Cyclothymic disorder: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia

P Cyclothymic disorder is a mental disorder. It is a mild form of bipolar disorder (manic depressive illness), in which a person has mood swings over a period of years that go from mild depression to emotional highs.

T Causes
P The causes of cyclothymic disorder are unknown. Major depression, bipolar disorder, and cyclothymia often occur together in families. This suggests that these mood disorders share similar causes.
P Cyclothymia usually begins early in life. Men and women are equally affected.

T Symptoms
P Symptoms may include any of the following:
- Periods (episodes) of extreme happiness and high activity or energy (mania), or low mood, activity, or energy (depression) for at least 2 years (1 or more years in children and adolescents)
- Mood swings (these are less severe than in bipolar disorder or major depression)
- Ongoing symptoms, with no more than 2 symptom-free months in a row

T Exams and Tests
P The diagnosis is usually based on your mood history. Your health care provider may order blood and urine tests to rule out medical causes of mood swings.

T Treatment
P Treatments for this disorder include mood-stabilizing medicine, antidepressants, talk therapy, or some combination of these three treatments.
P Some of the more commonly used mood stabilizers are lithium and antiseizure medicines.
P Some people with cyclothymia may not respond to medicines as well as people with bipolar disorder.

T Support Groups
P You can ease the stress of living with cyclothymic disorder by joining a support group whose members share common experiences and problems.

T Outlook (Prognosis)
P Less than half of people with cyclothymic disorder go on to develop bipolar disorder. In other people, cyclothymia continues as a chronic condition or disappears with time.

T Possible Complications
P The condition can progress to bipolar disorder.

T When to Contact a Medical Professional
P Call a mental health professional if you or a loved one has alternating periods of depression and excitement that do not go away and that affect work, school, or social life. Seek help right away if you or a loved one is having thoughts of suicide.

T Alternative Names
P Cyclothymia; Mood disorder - cyclothymia

T References
P American Psychiatric Association. Cyclothymic disorder. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 5th ed. Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing, 2013:139-141.
P Fava M, Ostergaard SD, Cassano P. Mood disorders: depressive disorders (major depressive disorder). In: Stern TA, Fava M, Wilens TE, Rosenbaum JF, eds. Massachusetts General Hospital Comprehensive Clinical Psychiatry. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2016:chap 29.

T Review Date 7/29/2016
P Updated by: Fred K. Berger, MD, addiction and forensic psychiatrist, Scripps Memorial Hospital, La Jolla, CA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Isla Ogilvie, PhD, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

