Can mood disorders exist with other illness?

Mood disorders also tend to coexist with other mental and physical disorders. Anxiety is a commonly associated disorder in individuals with depression. Substance abuse, excess use of prescription drugs and personality disorders are extremely common in people with mood disorders.

The biggest difficulty with mood disorders is that many individuals have no idea they have the illness and are unwilling to accept such a stigmatized diagnosis.

Is there a downside to having a mood disorder?

There is an erroneous belief among lay people that mood disorders are benign. This is far from the truth. The most dreaded complication of major depressive disorder is suicide. At least 10-15 percent of patients who have been hospitalized for depression go on to commit suicide. Worldwide the numbers are much higher and close to 30 percent of all depressed individuals commit suicides.  Completed suicides are more widespread among individuals who have severe paranoia or psychotic symptoms, addictive personalities, those who experience stressful life events, have a chronic medical illness or a family history of suicidal behavior. In the US, men go on to kill themselves four times more often than women. The magnitude of mood disorder is enormous and has reached epidemic proportions in some parts of the country. With the recent downturn in economy, murder and suicides are reported almost on a daily basis.

Why do people with mood disorders not seek help?

The sad fact is that only a few patients with mood disorders seek professional help for fear of embarrassment or ridicule. Most of these individuals are diagnosed with a mood disorder when seeking help for another medical disorder. Today, mood disorders account for a large portion of health care costs. Many individuals do not want to be stigmatized. These individuals usually ask for expensive and unnecessary tests to look for another cause that may account for their symptoms. Many individuals go through unnecessary therapies for physical disorders which do not exist, whilst the mood disorder remains undiagnosed and untreated.

Which mood disorder is most common in North America?

The one mood disorder that is predominant in American society is major depressive disorder. This chronic illness is twice as common in women and accrues a considerable morbidity. Women between the ages of 18 and 45 comprise the majority of those with major depression.  Depression also has a venomous blow on the economy, both in reduced productivity and more consumption of limited health care resources. In the workplace, depression is a principal cause of absenteeism and diminished productivity.

Do mood disorders lead to complications?

The disability suffered by an individual with a mood disorder is broad. Besides the individual, spouses, parents, children, siblings, friends and colleagues all experience fury, blame, aggravation, financial woes and on occasion even physical abuse in their efforts to alleviate or manage with the mental anguish. Many individuals eventually end up with hassles with the law. 

Why is there a low incidence of mood disorders in the East?

The biggest difference between western society and eastern cultures is that mental disorders are accepted as a bona fide illness by the former; whereas in many oriental cultures, mood disorders are not accepted even among physicians.  There tends to be a belief that these people are malingering or faking an illness. Psychiatry is not even well practiced in many parts of the world. The taboo associated with mental disorders has left many orientals suffering in silence. In many other cultures, superstition and religious beliefs override all mental illness. If you act crazy in some countries, rather than give you Prozac you are regarded as holy and even worshipped.

Is anyone immune from mood disorders?

Mood disorders are more common in every segment of society including single, divorced and separated individuals.  There is no correlation with social status, age, class or color. Risk factors for mood disorders include a positive family history, personality factors, environmental strain(s) and a possible imbalance of certain chemicals in the brain. No society, culture, race or gender is immune from mood disorders.