4 Ways Mood Stabilizers May Help Manage Depression and Anxiety in Adults
Why you can trust Lightfully Behavioral Health?

Lightfully’s professional culture is designed to keep everyone connected, motivated and nutured. Why is this so important? We believe the way we treat our employees is how we show up for clients – through encouragement, honesty, and compassion.

Reading Time: 4 minutes

When it comes to mental health, many adults are quietly dealing with more than they let on. If you’ve ever felt like your emotions are riding on a roller coaster, up one day, down the next, you’re not alone. 

Anxiety and depression are two of the most common mental health struggles in the U.S. In 2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control, around 1 in 5 American adults felt anxiety symptoms, and about 21.4% had depression symptoms. 

Mental health disorders, like generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and major depressive disorder (MDD), can make daily life really hard. While therapy and healthy habits are important, sometimes medication can give that extra push needed for balance. 

In 2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control, around 1 in 5 American adults felt anxiety symptoms, and about 21.4% had depression symptoms.

What are mood stabilizers?

Mood stabilizers are a type of medication most commonly used to help manage mood swings, especially in mental health disorders like bipolar disorder. However, they can also be helpful for people living with MDD and other mood-related challenges. 

Unlike antidepressants, which focus mainly on lifting mood, or antianxiety medications, which target immediate calm, mood stabilizers are designed to help prevent extreme shifts in mood. 

These medications work by helping to balance the chemicals in your brain called neurotransmitters. They affect how you think and feel. If your emotions tend to swing from feeling really down to overly anxious or irritable, mood stabilizers may help smooth out those highs and lows. 

Some of the most commonly used mood stabilizers include:

  • Priadel (lithium carbonate)
  • Depakote (valproate/divalproex)
  • Lamictal (lamotrigine)
  • Tegretol (carbamazepine)

Your health care provider may also prescribe certain antipsychotic medications or anticonvulsants (seizure medications) as mood stabilizers, even if you don’t have bipolar disorder. They may be prescribed if your provider thinks one of these medications can help manage your symptoms. 

The key takeaway is that a mood stabilizer isn’t just one type of drug. It’s a group of medications that can help regulate intense emotional swings. Your health care provider will consider your specific symptoms and diagnosis to determine which, if any, mood stabilizer may be right for you. 

4 ways mood stabilizers may help manage depression and anxiety

For many people, especially those with severe or returning depression, or when anxiety is overwhelming and tied to mood swings, mood stabilizers can be a key part of treatment. They don’t cure things, but they work in important ways to help bring more balance.

  • Preventing deep dips in depression

Mood stabilizers work to help depressive episodes happen less often and feel less intense. Instead of sharp, sudden drops into severe sadness or hopelessness, these medicines aim to soften those extreme lows. This can help make sad periods less severe and shorter, helping you to better participate in therapy and daily life. They can help you stay more level, making it easier to manage your day and get more from other treatments

  • Balancing brain chemistry for stability

We don’t fully understand how every mood stabilizer works, but many are thought to affect neurotransmitters. These are brain chemicals that control mood, emotions and behavior. 

By balancing these chemicals, like serotonin and dopamine, mood stabilizers can help regulate how your brain works. This can help create a more consistent emotional state. It can help reduce deep lows from depression and the constant worry often tied to anxiety. 

  • Reducing intense emotional reactivity in anxiety

Many people experiencing anxiety react very strongly to stress or triggers. Mood stabilizers can help calm the nervous system, making those extreme emotional reactions less intense. This means you may feel less overwhelmed by daily stressors and have better control over your feelings. 

Instead of feeling trapped in worry or panic, these medications can help keep you in a more balanced emotional state. This allows you to handle challenges more effectively. They can also help lower your overall anxiety level. 

  • Supporting other treatments and overall brain health

Sometimes, a mood stabilizer is used with an antidepressant for depression or other anxiety medications. Here, the mood stabilizer can help stop fast mood changes, letting other medicines work on a more stable base. 

They can help create a better environment for overall treatment. Some mood stabilizers may help protect brain cells and support long-term brain health. This combined approach of medicine and therapy can help establish a solid foundation for lasting mental wellness. 

It’s essential to remember that mood stabilizers can take some time to show their full benefits. Consistent use, as prescribed by a qualified mental health care provider, is key to managing your symptoms effectively. For complex mental health conditions, many people find that medication combined with therapy can provide the best results

Understanding how mood stabilizers work is the first step toward exploring whether they may be the right choice for you. They’re powerful tools that can help level out extreme emotions, reduce the intensity of depressive and anxious episodes, and provide a greater sense of stability in your life. 

Find your path to stability with Lightfully

At Lightfully, our approach goes beyond just treating your symptoms. We use our Precision Care Model, which is the framework that helps us create a personalized, holistic treatment plan just for you. 

Our expert clinicians are dedicated to providing deeply compassionate, whole-person-centered care. We understand that you are more than your diagnosis and will work with you to understand your unique life, your values and what healing truly means for you. 

If you’re struggling with depression and anxiety and curious about whether mood stabilizers or other tailored treatments could help, reaching out is the first brave step. We’re ready to help you explore your options and help you on your mental health wellness journey. 

Change is possible. When you’re ready to take the first step, contact our Admissions Concierge Team. We’ll take the next steps together, toward the fullest, brightest version of you.

Connect with Admissions

Do I have Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)?

Do I have Borderline Personality Disorder?

Do I have Narcissistic Personality Disorder?

Do I have Avoidant Personality Disorder?

Do I have Histrionic Personality Disorder?

Do I have Generalized Anxiety Disorder?

Do I have Major Depressive Disorder?

Do I have Complicated Grief?

Do I have Self-Harm Behaviors?

Related Content