About Cyclothymic Disorder: What Is Cyclothymic Disorder?

Read about cyclothymic disorder and its relationship to depression. Depression not only affects the person who is going through it, but also everyone around them, including friends, family, loved ones, spouses, and children.

What is Cyclothymia

There are several types of bipolar disorders involving mania and depression. Bipolar disorder which is also known as manic depression' causes extreme mood swings which if not managed can interfere with their daily life and can also become extremely dangerous. Cyclothymia is one type of bipolar disorders.

Types of bipolar disorders are:

Bipolar 1 and Mania disorder causes severe mood swings' from mania to depression.

Bipolar II and Hypomania disorder suffers from severe depression with occasional `mild’ mania episodes' called hypomania.

Mixed bipolar disorder has both mania and depression at the same time. The sufferer may be high in energy but at the same time may be irritable' angry' moody which can be dangerous risking suicide.

Rapid-cycling bipolar disorder has four or more mood episodes during a 12 month cycle. It is possible for some people to experience multiple episodes within a single week' or may even within the same day.

Cyclothymic disorder swings between hypomania and mild depression. It is not as severe as either Bipolar I or II' but tends to stay on for longer periods. Sufferers can become either victims of full-blown bipolar disorder or can continue as a mild condition. When it continues as a mild condition it is difficult for diagnosis. The diagnosis is possible only if the symptoms last for more than two years' with in between periods of normalcy not being more than 2 months or without mixed episodes. After two years' if the sufferer displays depressive or manic symptoms' then a diagnosis on what category of bipolar the sufferer belongs to can be made.

It is difficult to state when exactly symptoms will become evident but it is usually in early adulthood and that too rather gradually. Most people do not seek medical assistance as they do not accept it to be a disorder. For some they feel it is a livable condition and if the symptoms do not get worse they feel that it can be managed with cognitive behavioral therapy.

There are others' whose mood swings are much more frequent who seek medication. It is believed that there is a genetic link to cyclothymia but it has still not been identified. In some cases it can advance to a Bipolar I or II condition' but that is in rare situations. Men and women both could be sufferers of cyclothymia but it is women who usually request for treatment. The root cause for this condition has not been identified. There are several theories such as that the cause may be due to a viral infection' while another theory supports that it could be triggered by stressful events in the sufferers life. The most popular theory is that cyclothymia is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain while yet another theory is family history. Though the cause is yet to be determined the good news is that it can be managed.