Mood disorders, sometimes referred to as affective disorders, refer to a group of diagnoses whose main characteristic is a disturbance of mood. Over 40 million Americans suffer from some kind of mood disorder – most commonly depression and anxiety and seek behavioral health treatment such as mood disorder treatment.
Mood disorders are caused by a complex dysregulation of the brain’s neurobiology. Environmental factors and substance abuse can also cause or exacerbate a range of mood disorders. Importantly, if the affected person is using alcohol or other mood-altering substances to medicate an unpleasant mood, this issue must be effectively addressed for the mood disorder to be successfully treated.
Through Cottonwood’s behavioral health treatment, our board certified medical director and master’s level counselors provide various forms of mood disorder treatment. Our medical and counseling team help patients to identify and change maladaptive attitudes, behavior, attitudes and beliefs that can undermine their ability to produce a calm, happy mood. In our clinical work we identify core issues, uncovering and resolving longstanding psychological problems that can cause problems with mood.
Proper diet and physical activity are also important in optimizing the brain’s ability to think clearly and maintain a confident, happy mood. Our behavioral health nutritionists work with patients to develop individualized eating plans that optimize their intake of key vitamins and amino acids that are important precursors to good mood biology.
Exercise has also proven helpful in increasing serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine – the brain’s primary mood-regulating chemical messengers – so exercise therapy is an important part of our treatment process for mood and anxiety disorders.
Cottonwood’s specific mood disorders treatment treats each disorder uniquely for the best long-lasting results – please take a moment to read about our behavioral health treatment approaches here:
