Can you live a normal life with cyclothymia?

Someone with cyclothymic disorder can generally function normally but have some challenges because of the mood shifts.

What it's like living with cyclothymia?

If you have cyclothymia, you'll have periods of feeling low followed by periods of extreme happiness and excitement (called hypomania) when you do not need much sleep and feel that you have a lot of energy. The periods of low mood do not last long enough and are not severe enough to be diagnosed as clinical depression.

Does cyclothymia ever go away?

Cyclothymia requires lifelong treatment — even during periods when you feel better — usually guided by a mental health provider skilled in treating the condition.

Is cyclothymia a serious mental illness?

Cyclothymia is usually a lifelong illness. But ongoing treatment, such as talk therapy and medication, can help manage your symptoms and enable you to live a healthy, purposeful life. It's important to seek medical help if you're experiencing symptoms of cyclothymia.

How do you live with someone with cyclothymia?

Remind your loved one to keep working with a doctor to find the right treatment. If you notice changes in mood swings or the person finds that symptoms do not ease up, talk about setting up an appointment. Keep healthy habits in mind. Talk about the importance of getting good sleep, exercising, and eating well.

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Is cyclothymia worse than bipolar?

The highs and lows of cyclothymia are less extreme and less severe than those of bipolar disorder, but they can interfere with your ability to function and increase your risk of developing bipolar I or II disorder, according to the Mayo Clinic.

How long is cyclothymia cycle?

Cyclothymic disorder is a cycling mood disorder lasting for 2 years or more and is characterized by numerous periods with hypomanic symptoms and depressive symptoms that do not meet criteria for bipolar disorder or major depression.

What is the usual age of onset for cyclothymic disorders?

The DSM-5 notes that the typical onset of Cyclothymic Disorder is in adolescence or early adulthood, though it can appear in children (American Psychiatric Association, 2013).

What is cyclothymic personality?

Cyclothymia -- or cyclothymic disorder -- is a relatively mild mood disorder. 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.

Is cyclothymia rare?

Cyclothymia is rare, affecting less than 1% of the population. Because it is often diagnosed as another disorder or goes unnoticed, it is possible this number is underestimated.

What medicine helps cyclothymia?

Antipsychotics. Antipsychotic meds help people smooth out extreme mood changes, especially “high” moods. But when antipsychotics are used to treat cyclothymia, they're usually prescribed in low doses.

What can cyclothymia lead to?

What famous people have cyclothymia?

Charlene Soraia, British singer-songwriter, musician has cyclothymia. Britney Spears, American singer, songwriter, and dancer. Phil Spector, American record producer. Alonzo Spellman, American football player.

How long are cyclothymia episodes?

The frequency of mood swings in cyclothymic disorder is higher than in bipolar disorder. There may be no periods of stable mood between episodes, and periods of stable mood will last for less than two months. Depressive symptoms will have lasted for at least two years or one year for children and teenagers.

What happens if cyclothymia goes untreated?

Untreated cyclothymia can turn into bipolar disorder. Cyclothymia, or cyclothymic disorder, is a rare condition that causes mood swings. Doctors consider it a milder form of bipolar disorder, meaning the highs and lows aren't as extreme.

How does cyclothymia affect relationships?

As cyclothymia often makes emotional regulation more difficult for those who experience it, the condition may also present challenges in interpersonal relationships. Hypomanic periods may increase a person's likelihood to overreact to things that happen around them, which may increase tension within a relationship.

How does cyclothymia affect the brain?

Patients diagnosed as cyclothymic experienced brief hypomanic periods (lasting fewer than four days) and brief mild depressive periods (lasting fewer than two weeks). Within a day, mood alterations from feeling high to feeling low are common. This mood pattern is persistent for two years or more.

Can cyclothymia be triggered?

What triggers cyclothymia? Specific triggers of cyclothymia often vary from one individual to another. Significant life stress, whether in the form of traumatic experiences or chronic moderate stress, is the most common trigger.

What is the first line treatment for cyclothymia?

First-line psychotropic treatment of cyclothymia is the administration of a mood stabilizer--valproate if anxiety is dominant, lamotrigine if the anxious-depressive polarity is more prominent, and lithium for significant affective intensity.

How do you recover from cyclothymia?

The main treatments for cyclothymia are medications and psychotherapy. While no medications are specifically approved for the treatment of cyclothymia, there are some that can be used effectively, when managed by a professional provider: Anti-anxiety medications such as benzodiazepines. Mood stabilizers such as lithium.

Is Zoloft good for cyclothymia?

Furthermore, the relatively well-known class of antidepressants (SSRIs- slow serotonin reuptake inhibitors) such as Zoloft and Prozac are not very effective in the treatment of cyclothymic disorders. However, a different class of antidepressants called tricyclic antidepressants have been found to be more effective.

Is anxiety part of cyclothymia?

Cyclothymia is characterized by early onset, persistent, spontaneous and reactive mood fluctuations, associated with a variety of anxious and impulsive behaviors, resulting in a very rich and complex clinical presentation.

How do you manage cyclothymia without medication?