Mood changes treatment, diagnosis & prescriptions

Yes, you can. A healthcare provider on Maple will want to discuss your current conditions, and what types of symptoms or signs of mood changes you’ve been experiencing.

They may also refer you to a psychotherapist to perform a psychological evaluation. In some cases, mood changes could be caused by mental health conditions. Therefore, you may need to speak with a psychotherapist in order to get a clear diagnosis for your mood changes.

Once your healthcare professional provides a diagnosis for mood changes, they’ll be able to suggest treatments for your mood changes suited to your needs.

Most people will go through some form of mood changes in their lives. However, if your behavior becomes erratic or unpredictable for days at a time, it could be caused by mood changes.

Mood changes can be the result of physical injuries or illnesses, as well as mental health conditions. Mood changes can also be caused by hormone imbalances brought on by certain physical developmental changes, like puberty, pregnancy, or menopause.

In many cases, mood changes are signs of other conditions. However, these associated mood change symptoms can appear in many ways, including:

• Changes in appetite or weight
• Changes in sleep patterns
• Difficulty concentrating
• Irritability or aggression
• Unexplained hostility
• Acute bouts of sadness or lethargy
• Mood that fluctuates acutely (changing from moment to moment)
• Sudden, strong feelings of anxiousness or worry

The person being affected by mood changing symptoms may not immediately realize that their mood has changed. In these cases, loved ones may need to make them aware of their shifts in mood.

There are a variety of mental health conditions that can cause mood changing symptoms, including:

• Depression
• Anxiety disorders
• Bipolar disorder
• Premenstrual syndrome
• Cyclothymic disorder
• Dysthymia
• Personality disorders
• Premenstrual dysphoric disorder
• Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• Schizophrenia
• Dementia
• Intermittent explosive disorder
• Memory-related disorders
• Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder (DMDD)

Diagnosis for mood changes can be challenging because so many internal and external factors can affect our moods.

The healthcare provider will want to start with a physical exam to check for any possible physical conditions that could be causing your mood changes. They could suggest additional testing, including some basic blood tests to check your blood cell counts, as well as your thyroid function.

In many cases, they’ll also refer you to a psychotherapist to have a psychological evaluation performed.

Once your healthcare provider can provide you with a diagnosis for your mood changes, they will suggest mood change treatments that target the underlying cause. This includes any prescriptions for your mood changes that you may require.

Because mood changes are not a diagnosis in itself, but often caused by underlying conditions, the healthcare provider will suggest treatments for your mood changes that directly target the cause.

This could involve treatments for mood changes like psychotherapy, as well as targeted medications to control mood changes.

Everyone has mood changes from time to time. However, if you’re finding it difficult to control your mood changes, or your mood change symptoms are persistent, you should talk to a healthcare professional.

A healthcare provider can arrange for necessary testing to provide a diagnosis for your mood changes, including referring you to a psychotherapist.

Once you know why you’re experiencing mood changes, the healthcare provider can suggest appropriate treatments for your mood changes. This includes any necessary medications to control mood changes, or suggested lifestyle changes that may help reduce your symptoms.

In some cases, the best course of action for managing mood changes is ongoing psychotherapy and monitoring your condition closely. A healthcare professional from Maple can help you create an effective plan to help you get your mood changes under control.

With Maple, you can start talking to a healthcare provider about your symptoms in a matter of minutes. We’re a healthcare app for fast, convenient 24/7 access to Canadian doctors and healthcare teams.

You simply log in, tap a button to request a consultation, and we’ll immediately connect you to a doctor via live chat or video. You can visit our How it Works page to learn more.

Our healthcare team can assess symptoms, and provide treatment, including prescriptions as necessary.