Recognize the symptoms of cyclothymia, a mental disorder similar to bipolar disorder

Have you ever heard of cyclothymia? Yes, cyclothymia is a mental disorder whose symptoms almost resemble that of bipolar disorder. This mental disorder is quite difficult to detect because people who have this disease are often not aware of it.

So, understand what cyclothymia is, how it is, and what causes it to make it easier to treat. Curious? Come on, read the following reviews.

Cyclothymia is a mental disorder

Cyclothymic disorder, also known as cyclothymia, is a mood disorder that causes emotions to fluctuate, from hypomania to depression, but on a mild scale. This condition usually occurs in adolescents. People with this condition often feel normal or healthy, even though they will appear gloomy to others. That is why many people do not realize that they are exposed to this disorder because the mood swings they experience are not too severe.

The existence of cyclothymic disorder can be characterized by symptoms of mild depression which then turn into hypomania. Hypomania is a mood change that makes a person feel very excited both physically and mentally.

Symptoms and causes of cyclothymia

Reporting from the Health Line, the difference between cyclothymic disorder and bipolar disorder is the intensity of the symptoms. The mood swings due to bipolar disorder are more extreme than those of cyclothymic disorder.

So, the symptoms of depression and hypomania that appear are lighter than bipolar disorder. But you need to know, if left untreated, this condition can develop into bipolar disorder type 1 or 2.

A common symptom of cyclothymia is depression that lasts for more than weeks followed by hypomania within a few days. Depressive symptoms from cyclothymia include:

• Easy to get angry
• More aggressive
• Sleep disturbance, can be insomnia or hypersomnia
• Appetite changes and body weight decreases
• Tiring easily
• Low sexual drive
• Easy to give up and feel guilty
• Easy to forget and hard to concentrate

While the symptoms of hypomania from cyclothymia include:

• Anxious
• Often expresses opinions that are not as usual
  
• Cannot make good decisions
• Restless
• Too excited without feeling unusually tired
• Careless
• Tends to speak so fast that it is difficult for others to digest

Symptoms can occur separately or they can occur simultaneously. Before being diagnosed with this disease, the symptoms must occur at least two years in adults and one year in children. The cycle of change in symptoms is usually patterned, from depression, to normal, to hypomania.

Until now, the cause between bipolar and cyclothymia is not known with certainty. However, several factors can be associated with this disease, such as a family history of previous mental disorders. In some cases, traumatic events can also trigger this condition.

Treatment for people with cyclothymia

Cyclothymia is a chronic condition that requires lifelong treatment. Although it cannot be cured, the symptoms can still be managed. If not treated, the condition can develop into bipolar disorder which is susceptible to various dangerous conditions, such as drug use, violence, sexual harassment, and even death from chronic illness and suicide.

Some medications that can help with cyclothymia include:

• Lithium to control mood
• Anticonvulsant drugs, such as lemotrigine, valproic acid, and divalproex sodium
• Anti-anxiety drugs, such as benzodiazepines
• Antidepressant drugs used in conjunction with mood stabilizers
• Atopic antipsychotic drugs, such as olanzapine, quetiapine, risperidone

Apart from drugs, patients also need health therapy and cognitive therapy. Health therapy focuses on overall health and on ways to reduce symptoms. Meanwhile, cognitive therapy aims to restore behavior to a more positive and healthier direction.