mood stabilizer

noun

variants or British mood stabiliser

plural mood stabilizers

: any of a group of medications that reduce extreme mood swings and lessen the symptoms of mania and depression, are used especially to treat mood disorders (such as bipolar disorder), and typically include antipsychotics, anticonvulsants, and lithium (see lithium sense 2)

It is common for the first indications of bipolar disorder to emerge in late adolescence and early adulthood. … Once diagnosed, treatment typically combines medications, such as mood stabilizers and perhaps antidepressants, with individual, group or family-focused psychotherapy.

—Eve Glazier

After being diagnosed with depression, I was on quite a few medications. They would put me on mood stabilizers and stuff to help me sleep because I had nightmares or recurring dreams.

—Maricella Ramirez, quoted in Livingston County (Michigan) Press

Mood stabilizers aren't addictive in the traditional sense. But many people who take them do so for long periods of time—like months or years. When your brain gets used to a mood stabilizer, it'll take some time to adjust when you stop—especially if you stop taking them suddenly.

—Cleveland Clinic

Word History

First Known Use

1982, in the meaning defined above