Cyclothymia
Cyclothymia (cyclothymic disorder) is a milder form of bipolar disorder. It involves frequent mood swings of hypomanic and depressive episodes.
Bipolar disorder is a lifelong mood disorder and mental health condition that causes intense shifts in mood, energy levels, thinking patterns and behavior. These shifts can last for days, weeks or months. They can interrupt your ability to carry out day-to-day tasks.
People with cyclothymic experience episodes of hypomania and mild depression for at least two years. These changes in mood can occur quickly and at any time. A person with cyclothymia may have brief periods of normal mood (euthymia), but these periods last fewer than eight weeks.
Symptoms
Symptoms of cyclothymia include mood swings that alternate between episodes of hypomania and mild depression.
While mood changes in bipolar I and II disorders happen over weeks, months and sometimes even years, mood changes in cyclothymia can happen spontaneously over brief periods — even within the same day.
Hypomania symptoms in cyclothymia:
Hypomania is a condition in which you have a period of abnormally elevated, extreme changes in your mood or emotions, energy level and activity level. This energized level of energy, mood and behavior must be a change from your usual self and be noticeable to others. Hypomania is a less severe form of mania.
Signs and symptoms of hypomania include:
Increased energy and less need for sleep.
Rapid speech and racing thoughts.
Being easily distracted.
Having an increased focus on goals, including work, school and social goals.
Participating in risky activities or activities that lack good judgment, such as spending sprees, reckless sexual encounters or impulsive business decisions.
Higher-than-normal level of self-esteem.
Depressive symptoms in cyclothymia
A depressive episode involves feelings of hopelessness and a decreased interest in previously enjoyed activities. The symptoms of depressive episodes in cyclothymia are milder than those of major (clinical) depression.
Signs and symptoms of a depressive episode include:
Feelings of social isolation, low self-worth and guilt.
Changes in eating patterns (eating more or less than usual).
Difficulty falling asleep (insomnia) or trouble staying awake (hypersomnia).
Fatigue or significant loss of energy.
Decreased ability to concentrate.
Treatment Options
Unfortunately, most people who have cyclothymia have symptoms that are mild enough that they don’t seek medical treatment and/or they don’t think they have a medical condition.
Treatment for cyclothymia usually involves psychotherapy (talk therapy) and medication.
Psychotherapy is a term for a variety of treatment techniques that aim to help a person identify and change unhealthy emotions, thoughts and behaviors through conversations with a licensed mental health professional.
There are several different types of psychotherapy. Studies have shown that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) specifically works best to help treat cyclothymia.
Psychotherapy can help reduce distress by teaching you to:
Recognize, monitor and manage the symptoms of cyclothymia.
Cope with stressful situations.
Change the way you think, react and problem-solve.
Improve communication and interactions with others.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) hasn’t approved any specific medications to treat cyclothymia. However, sometimes, providers prescribe a mood stabilizer to help reduce the swings in your mood. These medications may include valproate, lamotrigine and/or lithium.