Short-Term and Long-Term Effects of a Mood Imbalance

People with mood disorders tend to alienate friends and family. They often have trouble in school and at work and have difficulty keep a job. Those with mania tend to have problems with authority figures. Those with depression have a high risk of suicide. With mania comes the risk of death, injury or trauma caused by reckless and dangerous behavior.

Is There a Test or Self-Assessment I Can Do?

Mood disorder tests are available on the Internet, but their reliability is questionable. If you suspect you have depression or bipolar disorder, you should speak with a doctor. Talk to your general practitioner, who should be able to help you or refer you to a mental health professional.
If you need help finding treatment on mood disorder, please don’t hesitate to call us at 1-866-237-4024. We are here 24/7 to assist you.

Mood Medication: Mood-Stabilizing Drug Options

Depression is typically treated with antidepressant medications. Antidepressants work to restore neurotransmitters. The specifically targeted neurotransmitters are serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine. The most commonly prescribed antidepressants for depression are fluoxetine (Prozac), citalopram (Celexa), sertraline (Zoloft), paroxetine (Paxil) and escitalopram (Lexapro). These drugs are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors.
Bipolar disorder is first treated with mood-stabilizing medications. The mood stabilizers most commonly prescribed for the illness are lithium, valproic acid (Depakote), carbamazepine (Tegretol), lamotrigine (Lamictal) and oxcarbazepine (Trileptal).

Mood Drugs: Possible Options

Mood drug options include different types of antidepressants. You may be prescribed serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors. SNRIs include duloxetine (Cymbalta) and venlafaxine (Effexor). Another available antidepressant is bupropion (Wellbutrin), which manipulates dopamine.
Some people with bipolar disorder require medications other than or in conjunction with mood-stabilizing medications. Antipsychotics and/or antidepressants are used in such cases. Atypical antipsychotics include aripiprazole (Abilify), olanzapine (Zyprexa), risperidone (Risperdal), ziprasidone (Geodon) and clozapine (Clorazil).

Medication Side Effects

The side effects of antidepressants are usually mild. Common side effects include drowsiness, blurred vision, constipation, dry mouth, agitation, drowsiness, nausea and headache.
Some side effects of bipolar disorder medications often go away within the first few weeks. Among the side effects are loss of coordination, excessive thirst, frequent urination, blackouts, seizures, slurred speech, irregular or pounding heartbeat, and hallucinations. Most of these side effects can be attributed to lithium; however, lithium is the most reliable drug used to treat bipolar disorder.

Mood-Stabilizing Drug Addiction: Dependence and Withdrawal

None of the medications listed are generally considered addictive, but if you stop taking your medication suddenly, you may experience systems of withdrawal. You also risk having a relapse of your mood disorder if you stop taking your medication. If you have trouble with your medication, ask your doctor how you should stop taking it.


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