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Cyclothymic disorder
Cyclothymia; Mood disorder - cyclothymia
Cyclothymic disorder is a mental disorder. It is a mild form of bipolar disorder (manic depressive illness), in which a person has mood swings over a period of years that go from mild depression to emotional highs.
Bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder is a mental condition in which a person has wide or extreme swings in their mood. Periods of feeling sad and depressed may alternat...
Depression
Depression may be described as feeling sad, blue, unhappy, miserable, or down in the dumps. Most of us feel this way at one time or another for shor...
Causes
The causes of cyclothymic disorder are unknown. Major depression, bipolar disorder, and cyclothymia often occur together in families. This suggests that these mood disorders share similar causes.
Cyclothymia usually begins early in life. Men and women are equally affected.
Symptoms
Symptoms may include any of the following:
- Periods (episodes) of extreme happiness and high activity or energy (mania), or low mood, activity, or energy (depression) for at least 2 years (1 or more years in children and adolescents)
- Mood swings (these are less severe than in bipolar disorder or major depression)
- Ongoing symptoms, with no more than 2 symptom-free months in a row
Exams and Tests
The diagnosis is usually based on your mood history. Your health care provider may order blood and urine tests to rule out medical causes of mood swings.
Treatment
Treatments for this disorder include mood-stabilizing medicine, antidepressants, talk therapy, or some combination of these three treatments.
Some of the more commonly used mood stabilizers are lithium and antiseizure medicines.
Some people with cyclothymia may not respond to medicines as well as people with bipolar disorder.
Support Groups
You can ease the stress of living with cyclothymic disorder by joining a support group whose members share common experiences and problems.
Support group
Local and national support groups can be found on the web, through local libraries, your health care provider, and the yellow pages under "social ser...
Outlook (Prognosis)
Less than half of people with cyclothymic disorder go on to develop bipolar disorder. In other people, cyclothymia continues as a chronic condition or disappears with time.
Possible Complications
The condition can progress to bipolar disorder.
When to Contact a Medical Professional
Call a mental health professional if you or a loved one has alternating periods of depression and excitement that do not go away and that affect work, school, or social life. Seek help right away if you or a loved one is having thoughts of suicide.
References
American Psychiatric Association. Cyclothymic disorder. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders . 5th ed. Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing, 2013:139-141.
Fava M, Ostergaard SD, Cassano P. Mood disorders: depressive disorders (major depressive disorder). In: Stern TA, Fava M, Wilens TE, Rosenbaum JF, eds. Massachusetts General Hospital Comprehensive Clinical Psychiatry . 2nd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2016:chap 29.
Review Date: 7/29/2016
Reviewed By: Fred K. Berger, MD, addiction and forensic psychiatrist, Scripps Memorial Hospital, La Jolla, CA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Isla Ogilvie, PhD, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
