Mood Disorders and Lack of Concentration

“I was diagnosed with a mood disorder about five years ago.  Since then my ability to concentrate has changed.  I find it almost impossible to concentrate on anything for more than a few minutes. Is this loss of concentration typical of mood disorders.   If so, what can I do about it?”

Well, there are a number of different mood disorders, ranging from mild depression (dysthymia) to full blown type 1 bipolar disorder (hypermania).  Since you do not specify which in particular you were diagnosed as having, it is difficult to answer specifically.

However, to a varying degree, difficulty in concentration and memory are common with all mood disorders.  This is often a symptom of the disorder.  Also it may well be an unwanted side effect of medication.  Since it has been five years since your diagnosis, what has been the course of your treatment?  Was medication prescribed?  Was it effective in relieving symptomatic behavior?  Has the medication been changed since initial diagnosis?  Are you routinely seeing a psychiatrist for continued treatment?  Have you discussed this loss of concentration with the psychiatrist?  Are you seeing a therapist as well?

I ask these questions because they are all the first things you should be doing to take an active role in your treatment.  It is not uncommon for it to take more than five years since initial appropriate diagnosis for significant positive results.

What else can you do?  The following are strong suggestions:

1)   You can participate in regular dialectical or cognitive-behavioral therapy to learn ways to adjust the level of loss of concentration.  This would include homework, exercises and other activities to enhance memory and concentration

2)   You can adjust your eating habits to reflect a healthy diet.

3)   You can adjust your sleep patterns to get between 7-9 hours of sleep, going to bed and arising within one hour of the same time.  For instance, to bed between 10-12PM, and up between 6-8 AM.

4)   You can adjust your exercise, to include 45 minutes to an hour of exercise 3-5 days a week.  This might just be a brisk walk, or a regular routine at a gym.

5)   You need to keep a list, made up each night of what you need to do the next day.  The list may be short or long, you may or may not get everything done.  But, you will have a written reminder of what you have to do.

6)   There are also exercises, best practiced while in therapy, to enhance your level of concentration.

7)   Finally, there are prescription nutritional supplements that can enhance concentration and memory.

I encourage you to try some, if not all, of these suggestions.  Good luck.

~Dr. Manuel S. Silverman, PhD