The telltale signs of a mood disorder Often, it is a young person’s friends or family who will first notice that something isn’t quite right. There are some telltale signs and symptoms that might indicate that a young person could be experiencing a mood disorder. These include 

Dramatic loss of self-esteem & belief in your ability to succeed.

Dramatic increase in anxiety, agitation & restlessness.

High levels of irritability & a hair trigger temper, with the smallest incidents causing an angry outburst.

Difficulty concentrating and making decisions – even about the smallest of things such as what to wear, what to eat, what to do after school – to the point where they might avoid any situation that requires them to make a decision.

The loss of joy or inability to feel happy about anything is a clear indicator of a problem.

Losing your sense of optimism or hope for what the future will bring can also indicate a mood disorder. Hopelessness can dim your view of the world, even things that don’t necessarily have a direct impact on you like natural disasters elsewhere in the world, terrorism, climate change, & so on.

Mood disorders might affect your weight and appetite. On one hand, you might overeat because of the temporary mood boost you get after indulging in comfort foods, such as chocolate & fast foods. Or on the other hand, the lack of control you feel with your emotional state might be counteracted by ‘taking back’ control & restricting your food intake to control your weight.

You might be overly sensitive & experience excessive bouts of crying that you just can’t control.

You might have ruminating & repetitive negative thinking (or spiralling patterns of negative self-talk) which lead to catastrophic thoughts; & no amount of persuasion from others seem to convince you of the positives in any situation.

Sleep problems & changes in sleep patterns are also strong indicators of mood disorders. This can include insomnia: not being able to sleep, disrupted sleep, or waking early. And when good sleep goes, everything that depends on it goes out the door too: your memory, your mood, your ability to think things through.

Or on the other hand, you might feel exhausted all the time & no matter how much sleep you get, you still feel lethargic, tired & can’t get out of bed. And when you do manage to get out of bed, you don’t feel energised – it feels like such a drag to be up & about.

As symptoms worsen, you might withdraw from activities you used to enjoy such as school, sports, social events… even picking up the phone to talk to friends. You might hope that time will heal things & fix whatever is going on around you but this can prolong symptoms & potentially escalate problems.

It’s not unusual for people to mask these telltale signs – because they feel ashamed, guilty, or to maintain a façade that everything is OK in order not to draw attention to the problems they’re experiencing.

But if left untreated a mood disorder can have tragic outcomes But if left untreated a mood disorder can have tragic outcomes. This can be a confronting slide, but a very important one. When you feel you have no joy in your life & nothing to look forward to, you might question what the point of life is – it may be hard to see a solutions to problems. If you’re ever in this situation – feeling like giving up because things are just too hard to handle – talk to someone about what you’re going through & how you’re feeling. If you share your problems with someone else and seek help (from a friend or a professional), you will find ways to get through the tough times. Remember that situations change – what’s happening today will be different tomorrow with the right help & support. TEACHER NOTE: When using this slide it is essential that you emphasise that there is always hope and that there is always someone who can help, regardless of their experience. It is worth emphasising that if a student does ever feel like there is no hope left in their life, that yourself or another teacher that they trust are good people to confide in to get support to find help. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [You may wish to refer to your school policies/procedures & discuss the following information with your School Counsellor/s &/or Principal before presenting it to students] Suicide is the most common cause of death amongst Australians aged 15-24 [1]. That is, more common than road & cancer fatalities, yet it is a topic that is often swept under the rug due to stigma and perhaps limited understanding of mental health issues. Suicidal ideation is a serious symptom of a mood disorder. The majority of young people who experience suicidal ideation will not go on to take their lives. [2] REFERENCES 1. ABS 2012. ABS 3303.0 Causes of Death, Australia, 2010. ABS: Canberra 2. headspace ‘Suicidal Ideation MythBuster’ – www.headspace.org.au/core/Handlers/MediaHandler.ashx?mediaId=2185

It’s important to understand that these signs & symptoms are not a checklist for depression, but they are things you can look out for that may indicate a problem. It’s natural to experience some of these things from time to time, BUT the rule of thumb is: If FIVE or more of those signs or symptoms lasts for TWO weeks or more and interfere with your ability to do everyday activities or function in everyday life at home, school or work, then you need to seek help! But if one or two of these signs & symptoms is particularly severe or persistent, you should seek help too. Like any other health problem, if you’re not feeling 100% – see a doctor!