Mood is a state of feeling. It is felt and it changes according to inward and outward stimuli. Mood differs from one person to the other depending on many factors such as genetic predisposition and the environment. People commonly interchange mood with personality but mood is more a temporary state while personality refers to the totality of a person's attitude and behavior.
Outside factors can influence a person's mood in many ways. Negative events tend to create a sullen mood while happy occasions bring about positive mood in a person. Normal people can shift from positive mood to negative or vice versa at a given outside stimuli. That is why there are days when one can say that he's in a good mood or not depending on what caused it. Sleep deprivation proves to be a major factor that affects a person's mood. People who lack sleep are often more agitated and restless. Another factor that influences mood is sex. It has been discovered that women tend to shift moods quite more often than men. This has been attributed to hormonal differences between women and men. Women's hormones surges and lowers more often than men.
Mood changes are considered normal emotions felt by ordinary people. Happy events bring about a happy mood while sad situations create a sad mood. There are people however that have problems shifting from one mood to the other. Outside stimuli do not affect mood at all. There is a mental disorder that's associated with sudden uncontrolled mood changes. Manic-depressive or bipolar disorder is a mental disorder characterized by severe mood swings that is already detrimental to everyday living. There are more than two million Americans who suffer from manic-depressive disorder according to the National Institute of Mental Health. It is often found among individuals whose families have a history of mental disorder. Many of those who suffer from this mental illness also suffer from another problem which is alcohol addiction or drug abuse. Mental disorder coupled with addiction is already referred as co-occurring disorders. Cure for this kind of problem is available in many drug treatment centers.
A simultaneous approach is focused in the treatment of a person who suffers from manic depression and addiction. Treating only one wouldn't yield success. Assessment is primarily conducted when a patient enters any drug treatment centers. This step is essential in identifying the type and length of therapy. When the core problem has been identified, it is much easier to proceed with treatment. Some facilities offer a mix of medication and counseling as part of treatment.