Cyclothymia (cyclothymic disorder) is a milder form of bipolar disorder involving frequent mood swings of hypomanic and mild depressive episodes. It's manageable with talk therapy and medication, but many people with cyclothymia don't think they need treatment.
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.
In cyclothymic disorder, moods swing between short periods of mild depression and hypomania, an elevated mood. The low and high mood swings never reach the severity or duration of major depressive or full mania episodes. People with cyclothymic disorder have milder symptoms than occur in full-blown bipolar disorder.
Cyclothymia, or cyclothymic disorder, causes mood changes – from feeling low to emotional highs. Cyclothymia has many similarities to bipolar disorder.
There are four different types of bipolar disorder, each having unique features. The prevailing characteristics involve intense mood swings, shifting from manic episodes to depressive episodes, often without warning. Resulting changes in sleep patterns, eating habits, emotions, and behaviors accompany the mood swings.
Cyclothymia (cyclothymic disorder) is a milder form of bipolar disorder involving frequent mood swings of hypomanic and mild depressive episodes. It's manageable with talk therapy and medication, but many people with cyclothymia don't think they need treatment.
The severity of elated phases never reaches level of manic or manic mixed states, and remains at clinical or sub- threshold hypomanic level. Patients with soft bipolarity are often referred to as "pseudo-unipolar depression", and may go undetected for years.
The most common misdiagnosis of bipolar disorder is major depressive disorder (MDD). The symptoms of major depression last for at least two weeks and can include: persistent feelings of sadness or low mood.
Some non-psychiatric illnesses, such as thyroid disease, lupus, HIV, syphilis, and other infections, may have signs and symptoms that mimic those of bipolar disorder. This can pose further challenges in making a diagnosis and determining the treatment.
How are bipolar disorder mania and anxiety similar? Experiences of mania and anxiety can feel similar. An episode of mania and anxiety can share symptoms like trouble with sleep, racing thoughts, agitation, restlessness, and difficulty concentrating.
Those with high functioning or acute bipolar disorder might have the ability to mask their symptoms in some cases — but hiding them doesn't mean that their symptoms are no longer present.
The disorders differ in several ways: Bipolar disorder does not involve problems with self-identity. Multiple personality disorder causes issues with self-identity, which is split between several identities. Depression is one of the alternating phases of bipolar disorder.
Bipolar disorder affects multiple structures in the brain, as well as the organ's function. Experts believe that bipolar disorder is associated with the smaller size of certain regions of the brain and with changes in the brain's chemicals. It can also cause changes in thinking and hallucinations.
It's common in children and adolescents, but it usually doesn't get diagnosed until adulthood—it can take up to ten years from the time a person experiences symptoms to the time they actually get diagnosed! So no, not everyone who has bipolar disorder knows they have it.
Bipolar II disorder is a type of bipolar disorder in which people experience depressive episodes as well as hypomanic episodes (shifting back and forth), but never mania.
Diagnosing bipolar disorder usually involves a thorough examination of your physical health. This is to rule out a physical cause or other health concerns. It also involves an assessment of your mental state and the careful assessment of your symptoms and life experiences.
Some experts believe that experiencing a lot of emotional distress as a child can cause bipolar disorder to develop. This could be because childhood trauma and distress can have a big effect on your ability to manage your emotions. This can include experiences like: Neglect.
Diagnosis and Treatment of Bipolar Disorder
While the self-test above can be an informative tool, a diagnosis needs to be made by a professional mental health expert. Therapy and medication can be effective treatment options for Bipolar Disorder.
To diagnose bipolar disorder, a doctor performs a physical exam, asks about your symptoms, and recommends blood testing to determine if another condition, such as hypothyroidism, is causing your symptoms. If the doctor does not find an underlying cause of your symptoms, he or she performs a psychological evaluation.
Only 33% of patients previously diagnosed with a bipolar disorder met full criteria for Bipolar I or II. The authors concluded that 67% of patients were overdiagnosed with bipolar disorder (Goldberg et al., 2008).
People with bipolar can look, sound, and seem just as “normal” as other people do.
Persistent sad or irritable mood. Loss of interest in activities once enjoyed. Significant change in appetite or body weight. Difficulty sleeping or oversleeping. Physical agitation or slowing.
The Bipolar Spectrum concept can be approached from two different ways: Manic – Depressive Spectrum: Continuum between Bipolar and Unipolar. Bipolar Spectrum: Restricted to BD with continuum between Full blown illness (BD I) to Milder illness to Temperament traits (Cyclothymia ……).