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LAST REVIEWED 20 March 2025

Types of mood disorders

Are you feeling unusually high or low, for no apparent reason? If your emotional state is impacting daily life, you may have a mood disorder. This page explains what a mood disorder is and explores common types of mood disorder. Read on to learn about mood disorders and recognise if you may have one.

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What is a mood disorder?

A mood disorder is a mental health condition that distorts your emotional state.

If you have a mood disorder you may feel sad, hopeless, or irritable. Or you may alternate between feeling low and feeling unusually happy or invincible.

How you feel may not fit with what is happening in your life. Your emotional state may feel out of character for you. And it may make daily activities much harder than usual.

If you think you may have a mood disorder, speak to your doctor. Mood disorders can be well-managed with the right treatment.

Common types of mood disorder 

Below we explore how to recognise the different types of mood disorder.

Good Thinking resources

Use Good Thinking to get recommendations for NHS-approved apps, find expert advice and give your mental wellbeing a check-up with our self-assessment tool.

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Transformation Partners in Health and CareLondon CouncilsThrive LDNMayor of LondonADPH London
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