Cyclothymic Disorder

A complex mood disorder, bipolar poses several challenges to those who experience it. These pains include maintaining relationships, holding down sustainable employment, and often financial struggles. Less than 20% of those having bipolar disorder receive an accurate diagnosis within the first year of treatment. In fact, five or even ten years is not unheard of. So what is so difficult about diagnosing bipolar disorder?

What is Bipolar?

Bipolar disorder is a mental illness causing fluctuating moods and energy levels. It often affects emotions, sleep, appetite, focus, and many other aspects of the person’s life. Diagnostic criteria include experiencing depressive and manic episodes.

What Might a Depressive Episode Look Like?

During a depressive episode, some or all of the following signs and symptoms are present:

● Feeling sad and/or a sense of emptiness

● Loss of interest in activities

● Reduced energy and/or decreased activity levels

● Difficulty concentrating and/or forgetfulness

● Changes in appetite

● Sleep disruptions

● Suicidal thoughts

What Might Mania Look Like?

A manic or hypomanic episode may present some or all of the following signs and symptoms:

● Increased activity levels and/or taking on many tasks

● A sense of euphoria

● Racing thoughts

● Irritability

● Feeling jittery or similar agitation

● Engaging in risky behavior

● An abundance of energy and/or insomnia

Types of Bipolar

We can divide bipolar disorder into four categories: Bipolar I, Bipolar II, Cyclothymia, and Bipolar-Related Disorders. Each type of bipolar causes mood cycling. None of these has a singular cause although risk factors include trauma, brain function anomalies, and genetics. Symptoms typically begin during the teenage years.

Bipolar I

This is what most people think of when considering bipolar. It is characterized by a depressive episode and a manic episode. Episodes may last a significant amount of time or rapid cycle. Mania symptoms last seven days or more, or are severe enough to require intervention.

Bipolar II

Frequently misdiagnosed as major depressive disorder, bipolar II is characterized by a depressive episode and a hypomanic episode. As hypomania is less extreme than mania, they may pass it off as the person simply feeling better for a while.

Cyclothymic Disorder

Less extreme than the above, a person with cyclothymia vacillates between milder depression and hypomania. Continuous cycling for two years is considered cyclothymia.

Bipolar-Related Disorders

While not specifically a sub-type, this category encompasses mood disorders that resemble bipolar disorder but do not meet the criteria for a diagnosis.

The Wrong Diagnosis

People are more likely to seek treatment during a depressive episode and may not recall experiencing a manic or hypomanic episode, particularly in cases of bipolar II. This often leads to a diagnosis of major depressive disorder.

Substance abuse may also lead to a misdiagnosis as the use of alcohol or drugs can often affect episode cycles. This can lead the healthcare professional to believe that substance use is directly responsible for mood swings.

Someone with bipolar may also receive the incorrect diagnosis of schizophrenia as symptoms are similar for both diagnoses.

Medication and Misdiagnosis

Misdiagnosing bipolar disorder can lead to the healthcare professional prescribing medication that can worsen symptoms. For example, a provider may prescribe SSRIs for depression, which can trigger a manic episode.

Medications prescribed for different conditions may trigger mood and energy cycles. For example, a prescription for corticosteroids may induce mania.

Receiving the Right Diagnosis

Healthcare providers are not intentionally misdiagnosing people who seek care. As we understand more about the wide sphere of mental illness, the need for deeper psychological evaluation and a detailed patient history becomes more apparent.

If you are seeking treatment for your mental health, it’s important to share a lot of information, even if you find it embarrassing or shameful. The better your provider can understand your experience, the better they can treat you, and the sooner you can feel better.

Feeling so isolated and alone. I don’t have any one I can call a friend and the person I thought was my partner doesn’t feel like it anymore. My mental health makes it so so hard to maintain and understand any kind of relationships. Nobody gets me or can respect my difficulties. I’m hard to be around. I miss having people to text, meeting up and doing nothing important, being in company. I miss having a reason to go out of my house other than to pick up essentials. I feel like I don’t know who I’ve become. I’ve lost my confidence and motivation to do anything. I’m so lost.
I’m Sorry for the negative post but I need to get some feelings out. Thanks for reading #MentalHealth #ChronicDepression #BPD #CyclothymicDisorder #lonely

Hi, my name is Dots. I'm here because I think I may have something like Cyclothymic Disorder

#MightyTogether #CyclothymicDisorder

I am pathologically happy and then pathologically sad, It's chronic, and it feels very annoying.

I am on medications. I have Bipolar 1 Disorder, but my symptoms looks like Cyclothymic Disorder. How is it possible that I do so well in school and have no behavior problems, even though I am having those episodes everyday? I do very well in school, and no one can see my symptoms of Bipolar 1 Disorder, unless I tell them. My symptoms of Bipolar Disorder is inside my brain and not manifested anymore.

Part 1 of 2 #BipolarDisorder is misunderstood by many. There are many helpful, reliable sources on the internet that explain it well and many books that provide both psychological expertise and personal stories of living with #BipolarDisorder . Still, the general public believes many myths about the disorder. Here are a few of them and the real information that can counteract them.

#BipolarDisorder is #BipolarDisorder is #BipolarDisorder . There are many types of #BipolarDisorder . The best known are #Bipolar1Disorder and #Bipolar2Disorder . But there are also #BipolarDisorder 3 and 4 – less well-known but still troubling versions of the disorder. #BipolarDisorder 3 is also called #CyclothymicDisorder . #BipolarDisorder 4 is #BipolarDisorder due to another medical or substance #Abuse disorder. Each of these types of #BipolarDisorder has differing symptoms – #Mania and #Depression for different lengths of time, for example – but they are not identical.

Hourly mood swings are symptoms of #BipolarDisorder . It’s common for people to say that their friend’s moods change rapidly, so they must have #BipolarDisorder . This is a misconception. #BipolarDisorder is characterized by alternating periods of #Mania and #Depression , but these last longer than hours or days. They can and do last for months or even years. There are types of #BipolarDisorder that are called rapid-cycling and ultra-rapid cycling, but these forms of the condition still feature episodes of #Mania and #Depression that occur up to four times in a year. There is (or may be) ultra-ultra-rapid cycling #BipolarDisorder , which can manifest over a day or two, but this is extremely rare.

You can “fix” someone with #BipolarDisorder . No, you can’t. My husband tried to fix me, with no success. Perhaps because he had some experience as an aide in a psychiatric facility or because he had once led a laughter therapy group, he thought he could. He loves me more than anyone ever has, but I was immune to his attempts. When he offered advice, I told him to “quit shrinking at me.” When he told the same joke over and over trying to get a laugh out of me, I just looked at him. Even a psychiatrist and medication can’t “fix” a person with #BipolarDisorder . They can help to alleviate the condition and even help a person go into remission, but there is just no fixing #BipolarDisorder .

#BipolarDisorder people end up hospitalized. Although some people with #BipolarDisorder are hospitalized, this is far from the only outcome for them, and many are hospitalized only for short periods. In fact, it can be very difficult to find a hospital or psychiatric facility when one is needed. The closing of many care facilities and the low number of beds available, along with insurance requirements, have contributed to this. Hospitalization is considered in emergency situations, such as when #BipolarDisorder persons are an immediate threat to themselves or others. Outpatient treatment is preferred for all but the most extreme cases.

Medication, particularly with lithium, is the only treatment for #BipolarDisorder . Lithium was the first medication to be used with #BipolarDisorder patients, but it is now far from the only one. Medication (with a wide array of choices) is certainly an important treatment for #BipolarDisorder , but there are others. “Talk therapy” can help people with #BipolarDisorder develop coping mechanisms and deal with mood swings. If medication doesn’t work, there are more avenues that can be explored. ECT (electro-convulsive treatment) has come a long way from the bad old days and the horrors depicted in Cuckoo’s Nest. TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation) is another kind of therapy that has shown progress in treatment-resistant <

Hi, my name is Graham. I’m new to The Mighty and look forward to sharing my story. :D

#MightyTogether #Depression #OCD #cyclothymia #ADHD #trauma&Addiction #radicalmentalhealth #psychology #h2p #mentalhealthcounseling #iuppgheast

My symptoms of Bipolar 1 Disorder looks like Cyclothymic Disorder, but that is because I take medications.

Newly diagnosed. But I don't feel any different just have a name to what I have. Cyclothymia. A rare mood disorder where there's no medication targeted for it, no long term research. Idk how I feel RN. Still in shock I guess. But I know I need help, and no one really gets the emptiness I feel RN. It doesn't help that its a mood disorder, bc ppl around me think im having a 'moment'. Looking for ... Idk support, recognition, reassurance?

Newly diagnosed. But I don't feel any different just have a name to what I have. Cyclothymia. A rare mood disorder where there's no medication targeted for it, no long term research. Idk how I feel RN. Still in shock I guess. But I know I need help, and no one really gets the emptiness I feel RN. It doesn't help that its a mood disorder, bc ppl around me think im having a 'moment'.