Mood Disorders Program at Fairfax
The team at Fairfax Behavioral Health is prepared to help treat adults in the Seattle metropolitan area with mood disorders, including commonly diagnosed mental health conditions such as Major Depressive Disorder, Bipolar Disorder and Persistent Depressive Disorder.
Mood disorders can be treated either in our inpatient psychiatric program or in our outpatient group therapy programs. Our clinicians are available to assess your immediate individual needs and recommend the appropriate level of care. The programs at Fairfax will provide specialized treatment tailored to your individual needs. This will include evidence-based treatment, psychiatric assessments, medication management, group and individual therapy, treatment planning and case management. We are available 24/7 to help. Please call us today at 425-284-8300.
Mood disorders can alter your or your loved one’s general emotional state or mood to be distorted or inconsistent with circumstances and interferes with the ability to function. Individuals may become extremely sad, empty or irritable (depressed), or may experience severe depression alternating with being excessively happy (mania). Anxiety disorders can also affect moods and often occur along with depression. Mood disorders can increase the risk of suicide. It’s important to seek immediate help if you or a loved one is experiencing severe mood disorder symptoms.
According to the CDC, suicide rates have increased by 30% since 1999. Nearly 45,000 lives were lost to suicide in 2016 alone.
Fairfax’s Mood Disorder Program focuses on helping adults in the Seattle metro area who are experiencing episodes of depression, or other disturbances of mood, to stabilize their mood and learn coping skills. As with other psychiatric services, a multidisciplinary approach is used. This can involve treatments such as group and individual therapy, medications and coping skills education. These will be chosen based on assessments by psychiatrists, nurses, mental health clinicians, recreational therapists, and other Allied Clinical Professionals. While this short-term program primarily serves a voluntary patient population, it is also available for involuntary patients who would benefit from this focus.
Some examples of mood disorders include: (source Mayo Clinic):
- Major Depressive Disorder — prolonged and persistent periods of extreme sadness.
- Bipolar Disorder — also called Manic Depression or Bipolar Affective Disorder, depression that includes alternating times of depression and mania.
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) — a form of depression most often associated with fewer hours of daylight in the far northern and southern latitudes from late fall to early spring.
- Cyclothymic Disorder — a disorder that causes emotional ups and downs that are less extreme than bipolar disorder.
- Persistent Depressive Disorder (dysthymia) — a chronic form of depression.
- Depression related to medical illness — persistent depression and significant loss of pleasure in most or all activities directly related to the physical effects of another medical condition.
- Depression induced by substance use or medication — depression symptoms that develop during or soon after substance use or withdrawal or after exposure to a medication.
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) — a mental health condition that’s triggered by a terrifying event. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety.
- Anxiety Disorders — intense, excessive and persistent worry and fear about everyday situations. Anxiety disorders often involve repeated episodes of sudden feelings of intense anxiety and fear or terror that reach a peak within minutes (panic attacks).
