Mood Disorders

Mood disorders don’t just affect emotions — they can disrupt sleep, energy, focus, relationships, work, and the ability to function from one day to the next. Katrina Zlataric, PMHNP-BC, and the team at KZ Psychiatric Services in Barnhart, Missouri, offer expert medication management for mood disorders. She provides compassionate psychiatric evaluations, careful medication planning, and ongoing follow-up care to help patients work toward greater stability. Call KZ Psychiatric Services to request a mood disorder assessment or schedule a consultation online today.

What are mood disorders?

Mood disorders are mental health conditions that cause ongoing changes in mood, energy, motivation, and daily functioning. Some people feel persistently low, empty, or hopeless. Others experience periods of unusually high energy, racing thoughts, impulsive behavior, or a reduced need for sleep.

Mood disorders include several diagnoses, such as:

• Major depressive disorder
• Bipolar disorder
• Persistent depressive disorder
• Cyclothymic disorder
• Seasonal affective disorder
• Mood changes related to medical conditions or substance use

Katrina evaluates your symptoms, health history, medications, stressors, sleep patterns, and safety concerns before recommending a treatment plan.

What symptoms do mood disorders cause?

Mood disorder symptoms vary depending on the diagnosis. Depression often causes:

• Sadness
• Loss of interest
• Low energy
• Guilt
• Appetite changes
• Sleep problems
• Poor concentration
• Thoughts of death or self-harm

Bipolar-related mood symptoms switch between depression and mania, which can cause impulsive decisions, increased confidence, fast speech, racing thoughts, and less need for sleep.

Mood disorders can also cause physical symptoms like headaches, stomach problems, body aches, and fatigue.

What medications help with mood disorders?

The medications that are best for mood disorders depend on your diagnosis. Katrina considers whether symptoms fit depression, bipolar disorder, another mood disorder, or a condition related to trauma, substance use, hormones, sleep, or medical illness.

For depression, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) like sertraline, fluoxetine, escitalopram, or citalopram may help improve mood, anxiety, sleep, and motivation. Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) like venlafaxine or duloxetine may help with depression, anxiety, and certain pain-related symptoms.

Atypical antidepressants like bupropion or mirtazapine may help some patients, depending on their sleep, appetite, energy, and side effect concerns.

What medications help with bipolar disorder?

Bipolar disorder usually needs a different medication approach than depression alone. Antidepressants may trigger mania or rapid mood shifts in some people with bipolar disorder, especially when used without a mood stabilizer.

Mood stabilizers like lithium, valproate, lamotrigine, or carbamazepine may help reduce mood swings and prevent severe highs and lows. Some antipsychotic medications, including quetiapine, lurasidone, olanzapine, risperidone, aripiprazole, or cariprazine, may help with:

• Mania
• Bipolar depression
• Irritability
• Agitation
• Psychotic symptoms

Katrina monitors your response and any side effects. This close follow-up improves safety and guides dose changes over time. She may also recommend therapy, support groups, and lifestyle changes when those steps support recovery.

Call KZ Psychiatric Services or book an appointment online today to discuss treatment that supports long-term emotional stability.