Wellspring Therapy Center, Carlsbad, CA : Cyclothymia (depression) Disorder Therapy

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Cyclothymia (depression)

Cyclothymia is a depressive disorder similar to bipolar disorder in which it is characterized by mood swings from mania to depression. A person with cyclothymia experiences symptoms of hypomania but never a full-blown hypomanic episode. A mild to moderate level of mania is called hypomania. Hypomania may feel good to the person who experiences it and may even be associated with good functioning and enhanced productivity.

Thus even when family and friends learn to recognize the mood swings as possible bipolar disorder, the person may deny that anything is wrong. Without proper treatment, however, hypomania can become severe mania in some people or can switch into depression.

The symptoms are never severe enough to be classified as a major depressive episode. In order for cyclothymic to be diagnosed, hypomanic symptoms and depressive symptoms must be present alternately for at least two years. Longitudinal follow-up studies indicate that the risk of bipolar disorder developing in patients with cyclothymia is about 33 percent; although 33 times greater than that for the general population, this rate of risk still is too low to justify viewing cyclothymia as merely an early manifestation of bipolar type I disorder.

Symptoms

For the duration of at least 2 years (1 year for children and adolescents), the individual exhibits presence of numerous periods with hypomanic symptoms and numerous periods with depressive symptoms that do not meet criteria for a major depressive episode.

Hypomanic symptoms are similar to manic episode symptoms (see below) but are much shorter in duration (a minimum of four days).

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Signs and symptoms of mania (or a manic episode), which are similar to those of cyclothymia (or a hypomanic episode) include:

Increased energy, activity, and restlessness

Excessively "high," overly good, euphoric mood

Extreme irritability

Racing thoughts and talking very fast, jumping from one idea to another

Distractibility, can't concentrate well

Needing little sleep

Unrealistic beliefs in one's abilities and powers

Poor judgment

Spending sprees

A lasting period of behavior that is different from usual

Increased sexual drive

Abuse of drugs, particularly cocaine, alcohol, and sleeping medications

Provocative, intrusive, or aggressive behavior

Denial that anything is wrong

A hypomanic episode is diagnosed if elevated mood occurs with 3 or more of the other symptoms most of the day, nearly every day, for four days or longer. If the mood is irritable, 4 additional symptoms must be present. A manic episode is diagnosed if the symptoms occur for a period of one week or longer.

During the two-year period (one-year for younger patients), the above symptoms are not absent for more than two consecutive months
During the first two years of the condition, the individual has not had a Major Depressive Episode or any Manic or Mixed Manic episodes
The disorder does not exist only in the context of a chronic psychosis
Symptoms are not directly a result of a general medical condition or use of substances
Symptoms result in severely impaired functioning in work, social or personal areas.

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Wellspring Therapy Center | 2945 Harding Street Suite # 110, Carlsbad, CA 92008 | Ph: (760) 730-3939