What is cyclothymia and dysthymia?

Dysthymia is a mild, chronic form of depression, while cyclothymia is a mild case of bipolar disorder and involves cycling between mild depression and mild mania. Both have genetic, biological, and psychosocial causes, and both are treated with medication and therapy.

What type of disorder is cyclothymia?

Overview. Cyclothymia (sy-kloe-THIE-me-uh), also called cyclothymic disorder, is a rare mood disorder. Cyclothymia causes emotional ups and downs, but they're not as extreme as those in bipolar I or II disorder. With cyclothymia, you experience periods when your mood noticeably shifts up and down from your baseline.

What is dysthymia called now?

What is dysthymia? Dysthymia is a milder, but long-lasting form of depression. It's also called persistent depressive disorder. People with this condition may also have bouts of major depression at times. Depression is a mood disorder that involves your body, mood, and thoughts.

What is an example of dysthymia?

The American Psychiatric Association defines dysthymia as depressed mood most of the time for at least two years, along with at least two of the following symptoms: poor appetite or overeating; insomnia or excessive sleep; low energy or fatigue; low self-esteem; poor concentration or indecisiveness; and hopelessness.

What triggers cyclothymia?

Significant life stress, whether in the form of traumatic experiences or chronic moderate stress, is the most common trigger. Additional triggers may include co-existing psychiatric disorders (e.g., bipolar disorder) and brain injury due to accidents or diseases.

Mood Disorders:- Depression, Dysthymia, Cyclothymia,Bipolar I

How a person with cyclothymia thinks?

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.

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.

Is dysthymia a form of bipolar?

These depressive disorders (major depression, dysthymia) are different from bipolar disorder in that (with these individuals) there has never been a manic, mixed, or hypomanic episode;⁷ in bipolar disorder, the mood alternates between episodes of persistent pathological sadness and episodes of extreme happiness and ...

What is life like with dysthymia?

Persistent depressive disorder (PDD) — or dysthymia, as it was once commonly called — is a chronic form of depression where symptoms last for 2 or more years. It can make you feel sad, hopeless, or pessimistic. It can also negatively impact your self-esteem and cause you to lose interest in things you once enjoyed.

Who is most at risk for dysthymia?

Can people with dysthymia ever be happy?

Myth: Individuals With Dysthymia Constantly Feel Miserable

While dysthymia symptoms for diagnosis do include having a persistently depressed mood for two or more years, this does not necessarily mean that a person with dysthymia will feel miserable at all times.

Which antidepressant is best for dysthymia?

A systematic review of antidepressant treatment in dysthymia suggested that SSRIs, tricyclic antidepressants, and monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) are all equally effective, but SSRIs may be slightly better tolerated.

What therapy is best for dysthymia?

Treatment Summary: Depression-focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) or Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT) and antidepressant medication have proven to be most successful for dysthymia. This combination targets the depressive symptoms and social functioning.

Is cyclothymia and dysthymia the same?

It is important to understand that cyclothymia is determined by the alternating episodes of both happy and elevated moods and depressive symptoms. Also, dysthymia is only characterized by signs of mild depression.

Is cyclothymia a version of ADHD?

Conclusions: ADHD and cyclothymia often co-occur and show similar levels of emotional dysregulation. However, cyclothymic patients may be more prone to negative emotionality in clinical settings. Subjects with “sunny” cyclothymic features might escape the attention of clinicians unless ADHD is present.

What happens if you don't treat dysthymia?

Whether young or old, if conditions like dysthymia are left untreated, it can have a negative impact on a person's life. For example, people may not form lasting friendships, romantic relationships or perform well at work. Low-grade, persistent depression is also linked to a higher risk of cardiovascular disease.

Does dysthymia qualify for disability?

It can manifest like other forms of depression, but instead of being cyclical it can last for long periods of time, and even years on end. If you suffer from dysthymia and are unable to work, you could qualify for Social Security disability benefits but only if you are able to provide documentation.

Does dysthymia affect memory?

Conclusions: This results indicate that the neuropsychological performance of patients with dysthymic disorder exhibit impairments in attention and memory. Attentional deficits appear to be the key of cognitive deficits in dysthymia.

Is dysthymia a psychosis?

Dysthymia in some adolescents might be a prodromal symptom, while in others it might be a risk factor for later psychosis. Clinicians assessing dysthymic adolescents should be aware that these symptoms might be part of the prodrome.

How are dysthymia and cyclothymia usually treated?

Doctors believe treatment for PDD is effective with a combination of antidepressants and psychotherapy. Specific kinds of talk therapy, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), psychodynamic psychotherapy, or interpersonal therapy (IPT), are known to be effective forms of psychotherapy that treat PDD.

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.

Can you get disability for cyclothymia?

Yes, bipolar disorder is a disability according to the Social Security Administration (SSA). Whether you have bipolar I, bipolar II, or cyclothymia (cyclothymic disorder), it can qualify if it leaves you unable to work.

How often does cyclothymia turn into bipolar?

It's unclear exactly what determines who will develop bipolar disorder and who will not, but it's thought that between 15 percent and 50 percent of people with cyclothymic disorder will go on to develop bipolar disorder.