[Mimielam]

I understand it can be very long for a diagnosis, understand it can change, understand there can other co-mobid..add on stuff.

Really, I would like to know..since cyclothymia was not in previous dsm manuals...why and what makes the difference...

give me a real exemple of everyday life situations if you can...

thanks

Bipolar 1 - More mania (not hypo) with less depression (possible psychotic features)
Bipolar 2 - Hypomania, more depressive (generally)
Cyclo - Hypomania with bouts of mild depression.

Hope this helps and I hope someone will correct me if I am wrong.

[ChaoticSymphony]

I'm still debating whether I even have this but the reason I got this dx was because I never go more than a month feeling normal. I also never go longer than a month with symptoms. The hypo doesnt happen for me much, if that is what I'm experiencing. I mostly have mild depression but every once in a while a pretty severe depression will happen that lasts for a few months. Well that's me and like I said I don't know for sure if I even agree with the dx.

[Hopefulhubb]

I thought the -thymias were by definition mild. So if you have severe depression I would think you're not dysthymic but depressed, if that makes sense.

[Resident Bipolar]

Cyclothymia is a "mild form" of Bipolar Disorder, which is characterised by bouts of mild to moderate depression and emotional highs. Those with Bipolar Disorder Type 1 tend to cycle between moderate to severe Depression, "normal" mood (Euthymia) and mania. People with Bipolar Disorder Type 2 tend to cycle between moderate and often severe Depression, stability and hypomania.*

The difference with Cyclothymia is that the periods of depression do not last long enough and/or occur to a severity high enough to warrant a diagnosis of Clinical Depression AND the periods of elevated mood are below the threshold of hypomania OR periods of hypomania do not last long enough to qualify as a full hypomanic episode.

Despite being a less severe form of Bipolar Disorder, Cyclothymia can still affect daily lives on a professional, family, personal and/or educational basis. Therefore it is still a condition that requires treatment and is often treated in a similar way to Bipolar Disorder. Both Cyclothymia and Bipolar Disorder can be treated with mood stabilising medications such as Lithium, Quetiapine, Olanzapine etc along with behavioural therapies such as Dialectical Behaviour Therapy or Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and/or antidepressants such as Sertraline, Citalopram, Fluoxetine or Mirtazipine, etc.

Something worth mentioning is that Cyclothymia can actually progress into being Bipolar Disorder, which further emphasises that treatment and monitoring of a patient with Cyclothymia is of paramount importance.

*If "Rapid Cycling" or "Ultra Rapid Cycling"/"Ultradian Cycling" is used as course specifier and/or episode identifier, there may be no period of stability or Euthymia ("normal" mood) between each episode. Instead, a patient may cycle directly from Depression into Mania. Rapid Cycling is almost always a temporary course specifier and is not a variation of Bipolar Disorder.

[BothSidesNow59]

I believe I meet the criteria for cyclothymia. It's very difficult for a therapist or psychiatrist to diagnose as it usually takes 2 years of observation to come to it. Also cyclothymics can be relatively high functioning as far as work is concerned. Those close to us know there is something terribly wrong however, because our manic states are often marked by restlessness, irritability and rage outbursts. We experience the mixed states a lot and are at great risk for escalation to Bipolar I or II if left untreated. Some few of us with mild cyclothymia can avoid medication through dedication to mood charting and Interpersonal and Social Rhythm Therapy.

[bbTofu]

Diagnosed Cyclothmic by 1 doc's impression who has known me for 1.5 years approx.
Resident Bipolar described it perfectly I suppose, I'll just add that 'everyday life example'.

I can go on periods where I think I am stable (euthymia), BUT compared to healthy people, my mood is still changing and felt pretty intensively ~ not sure if this has anything to do with the condition or just me as a person experiencing everything with high sensitivity.

Every few months I get some periods where the sky falls upon me, I get depressed ~ my functionality decreases but I still function and do my routine tasks, just don't add up anything. It may be prolonged with external pressure, especially when exams period come.

For example, I think for whole month March and up to mid April I was quite stable, bit depressed but that was coming and going, day on day off, very mild.
And for a month now, I'm pretty hypo, again, that doesn't escalate to Mania ~ I'm not endangering myself or others, I'm more impulsive than usual, I'm more efficient and productive, I'm very extroverted, people find me more 'ALIVE' and energetic and life-spirited which I like very much of course ~ I am overwhelming as well and people can't stand long periods of time with me without feeling like they need to 'shake off' or something, it's like I don't have a PAUSE button.

I am in therapy (although psychodynamic therapy) twice a week now, so I am under some supervision, I think I have some friends that are willing to help 'venting' .. Otherwise, I would easily escalate to Mania I think...

hope it helps.

[Toodles333]

Originally Posted by ChaoticInsanity

Bipolar 1 - More mania (not hypo) with less depression (possible psychotic features)
Bipolar 2 - Hypomania, more depressive (generally)
Cyclo - Hypomania with bouts of mild depression.

Hope this helps and I hope someone will correct me if I am wrong.

This is the criteria I was shown by my Doctor. I'm mostly hyper and i've sadly been psychotic.....that's not much fun.

I've not been told where I sit in the spectrum, just that they're treating me for Bipolar. They call it a "treatment plan" in the UK. A posh phrase for "shutting you down" lol

[UCMATH]

From NIMH:
1. Bipolar I Disorder—defined by manic or mixed episodes that last at least seven days, or by manic symptoms that are so severe that the person needs immediate hospital care. Usually, depressive episodes occur as well, typically lasting at least 2 weeks.
2. Bipolar II Disorder—defined by a pattern of depressive episodes and hypomanic episodes, but no full-blown manic or mixed episodes.
3. Bipolar Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (BP-NOS)—diagnosed when symptoms of the illness exist but do not meet diagnostic criteria for either bipolar I or II. However, the symptoms are clearly out of the person's normal range of behavior.
4. Cyclothymic Disorder, or Cyclothymia—a mild form of bipolar disorder. People with cyclothymia have episodes of hypomania as well as mild depression for at least 2 years. However, the symptoms do not meet the diagnostic requirements for any other type of bipolar disorder.

Originally Posted by ChaoticInsanity

Bipolar 1 - More mania (not hypo) with less depression (possible psychotic features)

The "less depression" part isn't necessarily what distinguishes Bipolar I from Bipolar II. It's the mania/hypomania that distingushes the two. Studies have found that some people with Bipolar I spend less time depressed than Bipolar II patients, but not all. I spend a TON of time (at least half of every year) severely depressed but have a BPI diagnosis because of a single manic episode around my 20th birthday. I haven't been hypomanic in a very long time.

I actually moved up the chain so to speak. I was dx with cyclothymia by my t and then later Bipolar-NOS and finally Bipolar II by my pdoc. It just takes a while of being in the care of a certain doctor before they will put a dx on you. This is because it takes them months of observation to make an accurate dx.