read the scriptures, and meditate on them. You will find the inspiration you need to keep going.
- Talk to a professional– Seek professional help from your psychiatric provider, therapist, spiritual counselor, or your primary care provider. A simple Google search or listing websites such as psychologytoday.com can lead you to professionals in your area.
Conclusion
If you are in crisis or feel unsafe, call 911 or a crisis line in your area and get immediate help. I conclude by saying that the best treatments for mood challenges is a combination of guided lifestyle modification, retraining of your mind, working with professionals, and leveraging everything from science to faith. You will overcome!
© By Joy Kwakuyi, DNP, PMHNP-BC.
Dr. Joy Kwakuyi is a highly respected psychiatric nurse practitioner, pastor, and the best-selling author of “The Ultimate Cure for Depression: Leveraging Science and Faith for Total Healing.” He is the Founder and Lead provider of Faith Integrated Psychiatry (www.faithandpsychiatry.com), an integrative psychiatric practice in Tucson, Arizona from where he works with clients far and near via telemedicine or in-person to achieve a lasting cure for their mood.
Book a free phone consultation and request a free copy of his book at http://provider.kareo.com/joy-kwakuyi#?view=booking
