An unspecified mood disorder is not considered bipolar disorder, and it’s also not considered depression. So what is it? How does it get diagnosed? This article looks at a very common yet less talked about diagnosis and why it sits between two conditions.
First Things First: It’s Not Depression
Could it be regular mood swings? Is it just anger in response to situational changes? Is it just a one-time thing? The diagnosis of persistent mood disturbance often sparks more questions than answers because it’s not specific enough compared to what we’re used to hearing about in the world of medicine.
For instance, it does not have all the symptoms and therefore does not meet the criteria for the diagnosis of depression.
Depressive disorder is often characterized by two or more weeks of feeling hopeless or helplessness with a loss of interest in anything pleasurable, sadness, passive suicidal thoughts, and drops in energy or motivation.
These symptoms can, in fact, be specified. Even though depression is also called a mood disorder, these symptoms can be frequent enough to be placed into the subcategory of depressive disorder.
It’s Also Not Bipolar Disorder
Again, emotional dysregulation is simply not specific enough to be placed in a subcategory within the broader category of mood disorders.
Similar to depression, it does not meet the criteria for bipolar disorder. In fact, bipolar disorder is so specific that it has another set of subcategories: bipolar 1 and bipolar 2 disorders.
With bipolar 1 disorder, there is at least one episode of mania characterized by no need for sleep, severe impulsivity, possible hallucinations and delusions, as well as pressured speed and racing thoughts combined with irritability for more than seven days. There does not have to be depression, but it is very commonly present after a manic episode.
Bipolar 2 disorder has depression as the baseline mood with spikes of what are called hypomanic episodes. Hypomania is different from mania as it’s not as severe. Instead, there is hyperactivity, impulsiveness, less need for sleep, more confidence than usual, irritability, rapid speech, and goal-directed behavior that lasts more than four days. These symptoms are then often followed by a crash back to the default state of depression.
What Does Unspecified Mood Disorder Mean?
It is a diagnosis of exclusion. Bipolar disorder and depressive disorder must first be ruled out.
The clinician needs to obtain a full history and perform a full mental health evaluation to rule out other possible conditions. Sometimes a follow-up appointment is needed if more information is required. The first visit may not be long enough to gather all the details.
In this case, what’s called a working diagnosis is added to the chart. Over the next several visits, the clinician’s role is to determine whether the fluctuating emotional state is accurate by asking further questions, especially if new symptoms emerge.
Does It Ever Go Away?
If the symptoms improve, then instead of it going away, the diagnosis is commonly labeled "in remission". This signifies that the symptoms are controlled by current treatment modalities, and no further intervention is needed.
How Is It Treated?
Many factors go into treating this emotional disorder. First and foremost, it depends on what has been tried before and how severe the symptoms are.
Your clinician may likely recommend counseling, medication treatment, a combination of both, neither, or suggest environmental changes to improve the symptoms.
When Should I Seek Additional Help?
When new or ongoing symptoms arise, it’s important to speak with a professional. Gain clarity on your mindset and stay ahead of your mental health by contacting our office today to speak with our team of specialists.
Written By:
Scott Arno, PA-C