Cyclotymic disorder: causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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Cyclotymic disorder is characterized by hypomanic and mild depressive periods that last for several days, have irregular course and are less pronounced than in bipolar disorder. The diagnosis is clinical and is based on anamnestic information. Treatment mainly consists of education, although some patients with functioning disorders need medication.
Cyclotymic disorder is often a precursor of type II bipolar disorder. However, it can also manifest as expressed mood changes that do not reach the level of major depressive disorder. In chronic hypomania, a form rarely seen clinically, periods of upbeat mood dominate, with the usual decrease in sleep duration of less than 6 hours. Such patients are constantly cheerful, self-confident, overly energetic, full of plans, wasteful and intrusive; they pursue their restless motives and bother people.
For some people, a cyclothymic and chronic hypomanic condition contributes to success in business, leadership, achievements, artistic creativity; However, such people often have problems in the sphere of interpersonal relations and social ties and social consequences. The consequences usually include instability and unevenness in work, education, impulsiveness and frequent change of residence, repeated breaks in love and marital relations, episodic abuse of alcohol and drugs.
[How is a cyclothymic disorder treated?
Patients need to be taught how to live with such extremes in nature. However, living with a cyclothymic disorder is not easy, because interpersonal relationships in such patients are often very violent. We recommend working with a flexible schedule. Patients with artistic inclinations should be approved in their quest for a career in art, because extreme extremes and instability of cyclothymia can be tolerated there more easily.
The decision to use mood stabilizers depends on the relationship between functional impairments and social progress or creative impulses that a patient may have. Divalproex in a dose of 500-1000 mg / day can be better tolerated than an equivalent dose of lithium. If depressive symptoms are not expressed and are not long-lasting, antidepressants should be avoided because of the risk of a phase shift to polar and the formation of rapid cycling.