Understanding Cyclothymia Disorder Symptoms

People diagnosed with cyclothymia experience fluctuations in their emotions, although the symptoms are less severe compared to those observed in bipolar I or II disorders.

In many instances, the symptoms are relatively mild, causing some individuals to forgo seeking mental health support. Some even find pleasure in the emotional highs, causing them to disregard any concerns or evade seeking assistance.

Nevertheless, these mood oscillations can still impact daily functioning and disrupt personal and work-related relationships. Those dealing with cyclothymia also face the risk of progressing to full-fledged bipolar disorder, emphasizing the significance of seeking help prior to reaching this stage.

Bipolar disorder, a lifelong mood disorder and mental health condition, results in significant shifts in mood, energy levels, cognitive patterns, and behavior. Symptoms can be intense and may persist from days to months. Individuals with bipolar disorder might encounter heightened distractibility, reduced need for sleep, impaired judgment and emotional control, and engage in risky and impulsive behaviors.

People with cyclothymia go through episodes of hypomania and mild depression for a minimum of two years. These shifts in mood can materialize rapidly and at any time. Generally, those affected by cyclothymic disorder undergo periods of low mood followed by instances of pronounced elation and excitement (referred to as hypomania). During these hypomanic episodes, they require minimal sleep and feel exceptionally energetic.

The periods of low mood in cyclothymia are not of sufficient duration or severity to meet the criteria for clinical depression. While individuals might experience sluggishness and reduced interest during these periods, these sensations shouldn't hinder their day-to-day activities.
Understanding Cyclothymia Disorder Symptoms

Characteristics of Cyclothymic disorder

Cyclothymic disorder is a rare mood disorder causes emotional ups and downs. The disorder characterized is by emotional reactivity and affective dysregulation.

Cyclothymia symptoms alternate between emotional highs and lows. The highs of cyclothymia include symptoms of an elevated mood (hypomanic symptoms). The lows consist of mild or moderate depressive symptoms. The hypomania symptoms are not frequent, severe or long lasting enough to classify fully as hypomania, and the depressive symptoms are not frequent, severe or long lasting enough to classify fully as a major depressive disorder.

Patient may feel on top of the world for a time, followed by a low period when he feels somewhat down. Between these cyclothymic highs and lows, the patient may feel stable and fine.

There may be no periods of stable mood between episodes, and periods of stable mood will last for less than two months.

Cyclothymia symptoms are similar to those of bipolar I or II disorder, but they're less severe. People with cyclothymic disorder tend to have extreme reactions to external events or stimuli. They can be overly happy and enthusiastic in response to a positive event such as success at work,

a period of good weather, feelings created by substances, like drugs and alcohol.

Cyclothymia often appears in adolescence or early adulthood. Women and men are equally affected. Genetic and physiological factors are thought to contribute to the development of cyclothymic disorder.
Characteristics of Cyclothymic disorder

Cyclothymic disorder

Cyclothymic disorder is defined as a ‘chronic, fluctuating disturbance’ with many periods of hypomania and of depression.

People with cyclothymic disorder have continuous mood cycles that are usually briefer and less severe than those characteristics of bipolar I or II disorders.

To be diagnosed as suffering from cyclothymic disorder, patients need to exhibit these dramatic fluctuations for at least two years.

Children and adolescents can be classified as cyclothymic after only one year, however.

Patients with cyclothymic disorder may constitute from 3 to 5 percent of all psychiatric outpatients, perhaps particularly those with significant complaints about marital and interpersonal difficulties.

Cyclothymic disorder, like other mood disorders, usually begins in late adolescence or early adulthood and without treatment, tends to have a chronic course, with no significant symptom-free period.

Cyclothymic depressions symptoms such as sadness, anhedonia, low energy, pessimism, poor concentration and sleep and appetite changes resembling those observed in episodes of major depression. Cyclothymic disorder can present as predominantly depressed predominantly hypomanic or balanced with approximately equal proportions of high and low periods.

Most patients with cyclothymic disorder seen by psychiatrics have not succeeded in their professional and social lives as a result of their disorder, but a few have become high achievers who have worked especially long hours and have required little sleep.
Cyclothymic disorder