The Cyclothymia (or cyclothymic disorder) is a mood disorder similar to Bipolar Disorder, and is characterized by mild phases of depression and hypomania.
Adults are diagnosed with this pathology after symptoms persist for at least two years. In children and adolescents, it is diagnosed if symptoms occur for at least one year.
Throughout this article we will see a summary of the characteristics of cyclothymia: its symptoms, possible causes, and treatment.
Cyclothymia is characterized by a persistent mood instability. That is, the person who suffers from this disorder shows periods of mild depression and euphoria. In general, it usually appears in adulthood and follows a chronic course. Although it is common for the person suffering from cyclothymia to show a normal mood for several months.
The cyclothymic person is not aware of his mood swings, as they are relatively mild. Furthermore, the euphoric periods They are usually perceived as pleasant and, therefore, it is common for them not to seek psychological help.
30% of people with cyclothymic disorder may end up suffering from bipolar disorder type I or type II. Frequently, cyclothymia progresses to type II and less frequently, to type I. The prevalence of cyclothymia is between 0.4 and 1% of cases and affects men and women equally.
What is hypomania?
The hypomania It is a mild mania. The hypomanic phase presented by the cyclothymic is characterized by an elevated mood, euphoria, excitement and hyperactivity.
During the hypomanic state, the cyclothymic subject has less need for sleep and rest, and appears full of energy. Although the symptoms of hypomania are milder than those of mania, they are also very destructive, causing conflicts and breakups in love relationships and friendships, affecting work, causing financial difficulties, etc.
Symptoms
The person with cyclothymia shows ups and downs in their mood. Below we present the characteristic symptoms of the depression and hypomania phases.
Symptoms of hypomania
Symptoms of mild depression
Causes
The exact causes why a person develops cyclothymia are not known, although it is assumed that There is a multiplicity of factors that participate in its emergence: it is a multicausal phenomenon as occurs in most psychological disorders. Thus, there are probably genetic predispositions at play, as well as triggering events related to what is happening around the person.
Treatment of cyclothymia
Cyclothymia causes many problems for the person who suffers from this disorder. Therefore, it is necessary to seek psychological help as soon as possible since cyclothymia generally does not improve on its own and can evolve into a more severe form of bipolar disorder.
1. Psychotherapy in the intervention on cyclothymia
If you know someone with cyclothymia, it is necessary to talk openly and honestly with them. Although you cannot force an individual to go to therapy, it is possible to support them and help them through difficult times.
The psychological therapy It is indicated to stabilize daily habits and seek the maximum possible regularity in the patient’s life.
Finally, people who live daily with cyclothymic disorders can also benefit from psychotherapy to cope better with the situation, since living with an individual who suffers from this disorder can be complex.
In addition, pharmacological treatment is also usually common to treat cyclothymia and alleviate its symptoms and signs in the short term. Among the types of psychotropic drugs most used in this form of intervention based on a more psychiatric perspective, the medications that have been shown to be most useful are mood stabilizers and drugs for falling asleep (in low doses).
In the case of combining pharmacological intervention in the treatment of cyclothymia with the psychotherapeutic approach, it is good that the latter addresses not only how to manage the way in which the disorder is experienced, but also how the patient can adapt. to the use and effects of psychotropic drugs.
