A normal day in our lives is a proverbial roller coaster of feelings. Due to a positive event that has taken place, we feel on top of the world and then the next day we are feeling down and sad due to a negative event that we have experienced. These fluctuations in our mood are considered normal responses to everyday external stressors that we all experience. However, if your mood begins to negatively impact your functionality in your daily life routine you could be suffering with a mood disorder.

Significant changes in mood that cause an interruption in one’s day to day life are considered mood disorders.  There are many subtypes, however, the following are considered to be the main:

• Depressive
• Bipolar
• Manic

While there is no silver bullet answer to the question – what causes a mood disorder? Health care professionals believe that biological and environmental factors are the two main drivers.

Family history, traumatic life events, medications and substance abuse are some examples of the above.

Mood disorders can stem from genetics, brain chemistry, and environmental stressors. These causes may manifest as ongoing sadness described in depression causes, as dramatic highs and lows seen in bipolar disorder or bipolar mood disorder help, or as stress-related symptoms in adjustment disorder. Because anxiety can both cause and result from mood disturbances, see how it fits in with anxiety disorder discussions.