Mental Illness Unit
Mood Disorders
Characterized by
emotional states
of extreme lows
and/or highs that
last for long
intervals
 Becomes a
disorder when
alters the ability to
function

Major Depressive Disorder
Definition: severe form of lowered mood in
which a person experiences feelings of
worthlessness and diminished pleasure or
interest in many activities
 Extreme Sadness

 Inability to function and/or interact with others
 To be diagnosed can not be due to a death of a
loved one
 Must last at least 2 weeks but can last for
months (years)
Major Depressive Disorder

To be diagnosed a person must have at
least four of the following symptoms
 Trouble eating
 Sleeping
 Thinking
 Concentrating or decision making
 Lacking energy
 Thinking about suicide
 Feeling worthless or guilty
Mania
Definition: mood of an abnormally
elevated arousal energy level
 Experiences of Elation, Extreme
Confusion, Distractibility and Racing
Thoughts
 Exaggerated sense of self-esteem
 Engages in Irresponsible Behavior

Bipolar Disorder

Definition: disorder
in which an
individual
alternates
between feelings
of mania
(euphoria) and
feelings of
depression
Seasonal Affective Disorder

Struggle with
depression through
the winter and spirits
lift with the coming of
spring
 Some people are
reversed and
depressed in the
summer
 Might be caused by the
hormone Melatonin
 Symptom
 Sleeping and Eat
Excessively
Look how emo this guy is!
Suicide


Not all who are depressed commit suicide and not
all depressed people try to commit suicide
Many reasons:
 Possibly to escape physical or emotional pain
 Terminal illness or old age
 Torment of unacceptable feelings
 Punish themselves for wrongs they think they’ve committed
 Punish others who have not perceived their needs


More women attempt but more men succeed
Fourth highest cause of death people 18 to 65
 30,000 Americans per year (1 every 20 minutes)

Those that threaten are serious
 70% of those who threaten do it