Mood Concerns
It has been a rough few years and mental health has certainly suffered for many of us. According to NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness), 1 in 5 adults in the US experienced a mental illness in 2020 (1). As a primary care provider, we see and treat a lot of mental health concerns. Mental health was often stigmatized or not discussed by previous generations, and I still encounter those uncomfortable feelings at times. I hope, however, that we are making progress in some of these discussions. I am a strong believer that mental health affects your physical health and vice versa. Many physicians have seen chronic pain, obesity, diabetes, and other conditions improve when mental health is adequately addressed and this pans out in the literature as well.
Depressed mood is certainly one aspect we ask about in depression, but sometimes that can manifest in people as irritability, sadness, despair, or emptiness feelings. Other associated symptoms include sleep disturbances (too much or too little), decreased interest in normal hobbies or activities, feelings of guilt, poor energy, decreased concentration, appetite changes (up or down), and thoughts of self-harm (either passive or active). Anxiety may present by itself or can also accompany depression. With anxiety, patients feel anxious or on edge, have a difficult time controlling their worry, trouble relaxing, feelings of restlessness, irritability, and fear that something awful might happen.
Some of these traits may just be part of the patient’s personality and there is nothing pathologic about that. There are a lot of high functioning anxious people out there or there are plenty of people who identify with Eeyore in Winnie-the-Pooh. However, if these issues start to affect day-to-day function, then treatment can be helpful to get the patient back on track.
Treatment may take the form of therapy, medications, or both. I often share with my patients that finding the right therapist is like dating; it may take a few tries with different people until you connect and hit it off. I am always happy to share some resources regarding therapist options and groups in the area. There are a variety of medications available for treatment and often that is an individualized discussion based on the benefit and side effect profiles. Just know that if you are struggling with mood concerns, you are not alone and we are happy to help in whatever way we can to get you feeling better.
References
1). Mental Health 2020 Infographic. National Alliance on Mental Health. Available at https://www.nami.org/mhstats
2) Lyness JM. Unipolar depression in adults: Assessment and diagnosis. Available on UpToDate. Updated May 9, 2022. Accessed on 5/27/22
3) Baldwin D. Generalized anxiety disorder in adults: Epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, course, assessment, and diagnosis. Available on UpToDate. Updated April 18, 2022. Accessed on 5/17/11.
