Without really understanding how or why, many find themselves enslaved by a state that plunges them into a veritable emotional gloom. They suffer from a depressed mood, and those around them, affected by this sometimes abrupt change, don’t understand either.

Find out more about this concept in this article. You’ll find its definition, causes, symptoms and consequences, as well as some recommendations on how to free yourself from it.

Depressive mood: what is it?

It’s a state of mind that translates into low morale and antipathy towards oneself, one’s surroundings and activities. It can be temporary or permanent, but affects emotions, behavior and serenity. It is an affective disorder whose symptoms vary in manifestation and intensity. It is accompanied by anxiety and manifests itself fundamentally as a gloomy mood. This mood can include profound sadness, moral pain, cognitive disorders, negative or suicidal thoughts and others.

It’s important to note that a depressed mood is not depression. There may be a fine line between the two, but it’s important to understand that this mood disorder is just a warning sign of depression. Its manifestation alone is not enough to affirm that an individual is depressed, especially when it is episodic. Even when it is not, it must be accompanied by other signs such as anxiety and psychosomatic disorders to reach this conclusion.

Causes of depressed mood

It’s sometimes difficult to understand what lies at the root of a sudden change in mood. Especially when this emotional change cannot be directly associated with an event or situation, it becomes even more difficult. However, there is no such thing as an illness without a cause. There are two kinds of factors at the root of this disorder. There are pathological and non-pathological factors.

DEPRESSION, A LIKELY SOURCE OF DEPRESSED MOOD
Depression is an illness that is at the root of most mood disorders. In fact, as pointed out above, you can have a gloomy mood without suffering from depression. But it’s impossible for you to be ill with depression without it translating into a depressed mood. Anyone suffering from depression will inevitably manifest a gloomy mood. This is underpinned by the biological factors (imbalance of certain neurotransmitters), genetic factors (genetic inheritance) and environmental factors (poor hygiene or inadequate living conditions) that are at the root of depression itself. In this way, depressed mood can be the result of a severe depressive state, reactionary (in response to a major psychological trauma caused by a difficult situation) or neurotic.

OTHER PATHOLOGICAL CAUSES
Transient depression corresponds to the inevitable periods of deep sadness, melancholy or boredom that can occur at a given moment and in the face of certain situations. It’s temporary, but also causes a drop in morale.

Mood disorders are also at the root of mood loss. They cause emotions to take on an inordinate hold on the individual, amplifying the emotional intensity of events or situations. The sufferer then goes through short or long periods of emotional inconstancy. They may experience extreme euphoria or absolute depression.

Dysthymia is an attenuated but permanent state of depression that can be at its root. The sufferer lives continuously in a low-intensity form of sadness or depressive mood.

Non-pathological causes include: stress; fatigue; worries; loss (death of a close friend or relative); failure…

Symptoms of low mood

The symptoms of moodiness are many and varied. They can be psychological, behavioral or physical.

PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS
Anhedonia: the inability to experience pleasure in ordinary situations. So, when you’re affected by low morale, you lose the excitement, pleasure and interest you used to derive from certain situations and activities.
Depressive sadness: this is a deep sadness accompanied by great despondency. It induces real moral pain and leaves you in a state of boredom, monotony and often pessimism.
Negative and sometimes suicidal thoughts: these are the hallmark of a gloomy mood. They are worrying, and herald serious depression. This symptom requires diagnosis and appropriate treatment. These thoughts often reflect guilt, disappointment or feelings of worthlessness.
Cognitive imbalance: cognitive disorders always accompany a severe depressive mood. They can manifest as difficulties in concentrating or focusing, and a decline in reasoning and judgment.

BEHAVIOURAL SYMPTOMS
These symptoms denote a slowdown in mental faculties. In this state, the affected person’s behavior shows signs of fatigue, loss of initiative, self-neglect and withdrawal.

PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS
These are caused or induced by psychological factors and affect the individual’s physical reactions. Their manifestation can be seen in somatic disorders. For example, you may notice agitation in the person, or he or she may claim to suffer from frequent muscular pains.

Depressed mood and low morale: what to do?

When you’re feeling under the yoke of one of these symptoms, don’t wait until you’re overwhelmed to seek help. This is the very first recourse. Consult a professional mental health center or your doctor for a diagnosis. This will inform you with certainty about your condition. It takes away all the guesswork and lets you know whether you’re really suffering from this mood disorder or another ailment with similar symptoms. If you really do suffer from it, opt for the treatment or therapy recommended by the doctor, and follow it through to the end.

In fact, there are a number of approved treatments for treating low mood and restoring good physical, moral and psychological health. However, self-medication is strongly prohibited. It is far preferable to follow a medical treatment recommended by a specialist. As for cognitive-behavioral therapies, which are in vogue for the treatment of such disorders, it is advisable to adopt them only on the recommendation of an expert.

It’s up to you…

Have you ever experienced a depressive mood? Do you know any effective tricks to get rid of it fast?