Cyclothymia is manifested by the variable occurrence of elevated and depressed mood states. It is a milder condition than bipolar disorder, but this does not mean that cyclothymic patients do not need to be treated. The disease can significantly hinder everyday functioning in the work environment and in the family. Learn the causes and symptoms of cyclothymia.

Cyclothymiais a disease entity included in the group of mood (affective) disorders. The disease usually begins in adolescence or early adulthood. Its prevalence in men and women is similar, and the lifetime risk of developing cyclothymia is up to 3.5%.

Cyclothymia: symptoms

In the course of cyclothymia, patients experience symptoms from two extreme conditions. One of them are hypomania-like episodes during which the following may occur:

  • increasing propulsion and life energy;
  • reducing the need for sleep;
  • belief in having exceptional opportunities;
  • euphoria;
  • crowds of thoughts, acceleration of the pace of thought processes;
  • significant verbosity;
  • arousal;
  • Difficulty staying focused.

In the states of low mood experienced by people with cyclothymia, patients may have:

  • sleep disorders,
  • sadness,
  • decreased activity level,
  • tearfulness,
  • thoughts about guilt and self-worthlessness,
  • anhedonia (inability to feel joy),
  • feeling of chronic fatigue,
  • distraction,
  • irritability (a symptom that is more common in children and adolescents in the course of cyclothymia).

Cyclothymia: causes

The causes of cyclothymia have not been clearly established so far. Given that the condition (including depression and bipolar disorder) tends to be familial, genetic factors and stresses are used in making a diagnosis. Other hypotheses regarding the causes of cyclothymia focus on disturbances in the functioning of the neurotransmitter systems in the brain. In addition to them, it is noted that the occurrence of cyclothymia can also bepreceded by traumatic experiences or exposure to long-term, significant stress.

Diagnosis of cyclothymia

The symptoms described may occur in both cyclothymia and bipolar disorder, and the symptoms associated with the depressed mood itself may correspond to those associated with depressive disorders.

The distinction between these conditions is based on the intensity of the symptoms: those related to cyclothymia are of a severity that does not allow the diagnosis of depression or bipolar disorder.

In the diagnosis of cyclothymia, other mental disorders and diseases that could cause symptoms (e.g. borderline personality disorders or schizophrenia spectrum problems) should also be excluded.

Other potential causes of tiring ailments, such as somatic diseases or the abuse of psychoactive substances, also require exclusion. The diagnostic criteria of cyclothymia also include the duration of the symptoms associated with the disease - such a diagnosis can be made only when the mood changes for more than 2 years. The situation is slightly different among pediatric patients - cyclothymia is diagnosed in children and adolescents after only one year of symptoms persistence.

Worth knowing

Having cyclothymia does not mean that the patient's mood is constantly fluctuating: there may be periods of stable, balanced mood between individual episodes of disorders. However, psychiatric classifications state that episodes without disturbances last no longer than two months.

Correct diagnosis of cyclothymia is extremely important. Omitting symptoms from the hypomania spectrum and focusing on symptoms related to depressed mood could result in the patient being diagnosed with dysthymia or depression, i.e. diseases in which treatment with antidepressants is implemented. These, in patients with cyclothymia, may do more harm than good, as their consumption may exacerbate or trigger states of elevated mood.

Treatment of cyclothymia

Changing moods in a patient is sometimes treated as his character trait, but it is necessary to make sure that the disease is not behind it - the occurrence of cyclothymia increases the risk of developing bipolar disorder in the future.

In addition, it is not possible to predict when the patient's mood will change, which may lead to problems with professional functioning, but also family problems - cyclothymia should simply be treated.

Treatment of cyclothymia is under conditionsoutpatient, hospitalization is rarely indicated. Therapeutic interactions include pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy. In the case of the former, mood stabilizers such as lithium, valproates or carbamazepine are used, some atypical antipsychotics (e.g. quetiapine) are also used.

Psychotherapy of cyclothymia can take place with the use of various techniques, e.g. cognitive-behavioral, group and cognitive psychotherapy.

Category:

Psychiatry