A mood is a type of psychological phenomenon that affects different ranges of factors of the affected individuals such as life, behavior, thinking, and health. It can be impacted by different types of indicators and complex processes that can be biological, situational, social, personal, and cultural in nature. Moods have a tendency to change and can even persist for a long time. Moods can even turn positive or negative, pale and bright, stable or unstable, and even expressed or hidden.
What we are to discuss is how many different types of moods are there in existence and we are going to discuss variable moods as much as we can. We also discuss their causes and how we can measure their impacts on us. In the words below, we touch on all of these points in a concise way that manages to cover all the bases.
What is the Mood?
A mood is a general response to an emotional state one is going through. Moods can be characterized in terms of different tones such as positive or negative, intensity (weak or strong), and duration, which can be either long-term or short-term. These are the reasons that different mood types exist. Moods are different from emotions and feelings in the sense that moods tend to be less specific, and are more or less not as strongly associated with specific events or objects as one would believe. Moreover, moods cannot be volitionally controlled.
Moods are capable of permeating all aspects of an individual’s psyche as they are inherently “subcutaneous”. All types of moods are able to influence the perception, motivation, memory, willpower, behavior, and even self-awareness of an individual. These moods can be the result of other emotional states or can happen due to independent reactions while can also be influenced by external and internal factors.
We can measure different types of moods using a variety of methods. These methods can range from self-reporting, observation of behavior, and facial expressions to psychophysiological measurements using heart rate, blood pressure, or hormonal levels, psychometric tests such as Bradburn Mood Scale, Dung’s Anxiety, or Haven’s Differential Scale. As mood is a subjective and complex psychological phenomenon that is dependent on many different variables, none of the above-mentioned measurement methods of different mood types are entirely accurate and are not subjective at all.
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What Is the Mood Like?
Mood can be based on different types of criteria. One of the most prevalent criteria for classifying the tone of mood is its positivity or negativity. Two main types of affect and mood can be used to differentiate different types of moods.
One of the most frequently used parameters for the criteria of setting the tone of the mood is a mood’s positive or negative spectrum. Based on this criterion, two main types of affect and mood can be distinguished:
A positive mood can be based on joyful and pleasant emotions such as pleasure, enthusiasm, gratitude, and satisfaction. Emotions like fear, anger, sadness, anxiety, irritation, and guilt can provide the basis for negativity in one’s life. Positivity and negativity are considered to be the only parameters that can describe a person’s tone of mood.
Different Types of Moods Based On Intensity
Another parameter that can be used to measure different types of moods is intensity.Intensity can be based on the strength or depth of the mood being felt. Four levels of moods are distinguishable via intensity: low, average, strong, and extreme.
Low Mood
It is the state of intensity relating to mood that a person experiences where there tend to be no emotional experiences or even if they are there, they are essentially not noticeable.
Average Mood
This is the state of mood where a person is able to experience moderate emotions and feelings that are bright enough to be noticeable.
Strong Mood
A mood is strong when a person is able to experience an intense range of emotions and feelings
Extreme Mood
It is the end stage, where the state of a person is experiencing excessive and extremely emotional bouts of moods that are also unbearable and can be tamed.
Read More: Is Bipolar Disorder A Permanent Disability?
Kinds of Moods Based on Duration and Stability
Variable types of moods can be classified according to the context of duration and stability parameters. Based on these two parameters, three different mood types can be formed: short-term, average-term, and long-term.
Short-Term
This is the state where a mood is fleeting and temporary. It can change quickly for variable reasons.
Average-Term
Medium-term moods can last for several days or weeks and are less susceptible to change.
Long-Term
Moods that are considered to be long-term don’t tend to change and can last for a long time, such as months or even years usually needing something like psychotherapy.
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What Do Your All Types of Moods Depend On?
Mood types can depend on many different factors that are capable of influencing their emotional background. These factors are separated into three groups within the mental, material, and spiritual spheres.
The physiological nature of many of these factors is closely related to the production process relating to chemicals in our body that are capable of increasing and decreasing the production of hormones that induce different types of mood. The most important ones of these production chemicals are:
Adrenaline
This hormone is capable of forcing the body to work through tears and fear and is considered dangerous due to it.
Dopamine
This is responsible for inducing confidence in you and is closely related to the reward system in your brain. It can be affected by an ailment like ADHD.
Cortisol
This is the hormone of stress and emotional and physical fatigue.
Norepinephrine
Called the shock hormone as it is associated with physical injury and nervous strain.
Oxytocin
The hormone of trust, relaxation, and pleasant feelings or sensations.
Serotonin
The hormone of pleasure and pleasant mood.
Endorphins
This is the hormone that induces the production of neuropeptides that create optimism and energy.
Read More: ADHD And Dopamine: What’s The Link?
We are fully capable of influencing the production of hormones purposefully to produce positive effects in our bodies that can help us suppress negative moods. Examples such as regular sex, proper sleep, and adequate nutrition are considered extremely effective in inducing positive effects.
A human is a biological being, and the energy in them is significantly influenced by proper communication and better physical health. Appropriately recalling the Wheel of Life Balance, we can highlight the main causes of emotional changes:
Household – Maintains comfort at home;
Health – Needed for sustenance of life;
Career – helps you find and sustain your place in life;
Rest – helps us hit that reset button for rejuvenation and becoming independent from stress;
Spirituality – Makes our life meaningful;
Relationships – helps us create links and memories with like-minded people;
Family – determines the basic personal attitudes and helps with rearing;
Finance – gives independence in terms of exchange.
Read More: What is Depression?
What Are Different Types of Moods
Someone’s mood can also be judged by its content or quality. Many and variable types of moods can be differentiated by looking at a person’s life experiences.
- Joyful → happiness, warmth, tenderness, love
- Sad → sorrow, nostalgia, longing, solitude
- Anxious → worry, fear, doubt, unease
- Irritable → frustration, impatience, resentment
- Guilty → shame, regret, self-blame
- Relaxed → calm, stillness, ease, serenity
- Excited → thrill, passion, curiosity, spark
- Bored → dullness, uninitiated, lethargy, disconnection
- Creative → inspiring, original, new.
These are just some examples as the list is long for different types of moods. In reality, moods can also combine, when a person experiences several emotions simultaneously or can move from one emotion or feeling to another in a flash.
Read More: Bipolar Disorder – Symptoms, Causes, Types and Treatment
Differences from other mental processes
To understand what mood essentially is in a more thorough way, let’s talk about how these moods differentiate from other states and cognitive processes:
Differences from emotions.
Emotions are easily noticeable because they tend to be intense while moods are directly noticeable. The mood is more persistent, while emotions tend to be brief.
Differences from affect.
Moods can be hidden or portrayed. The state of affect is extremely noticeable as they are observable behavioral expressions of emotion, which are explosive at times.
Differences in feelings.
Objects are usually attached to the feelings. Objects are the main causes behind them. On the other hand, moods have no such attachments or links. Moods tend to be non-ambivalent, while feelings are inherently ambivalent.
Differences from experiences.
People are aware of the reasons they are experiencing something. Unlike that, the mood is not tied to anything at all. This is because experiences tend to be psychological in nature and don’t tie into one’s physiological processes.
Read More: Anxiety Symptoms In Men: Leading Facts
How Is Emotion Different from Mood?
While the terms emotion and mood are used interchangeably, there is a fundamental difference between them. Let’s differentiate:
Definitions of Mood and Emotion
Mood: An emotional state that is capable of influencing both psychological and physical state.
Emotion: Emotion is related to a psychological state.
Characteristics of Mood and Emotion
- Elapsed Time:
Mood: An emotional state that is extremely persistent.
Emotion: An emotion only lasts for a short period.
- Intensity:
Mood: Moods tend to be mild.
Emotion: Emotions lie on the extreme end of the spectrum.
Read More: The ultimate guide to Bipolar disorder symptoms in females
Types of Mood Disorders
Bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder are two of the most prominent examples of mood disorders.
Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder is characterized by two opposite and extreme moods: manic and depression. These episodes relating to the two aforementioned moods can be debilitating as the intervals of either of these take us through extreme moods that are on opposite sides of each other. Manic episodes are defined by mania, excitement at even the smallest of things, restlessness, and hyperactivity. Depression is all about anxiety, melancholy, and lethargy.
Major Depressive Disorder
Clinical Depression, which is another name for major depressive disorder, is a mental disorder characterized by an anxious and melancholy state, where the affected ones can also become fearful, or indifferent to happenings around them while they also lose the ability to experience pleasure.
Depression negatively affects the everyday lives of affected individuals by hurting their cognitive processes and social activity. Subjectively, the condition is difficult to deal with because of how it impacts one’s overall life and physical symptoms are a frequent problem in it. Depression is not attributable to any external environment, while it is a psychogenic ailment. It essentially happens as a consequence of one or more psychological causes.
Always remember that both, bipolar disorder, and major depressive disorder, are defined by the spontaneous changes in different types of moods and depression is a major component of these two.
Read More: A Comprehensive Guide To Anxiety And Schizophrenia
Types of Anger Disorders in Adults
While different types of anger disorder in adults may seem unrelated, anger in the end is a mood and an emotion, so it literally relates. These anger disorders tend to vary between mild or severe attitudes, while sometimes there is no in-between.
Mild Attitude Tantrums
When tantrums have an average frequency of twice a week for at least a minimum period of 3 months it is considered to be part of mild attitude-based anger disorders. This type of temperamental nature manifests in the shape of insults, swearing, threats, obscene gestures, and physical aggression without bodily harm.
Explosive Aggressive Disorder
Explosive aggressive disorder is considered serious and extremely harmful because people suffering from these are capable of showing aggressive behavior patterns such as vandalism, or bodily harm, which can happen at least thrice annually. This can be a problem in children and teenagers, for which it is necessary to get child and adolescent psychiatry.
Read More: The Benefits Of Telepsychiatry: A Convenient Path To Mental Health Support
Wrapping Up!
This is the end here and it is our cue to wrap the discussion on the subject matter of different types of moods. Understanding our emotions is critical to mental health. That reminds us that if you’re dealing with mood-related disorders, then why not go for Solid Foundation Psychiatry as it is a mental health wellness center that is adept at providing proper support and psychoeducation (or something alternative like telepsychiatry) to the affected individuals. Book an appointment today with us to begin your mental health recovery journey!