cyclothymic disorder
Quick Summary
Cyclothymic disorder, also known as cyclothymia, is a mild form of bipolar disorder. It is characterized by alternating episodes of depression and elation that are less severe than those experienced in bipolar disorder.1
Individuals with cyclothymia experience short and irregular mood swings. These can include shifts between nervousness and lethargy, pessimism and optimism, insomnia and oversleeping, tearfulness and excessive cheerfulness, arrogance and self-pity, and passionate involvement followed by a sudden loss of interest.1
For a diagnosis of cyclothymia, these mood disturbances must be chronic, with at least two years of hypomania (a moderate form of mania) and numerous periods of depressed mood that do not meet the criteria for major depression.2
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