Description of My Mood Disorders - Essay Example

A depressive state is quite a stark contrast to how a person is in the normal self. Having been through depression, I would be able to reflect on how my mind functioned in the two states. In my normal self, I usually keep myself engaged with some work. My energy levels generally run high and my enthusiasm to do work enables me to do the job to near perfection. However, this energy and enthusiasm were almost completely missing when I was under depression. There was a feeling of being lost all the time that constantly keeps nagging the mind. Thought processes do not work which leads to a feeling of being useless and this guilt drains all your hope. In addition, there was also a complete loss of interest to do work, unlike the normal days. Hobbies that were exciting earlier did not kindle any interest when under depression. Concentrating and decision-making became extremely difficult. There was also a decrease in communication with people in the family as well as among friends. The normal routine processes such as sleeping and eating were also affected as there was no sound sleep and loss of appetite was also present. These also contributed to the general body and mental weakness. All these led to suicidal tendencies as there was a constant fear in the mind and also a very pessimistic approach to life.

Thus given my experiences, I would also expect similar symptoms in a client reportedly suffering from depression and hypomania. He/she should exhibit a lack of interest in routine work to begin with as this would be the first noticeable symptom in these individuals as things that were exciting to perform earlier on would not mean anything during times of depression. These could be noticed and reported by the family. Other signs that could be overlooked by family members such as difficulty in remembering and concentrating, weight loss due to appetite loss, and other physical changes due to erratic sleeping patterns would also have to be studied. In some cases, the person might exhibit irritability and fear. They might break down suddenly without any reason or could burst out in anger. They might speak to themselves assuming they are addressing some other person. They could show decreased interest in sexual activities and other enjoyments. They would not care for their physical appearance and changes in their personal hygiene could also be present. A feeling of low-self esteem and unworthiness generally induces suicidal thoughts and the person might have attempted suicide in one or more instances or might constantly talk about their suicidal intent. The presence of such symptoms necessitates early treatment as the person might harm themselves or cause harm to other family members when they try to interfere. Thus when changes in the normal routine pattern changes, the individual should be brought to a psychiatrist as early intervention can minimize chances of self-inflicted harm to the person and could also help in speedy recovery as being in a state of depression is weakening both the mind and body of the individual and hence a faster recovery can help to recoup the body and the thought processes.