What is Cyclothymia? - How is it different from bipolar disorder?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 19 ก.พ. 2019
- What is cyclothymia and how is it different from Bipolar disorder? In this video I compare the symptoms of bipolar disorder versus cyclothymic disorder, discuss when it starts and whether or not it turns into bipolar disorder.
In short, the best way to think about cyclothymia is to think of similar to bipolar 2 disorder but not quite as severe and not as many symptoms. With bipolar 2 disorder you have episodes of hypomania and episodes of depression. With cyclothymic you have symptoms of hypomania but not enough to be considered a hypomanic episode. You also have symptoms of depression but not enough to be considered a full depressive episode.
Videos referenced in this video
Rapid Cycling Bipolar Disorder
• Rapid Cycling Bipolar ...
Hypersexuality and Bipolar Disorder
• Hypersexuality in Bipo...
Reference
Perugi G, Hantouche E, Vannucchi G. Diagnosis and Treatment of Cyclothymia: The "Primacy" of Temperament. Curr Neuropharmacol. 2017;15(3):372-379.
Disclaimer: All of the information on this channel is for educational purposes and not intended to be specific/personal medical advice from me to you. Watching the videos or getting answers to comments/question, does not establish a doctor-patient relationship. If you have your own doctor, perhaps these videos can help prepare you for your discussion with your doctor.
I upload every Wednesday at 9am, and sometimes have extra videos in between. Subscribe to my channel so you don't miss a video goo.gl/DFfT33
i have cyclothymia and it annoys me that it's so often dismissed as something not as serious. i know people who have had suicide attempts, i've ended up in a psych ward and almost on suicide watch from a depressive episode. i'm a mess despite being on multiple medications; without meds i'm not even functional and just tear everything apart. the problem with cyclothymia is that since there are no distinct episodes you're just experiencing various symptoms 24/7. i rarely have periods of stability and when i do they don't last longer than a few weeks.
Yes I agree, I think this video is a bit of a miss on capturing the symptomology and severity. Stephen Fry (British actor with the condition) characterizes it much more fully in his various talks on mental health.
okay so. the original comment was made a year ago. i have since been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, which matches the mess of symptoms i constantly experience much better. :)
I agree that cyclothymia should not be mistaken as not as difficult to live with as bipolar 2. I have seen one relative operate with bipolar 2, and another relative with cyclothymia. Currently, the relative with cyclothymia has more life struggles from symptoms.
It’s not NOT serious…and you deserve recognition, help, treatment and support. But it’s not bipolar 1. I literally miss having depressive episodes. The months long manic episodes I have now that often reach psychosis are completely debilitating. I lose weeks at a time. It’s pure insanity.
Because of this, I can’t have normal relationships. I can’t have close romantic relationships. I can’t have kids. I can’t get married. I can’t go back to school. I can’t work. I have no friends. I go weeks without showering. Do I need to keep going??
I’m not trying to invalidate you..
It’s like you have skin cancer and I have stage 4 pancreatic cancer.
Cancer is cancer, no bueno. But you have more options and better projected outcomes for treatment. I’m just trying to mitigate the pain I cause myself and others, and enjoy the little good time I get.
That’s the difference.
@@sarahaltizer2285 hi. i've been rediagnosed with borderline personality disorder since writing that comment, which is much more fitting for the dumpster fire i experience. i also have severe GAD (not the occasionally-anxious/perfectionist kind, it's the 'don't leave my house for months, stop eating and sleeping, have panic attacks that look like i'm dying and have ambulances called on me, end up involuntary ip maxxed out on antipsychotics' kind) and ARFID. all in a country with ever-stricter substance laws that limit access to essential medications. i do not have more options and better projected outcomes.
Often times, I suddenly get this urge to get my life together, i feel on top of the world, the best of the best, I feel extremely happy, supper energetic, and suddenly it all drops, literally. It's like junping from a cliff. And I just start to cry, and feel horrible, all numb, like there's no point to life, and end up thinking about suicide.
But although it only happens from time to time, it all happens the same day, and I don't know if it's depression, my anxiety, or anything else
I definitely can relate to that, it's exhausting.
The same thing happens to me! It’s really frustrating. Now I know it’s from Cyclothymia.
I have the exact same thing, its super frustrating and kinda scary ngl
how old are you? i'm 17 and i feel like i may have this (although i'm not trying to self diagonise)
I have the exact same thing I think now I can get back to school or reconnect with old friends and then it just goes away and I’m just left feeling like a failure. It’s happened so many times that I immediately dismiss those thoughts because I know I’ll just disappoint myself if I expect anything.
You have a really clear and concise way of explaining things I find to be extremely helpful. Thank you
Thanks a lot Mello Mentoring. I appreciate it.
I think this video could use an update. Especially with growing medical professionals ideas about bipolar being a spectrum! This video was so demoralizing, and pretty generalizing and dismissive, especially the “they’re just a moody person” line. Rarely if ever experiencing a stable mood for any length of time since childhood has been alienating, distressing, and negatively impacted every area of my life. Not qualifying for the arbitrary requirements for hypomania or depression according to subjective observation of my reported symptoms had prevented me from accessing care until just this year, at 32 years old. Now that I know, I’ve often wondered what it’s like to experience baseline (like many bipolar 1 & 2 folks can have.) I have no idea what that’s like. I have watched dozens of your videos and greatly appreciate them, but after a recent Cyclothymia diagnosis, watching this one just made me feel broken. 😢
Thank you! I was told as a teen I was bipolar rapid cycling. But I was always confused because I look back at it didn’t start when I was a teen. It’s been this crazy cycle since I could remember. I never felt like I was as extreme with mania or depression like bipolar was described. I said yes to almost everything in both lists BUT they are not extreme. My cycles are every two weeks. I’ll feel the depression start to come in and it lasts about a week to 2 weeks. Then I fell confidence again and will clean the house for 10 hours or just generally feel “normal” again for a week or 2, then the depression and anxiety starts again.
It’s frustrating to always been in this cycle but I manage it. The depression is the worst when all you want it to feel “normal “
Hi Krista. I'm glad you're able to manage but I hear what you're saying. And yes depression tends to be the worst part of the cycling.
Your experience seems similar to my current situation for the past couple of months since my last hypomanic episode. I agree that the depression doesn't feel as extreme but still effects my productivity. Now when I think of my "normal" periods, I can easily pick out 1 or 2 symptoms from the list. Each last about a week which is annoying while I wait for my medications to be effective.
Brent Whitehead hi the same for me. What medication you use?
For me I be normal for awhile but suddenly become sad thinking of suicidal thought and become happy then normal angry idk and etc
Adriva Gardens ...exactly what happens to me my down days can get BAD though..
I was diagnosed with this and ADHD last year. I had no clue I was on this kind of schedule until my psychiatrist told me. I would switch moods every couple of weeks, or even every week sometimes. I went on mood stabilizers and then got on my ADHD medication and it's really changed my entire life for the better.
What are you on now if you don't mind me asking
Great to hear, it's brutal. Ditto to Jordan's curiousity too. ^
I have a question, how did ADHD medication affect you? Did it help you focus more or give you energy? I'm diagnosed with adhd but according to this website, if I'm feeling motivated and energized by my adhd meds, it's cyclothymia
@@tthetopofmygame Currently on vyvanse.
@@sofie5192 Yes so how my psychiatrist explained it is if I were to take ADHD meds without my mood stabilizers, it could send me into a hypo manic episode by accident. And usually my manic episodes were either really bad spending, or cleaning the whole house in one night. But getting on mood stabilizers evened me out to where I wasn't too depressed to clean and be productive, but not so crazy that I'd tire myself out.
I have cyclothymia. Venlafaxine, pregablin and aripiprazole. My heart goes out to fellow sufferers.
I feel like I have cyclothymia because (even though it comes very close) it doesn’t necessarily ruin my life constantly which makes me think it’s that rather than bipolar. I do have enough symptoms to be bipolar but I also ultra-rapid cycle - sometimes feeling suicidal in the morning and then feeling high as a kite and like a bulletproof god in the evening. I don’t know what I have but since I can suppress and hide my episodes, I feel like it’s not as severe as bipolar (which I feel like you wouldn’t be able to hide)
same i have no clue what i have honestly it’s just like some days i’m happy and other days i’m pissed at everyone.... i cant talk to people at school without intentionally cutting off the conversation and some days i sleep too much and some days i sleep too little, it confuses me but living in a household where mental illnesses are like saying your weak i can’t tell if i’m just sad or i have something like cyclothymia
Thats exactly how i get it, i can be completely depressed for an hour or so and then i feel on top of the world the next so i think i have it too 🤷♀️
maybe BPD?
Just wanna pause a moment to appreciate how truly beautiful you are and very well spoken...:)
Thank you so much Zoha! 🤗
@@DrTraceyMarks thank you for your insightful videos. Dr. Tracey is it possible for someone to have both disorders? Cyclothymia and Bipolar II ?
So I realized that I cycle through these “episodes” where I’m not exactly hypomanic because I don’t fit the criteria, so its a mild form of hypomania, and depression but like not fully depressed because I dont fit the criteria and I’ll cycle through these emotions almost everyday.
The shortest I’ve felt the mild hypomania was 1-2 hours and the longest was 1-2 days and the shortest I’ve felt depressed was a day and the longest was about 5 days. But, the thing is I cycle within one day like I’ll wake up depressed thinking about suic*de and then 2 hours later I’ll be super energetic and elated and I feel like I’m on top of the world and I can accomplish anything for like 1-2 hours and then I’ll go right back to feeling depressed and wanting to die.
Sometimes I’ll be depressed for 3 days and then feel that mild hypomania for an hour or two and then I’ll go back to either being depressed or being baseline for about a week and then it repeats but it’s never the same every time, it varies. Sometimes I’ll cycle a few times in a day, sometimes I’ll cycle a few times within a week. Is this considered cyclothymia???
You have just described what's been happening to me down to a T since I had a bad hypomania episode from a load of different antidepressants and since then have been exactly the way you've just described and iv been diagnosed with this just today so yeah I'd maybe look into it especially if its effecting you like that
That happens to me as well. I struggle with diagnosis of bipolar because my moods swings are within a same day. I can wake up feeling 10/10 and confidence of doing whatever I want , and then 4 hrs later , 2/10 .
@@mr.blanco9189 that is exactly me I showed classic symptoms long periods in-between episode severe mdd at multiple points over the years however a batch of ssri sent me into hypomanic / depressive episodes that the depression was mild nothing like previously and it was accompanied by hypomania so iv been given a diagnosis of "cyclothymia" sounds exactly like yourself I was so fixed on the bp2 diagnosis which really I would have had but iv been bouncing from hypomanic to depressed either daily or even in the same day totally abnormal from my older symptoms however she was 100% right that is what I'm suffering with and were not sure why it's turned to this. Honestly for me it's worse atleast previously I had gaps in the hypomania and now it's predominantly that just not bad enough to be classed bp2. I'm on 100mg lamotrigine twice a day now and honestly the difference its AMAMZING!! It's not a cure by any means but I can go alot longer periods and have less heightened episodes!
@Simon Blanco Not sure if you read through all the comments, but the daily changes seem to happen w a bit of people. -Megan, do you think the initial meds created the change into cyclothymia?
I was diagnosed with this and before knowing, I had isolated myself from everyone. Thank you, this video encourages me to keep going to therapy and continuing learning how to live my best life.
This is exactly what I have been feeling for YEARS of my life, I even went to therapy and they gave me antidepressants which worsened my state but they never considered this, I was sexually assaulted as a child and other self harming situations and outer situations have occurred for me in my life, this I feel is ruining my life and my relationships with others. I’ve also experienced hypersexual tendencies in the past 2 years and while I am a teenager my behavior seems semi abnormal. I want to speak to someone and I think I will. Thank you so much for this I can finally find out what is going on with me.
I'm doing a case presentation on cyclothymia and due to the heavy cross over with bipolar disorder, I was seeking extra assistance. This was extremely helpful.
Great Carrie I'm glad. Good luck on your presentation.
Super interesting! I have this since I am 6 and saw therapists throughout my childhood and adolescence but it was never diagnosed 😄 for me its super obvious, I keep track of my mood since I recognized the pattern in my late childhood and there are usually 4 cyclic swings a year. I think I have developed good coping mechanisms, like making exact plans for what to use the energy when I recognize a coming hypo-hypomania episode and planting an "security switch thoughts" for decisionmaking. For dysthymic episodes I search for places and people I can go to and use the time mostly for honest self reflection, meditation and learning about psychology 😄 the motto is: the more your know the less you fear!
That's a great motto! Very adaptive. I'm glad you developed some great coping mechanisms.🙂 thanks for sharing your experience.
That’s great! I’ll try this out
This is great. But I’m curious whether it could be considered cyclothymia if the “up” states are the typical sub-threshold hypomania (e.g., pressured speech, racing thoughts, distractability, and insomnia, but no hypersexuality, elevated mood, or spending sprees), but the depressive phases are true, full-blown depression. So, the mild hypomania might not qualify a Bipolar 2 diagnosis, but the severe depression makes it more than cyclothymia.
I understand that you’re sticking clearly to the DSM criteria in your videos, but what happens in these sorts of situations when things are somewhat outside the rigid DSM box like I described above?
I am going through that too
Yeah exactly, are they just breaks in between depressive episodes? I think the human mind is way too complex to be able to cram all the possible deviations from the "norm" in 1 book... but I'll leave it to the experts
I think I've heard there's another category of Bipolar that can be diagnosed where the symptoms aren't specific to any other category but it's enough to not be not bipolar or something? You can research it because I don't know the details
THANK YOU! This was amazing. So clear and digestable. This really helped me understand the topic.
This is fantastic! I am so glad that I found your channel I am just starting my journey through Grad school for art therapy and clinical counseling and your videos are really helping me understand different mental disorders and treatments.
Thank you Dr.! You broke this down so wellI'll be back to your channel for sure!
Finally one more video about this theme. It's really rare someone talking about this. Thank you.
Thank you so much for including the number of symptoms someone might experience with the different types of bipolar disorders! Other sources have only said that you need to be experiencing symptoms for 2 years, but did not discuss the number. This is helping me to understand myself better.
Thank you. This is the clearest explanation I've found of CD anywhere.
I have such a similar experience. My most common mood is one of melancholy, I just went through months of feeling low energy, constant negative thoughts, suicidal ideation, and problems with motivation and concentration. Then with maybe a few days or a week now and then usually around fall and spring where I do get hypomanic symptoms. I'm am diagnosed with type 2 bipolar but hypomanic symptoms have only been a issue when on antidepressants. With how fast my mood can change on its own or with a external . Cyclothymia does seem to fit my experience alot more. I wish I had Dr. Marks as a psychiatrist, I've done so much research and have been so disappointed with Dr's and therapist I've where I could tell I had more knowledge of bipolar 2 or cyclothymia then they do. I just had a dr want to double my zoloft even after my history and all the literature on bipolar spectrum disorders and negative effects of high does of antidepressants. The main reason I'm in school for psychology is to be able to actually be a good source of knowledge that seems to be severely lacking with mental health professionals I've personally delt with.
That was explained so well! Most information on this disorder so far.
This was the most helpful video on this disorder that I have found so far. Thank you so much for giving us this information. I appreciate it!
Dr, You're AWESOME! Please, don't stop your videos.
Someone had sent me this video in reference to my mental health behavior. I have always see myself as behaving the way you describe, not full on bipolarism but this cycling, I have always felt it has been a cyclical behavioral thing for me. Thank you for your work in this field Dr. I see you truly care about people and that helps in that the disappointment of people to me has always agitated me tremendously. It has made me narcissistic, and I do not want to be that way. I will be ongoing in my therapy. Thank you oh so much.
Good afternoon! Thank you for the information. I'm currently studying for my license. I needed to gain understanding of this disorder
Thank you for the content you create and in depth discussions among a wide variety of these topics. I just learned recently what cyclothymia was and that this may be something I have personally. I certainly relate to many of the things you said in this video and this is very helpful as I try to learn more about this and better understand myself. Thanks again!
Great explanation, Dr. I have to know the difference for my final and I KNEW you could explain it properly! Thanks!
Thank you for helping me to understand what is wrong with me. I was recently diagnosed. Knowing this can hopefully help me deal with it.
You're awesome, dr.! I was diagnosed with cyclothymia and this video is so clarifying!
thank you for making this video:))) its so hard to try to explain to new close friends my mental illness and this video is a great way to explain it
Amazing video! Thank you very much Doctor. Easy to follow and understand despite it being a complicated subject, in my opinion.
I just got diagnosed with cyclothymia and I really appreciate the clear and concise explanation. Looking into cognative behavioral therapy right now.
Your videos are really helpful and informative! You have a good way of explaining things that makes the pace fast enough to stay focused on it while keeping the information in there!
I've been wondering if I may have cyclothymia or bp2, as I display many of the symptoms, and your videos help me to understand what I'm feeling and why. (I'm not self diagnosing and I haven't mentioned it to anyone, I'm simply trying to better understand myself)
Dr. Marks. Thank you so much for your videos! I appreciate how you explain disorders and compare and contrast different disorders. I am a CNP specializing in Adult Gerontology and have just completed post-graduate education to treat patients with psychiatric and mental health disorders. I greatly appreciate you sharing your knowledge!!
I’m exploring this diagnosis with my therapist. I’m bipolar 2, but she is leaning away from that now to this. A really great informative video on the subject!
Thank you for clarifying this for me!
Thank you! I've seen a number of therapists over the years, but it was only when a friend (who has bipolar disorder) suggested I research cyclothymia that I've found that there is a name for my mood patterns. This is extremely useful information, the first step for me to learn a bit more about what's going on in my head (and has been since adolescence - I'm now in my 40s).
It has already been said yet I really appreciate you way of explaining and speaking.
I have been diagnosed with cyclothymia a week ago. Thank you for the video! It helped a lot indestand my state of mind
Thanks for taking time to make these talks . Very interesting . Have yourself an awesome day . 😀
Thanks Tom. You too!
These are extremely enlightening, and give me courage to continue my pursuit of better understanding myself, without feeling "crazy". Thank you!
Thank you Dr. Marks.
It was a great educational video. I learnt a lot. I will follow your other videos. 💖💖💐
Thank you so much for posting this! I'm in my psych nursing and this made it really easy to understand :)
Excellent I'm so glad to hear that. Good luck with the nursing training.🙂
Wow, I really learned some important things watching this video.
I don't know much about bipolar disorder 1,2 or cyclothymia. I really appreciate learning new information. Thank you for sharing your time and knowledge so generously!
You are welcome le th! I'm glad you learned something new.
Bruh this literally perfectly explains what I’ve been going through. Gonna go talk to my therapist now I didn’t even know this was a thing
what if theres rapid cycling within days, sometimes even the same day
wuspoppinjimboi not trying to diagnose anything, but something like that sounds like multiple personality disorder
Borderline personality disorder?
it was the weed lol i still have rapid cycling though just not as often
wikileaksintern9000 what strain was it.. sativa or indica. Glad your ok now xx
It could be ultradian cycling bipolar disorder
Dr Tracey You are the best!!
Excellent explanation Dr Marks
Thanks for sharing! This was helpful!
"Officially" started with 22. I've cycled back and fourth between hypomania and depression on monthly basis before. And yes, that means two episodes (respectively up and down) in a month. 2-3 weeks of not being centered/without symptoms. This has changed over time. Quetiapin hasn't had much effects, but learning to live with it, awareness and stress reduction has helped a lot. I've gone months without a proper episode (which I define as lasting longer than 2-3 days). Thanks for the video!
The disposition argument is valid for me, lots of childhood trauma and coping mechanisms due to that. But on the other hand my father is bipolar.
Hi Dr. Tracey! Thank you for this video..
You're welcome shabby girl! 🙂
I subscribed right away because she is so interesting to listen to
It's crazy because I was given a cyclothymia diagnosis instead of bipolar and I have ALL of those symptoms at the same time, but can go through mania & depression phases in one day
Great video! Thanks for explaining.
You're welcome Yvette
When I first start Therapy I was diagnosed with Cyclothymia but with 3 to 4 therapists and psychologist I’ve now been diagnosed with Bipolar 1. Not sure if I was just misdiagnosed or it it actually just got worse over time and experiences.
It's probably the case that her symptoms got worse over time. Sometimes hypomania is hard to detect early on.
Cyclothymia has the potential to grow into Bipolar if it’s not supported at its base level, and sometimes even if it is diagnosed and you’re receiving psychotherapy and medicines it evolves into Bipolar because of its increasing intensity. I have been suffering from Depressive Episodes since childhood and they only spiralled more and more and turned into Cyclothymia and my therapist told me the same that if left untreated these things are like a snowball going downhill so its always best to get help and support. I hope you’re doing well now ❤️ I feel you!
Very informative and clearly. Thanks
Post-COVID so many people probably had an onset for these types of mental health diagnoses. 5-10 years are going go tell. We also need to normalize brain scans for people for grey matter, etc. I’m working on it. Thanks for this!
Hi Tracey, Thank you for this video, it was helpful. Could you talk to us about how PMDD could be recognized compared to other mood disorders like Bipolar disorder?
Hi Dev. Yes I intend to make a video on PMDD. I've gotten a few requests for it. I just have to get to it. 🙂
Wow. Just wow. I am looking forward to getting into DBT therpy, and weaning myself off of 2 meds that i have been on since early 2018. I have hope that my new journey w a new psychiatrist will lead to a life with fewer medications. Thank you
Dr. Tracy your videos help me understand so much. Thank you for your videos. Can you one day discuss the link between fibromyalgia and bipolar? Please and thank you.
You're welcome Angelina. I'll have to look into the link to bipolar disorder. I know fibromyalgia is very connected to depression. in fact, there is a proposed inflammatory mechanism behind depression. and chronic pain can cause depression. But unipolar depression and bipolar illness are two different disorders. So I'll have to see what the research says about bipolar disorder and fibromyalgia. Sometimes studies will show a link but no clear causation. In those cases, you're left with not much to say about it.
Wow, she's a great educator.
Hi Tracy, loved your video however I've been a little bit conflicted about how to tell the difference between normal moodiness and cyclothymia. Is there any way to tell the difference or is it something that needs more looking into with a doctor? Thank you so much
Nice topic and very good video:)
😉
Thank you Dr. El-Sherif!
Dr. Tracey Marks Haha i found it!! Wow this is probably the best info i have seen to date on this subject!! Wow Sad to say i think i have Not 4 of those but the whole List... do you Have any Videos In the Area of PTSD and Cyclothymic Disorders i have had Much Success with EMDR Tho??
Thank you Dr Marks for your clear definitions of the two! It does make me question whether I really do have bipolar disorder (no 1 or 2, just told I'm on the spectrum as you've said before is the new term for this). I have 8/9 of the depression symptoms when in a down shift but I only feel 2 hypomanic symptoms. I have only had 1 episode of full hypomania but I was completely oblivious as to how sick I became and never sought treatment for it at that time so diagnosis was based on what I believe I experienced. I'm unsure on the validity of my diagnosis as I also suffer complex PTSD and social anxiety and I know the symptoms of these are a lot alike bipolar disorder. My unresponsiveness to antidepressants, sodium valproate and quetiapine (at separate times) has me wondering whether I can even benefit from medications at this time. There seems to be a fine line between being too sick or well enough to go forward with trauma therapy, and I do not feel as though I am in a mental position to do so. Can you please do a video on how well a person needs to be before entering such therapy? How many depressive symptoms are too many?
Hi Sammy Jo. Let me say the short answer to this is you need to be well enough to be able to talk about issues without the compensating and getting worse. you also will do well with therapy if you can't think very well because you're so depressed. The therapist should be able to give you feedback on that. If you see someone in a think you should get medication before starting the therapy, they will let you know that and probably refer you. Based may even still start the therapy at the same time.
Really interesting! I’ve always wondered what cyclothymia is
Super great video about cyclothymia! Very neat and easy to understand. Then I know for sure it is not that I struggle with. I hope you could find time if there is enough interest among your viewers to make a video about ultra ultra rapid cycling (ultradian) bipolar 2 disorder. Thank you for this very informative video!
Thanks Paynes. I'm way ahead of you. 🙂 Actually someone already requested this video. Here it is th-cam.com/video/Bb2i35Y9J9k/w-d-xo.html I also have a bipolar playlist where I have grouped all of my videos related to bipolar disorder. Bipolar playlist goo.gl/1hKamL
@@DrTraceyMarks Wonderful! I have now watched all your videos about bipolar disorder! Thank you very much for the great work you do to educate people about mental health! I learn so much from your videos! And then I am maybe able to help myself when I need it, at least to understand myself better! You are super great! : )
Thank you for this breakdown
Great stuff learnt alot through this thank you
You’re welcome Dubem. 😊
Hi Dr. Marks,
The video was very informative. Could you do a video about the origin and causes of hypereligion?
That's a great question I don't know if there is one answer that I could talk about. It would take a lot of research for me to see what the working theories are.
Thank you very much for the video doc! It really help me to understand more about one of my relative condition! :D
You're welcome. I'm glad it was helpful.
Amazing explanation!
You are excellent! Keep on.
I feel like I might have had cyclothymia, because for years I had symptoms, like mild depression and then a lift in energy, sleeping much less but just suddenly it turned into fullblown depression, suicidal thoughts & months after I had started going to a psychiatrist because I fell completely out of school because of the depressive episode, and I had a hypomanic episode that I think bordered into mania almost, it was really bad and destructive but just all of the sudden after that deep depressive episode, it was so weird, it was just as if it all just got triggered out of nowhere when it was much milder. Luckily now managed by lamictal 200mg instead of seroquel that I have been off for 3 months now, and if I am in a mood swing I notice it lasts much shorter on lamictal, what feels like it could last 3-4 months can last just a week and be so mild it doesn’t become destructive in my life. Im so relieved now. :)
Oh that's great. I'm glad your moods responded so well to Lamictal. It's certainly much easier to take than seroquel, with its weight gain and sedating properties.
I have cyclothymia, thank you for the well informed video.
You’re so welcome Kayla
Every time I watch a new mental health video I find one that is relatable to my behaviors...it's exhausting and I'm confused.
Really helpful. Thank you and God bless you.
Thanks!! Fantastic info!
You're welcome!
Thank you for this excellent video.
You're welcome Natasha!
Thank you so much you have a very nice way explaining things
You're welcome Charles. Thank you 🙂
This condition can fly under the radar. IIRC, it can be hard to diagnose because the highs are not so high, and the lows are not so low, VS the Bipolar subtypes. It reminds me of ‘dysthymia vs depression (MDD)’, in that sense…
This is likely my correct diagnosis. For a long time I was diagnosed with Bipolar with underlying BPD traits and later when it became harder to see Psychiatrists it became BPD because it takes 4 weeks to see them and they didn't believe I have them! I find the elevated moods more damaging, I know most find the depression worse, mainly because I lose self doubt and that makes for a less diplomatic life and I think on a wider and larger range than most people so it appears to them I am taking rubbish until a few months have past and then a lot of my comments make sense. At that point a lot of people become almost scared of me which triggers the few BPD traits that I definitely do have!
When I was 14 yo I was diagnose with BP (NS) by a child psychiatrist, they treated me with Benzphetamine medications for 5 years until I was 19 y-o my fam decided that I didn't need to continue on it because my symptoms weren't as bad as the diagnosis they gave..
I'm 25 now and after looking back on what happened back when I was a child.. I realized that Cyclomythia fit perfectly into what happened to me at the time..
Haven't been on meds for 6 years and I've been great ever since especially with the support from the few good friends and just 1 or 2 family members who actually look out for me and genuinely care about me... My childhood was awful cause of the diagnosis.. But as I'm older and information is more accessible I'm about to see where BD not specified fit this description.. Since off medication, I've been able to lead to normal life with no side effects and no symptoms of mania or depression since I was 19.. I found ways to keep myself occupied and focus on being realistic to attain goals one at a time and they're all useful and beneficial in the end...
I was diagnosed with cyclothymic disorder with psychotic episodes. The diagnosis was actually a relief for me I finally understood that I wasn't just a person who's often in a bad mood, irritated without a reason and with a bad character like everyone around me always said
My psychiatrist diagnosed me with bipolar 2 but my councelor thinks I have cyclothymic disorder instead. I agree. This video basically confirmed it. Except I still have as many symptoms as needed, they just don't last as long.
Thank you, always, Dr. Tracey for sharing your expertise as a public service. QUESTION: in your opinion, would you say it's possible for a Bipolar patient to have a diagnosis decrease to being Cyclothymic?
You're welcome ComedianAngel (love that name). No, it's like a one-way street. Once you reach the threshold of having bipolar disorder, even if future episodes become less intense, you would still be considered to have bipolar disorder. It's the same with bipolar 1. If a person has a full manic episode with psychosis they will be diagnosed with bipolar 1. however as time passes, they may only have hypomanic episodes along with depression. Technically the diagnosis would remain bipolar 1 and you wouldn't be downgraded to bipolar 2.
@@DrTraceyMarks THANK YOU🙏 So, I guess I'm Recovering or Functional Bipolar, or great at repression? 😆 I catch myself & sadness before I can even get to dep--- ain't nobody got time for dat! 😆 I overcome anxiety & mania with mediation. Again, I owe it to Spiritual practices/mindfulness, but I am aware that if I let those slip I'd be making way for symptoms to become prevalent. Blessings to you & those you serve.
I have all 9 depression symptoms plus often agitated. Also usually can't sleep without a sleep aid. I have a odd combination going on. Thanks for the video :)
It's almost 9am, and I'm still awake.
That's me often.
You're welcome Rob!
@Liam Steele Subthreshold mania would occur in cyclothymic disorder. That's the only context I know of where that concept is discussed. but intermittent psychosis is worth evaluating in and of itself. If you have a mood disorder, then it is either a psychotic depression or bipolar one disorder. Mania plus psychosis is bipolar one even if all of your future episodes are hypomania. Hypomania has the same symptoms as mania but they are not as intense, do not cause the dysfunction in multiple areas of your life, do not have psychotic symptoms and don't last as long.
One last thing to consider is schizoaffective disorder. I'm going to do a video on it that will come out next month. I will incorporate part of your question in the video because I think it will help illustrate certain aspects of schizoaffective disorder (I'm not diagnosis you with that or anything else -btw) Watch the video when it comes out and see if you can relate to any of it. If you are subscribed with notifications on, you see it when it comes out.
Thanks for the video! Could you do a video on mixed states/episodes? I'm not sure if I'm balancing in one at the moment or if I'm simply uncharacteristically productive and energetic. Sorta like being down on myself while not being able to turn my brain off.
Yes, I'll be asking my personal psychiatrist and psychotherapist about this, but I think anyone can benefit from more than one source of information.
Hi Farmer. i have you covered. Here it is th-cam.com/video/Nw-1NEwarUg/w-d-xo.html
@@DrTraceyMarks Thanks for that video. I actually was on a brief trial of Latuda but ended up getting recurring migraines.
I have just been diagnosed with cyclothymia and this was a really helpful video .. I’ve been struggling with it for 15 years and just thought I was a horrible person.
I’m so glad this helped you understand it better.
I’m cyclothymic. I would agree about certain medications such as lithium. I disagree however about not treating it with medication. My cyclothymia can cause me to have sudden onset of suicidal feelings. They are so strong that I’ve acted on them or made extensive plans for a long time. I also can have such chronic loss of energy that I’ll spend 7 months in bed everyday. Only getting out of bed for 5 minutes at a time. I sleep and wake up and want to sleep more. During those times I was unable to work but then come March it begins to lift and I’ll go get a job. I’ll have energy to walk etc. But even though it’s a mild form it can still be debilitating in the sense that a very low dose of an norepinephrine can go a very long way to prevent episodes of staying in bed.
I’ve found the mineral lithium Orotate in low doses is excellent for moodiness, unsure about full blown mania, without all the side effects of prescription lithium.
Thank you! I get it now, for the first time!
I have this issue with self-diagnosis where I latch onto this stuff really easily and I genuinely can't tell if I really have it or it's all in my head
Aaaand that's what I'm doing right now...
Thanks for this i was diagnosed with cycloythemia and PMDD by a psychiatrist i am on meds and it has worked well. Both horrible disorders in my experience.
Thank you very much for the video!
Is it possible to have cycles generally go into the hypomanic state and less deep into the depressed state? I'm trying to figure out where "normal" ends and a potential mental disorder starts.
I usually have (maybe?) hypomanic episodes that last for about a week or two where it starts out as insanely productive and focused but morphs into so much excess "energy" after a few days that I need to constantly pace around, snapping fingers, talking to myself, etc. and basically can't concentrate before it cycles back to what I would call "baselevel" and sometimes a slight depressed state for about a month. It's very consistent during each year and often the mood states don't seem to correlate with what's actually happening in life at all.
The major negative aspect of those "positive" episodes is that I can't concentrate on social interactions and withdraw from friends and family because I feel the overwhelming need to focus on the current obsession during that period (projects, hobbies, work, etc.)
This happens so consistently that my friends joke about me "emerging from one of those phases" after some weeks of almost zero contact. Sometimes that can have a longer negative impact on my relationships if the person doesn't know me that well.
I don't know if that's more or less normal or maybe a symptom of something like Cyclothymia? It doesn't feel like something I should see a therapist for, but it also doesn't feel quite "normal".
Hi Stan. One of the things about bipolar disorder one or two is that it usually causes some level of dysfunction or problems in your life. So those people do feel the need to get help. It may be that your positive phase is still just short of hypomania. Some people with bipolar disorder can have recurring episodes of mania before they have a depressive episode. But still the mania/hypomania is still pretty dramatic.
I was diagnosed with Cyclothymia at 21-22. I'm 24 and it's untreated. I'm glad it's not as severe but I worry about it getting worse
Thank you for doing this video. I’m very certain my boyfriend has cyclothymia. Can you do a video on how to discuss with someone when you think they have cyclothymia? I tried to talk to my boyfriend about it and suggest he see a therapist. He discarded my statements and hasn’t spoken to me in a week. I think getting diagnosed and doing therapy would help his life immensely. Deep down I think he knows something is off but doesn’t want to admit it to himself.
Thank you very much for the video. Very useful with clear and detailed explanations!
You're welcome!
I'm glad I found this video.... I'm wondering a lot since a long time... I'll try to see a therapist soon, because it's becoming unbearable.. I've wondered for a long time if I was bipolar, but, the thing is: I don't have actual maniac phases... I don't have to sleep a lot to feel restored in general, I am usually a person with a high energy, who likes to get involved in a lot of projects and, when I get involved in something, I wanna give my 200%.... but (?) those aren't phases, but the usual... and what seems unusal is when I go through depressiv episodes, which is what is become unbearable, because I just can't think clear, as if a dark cloud was surrounding my thoughts, I just don't wanna do anything, feel on the verge to cry and feel as if my existence wasn't worth it... So... yeah, I don't know... because of what seems usual to me.. I've never done anything that could be harmful to me or others in a "maniac" episode, so it feels like they're lower than hypomania... but at the same time, my depressiv thoughts and feelings aren't just "almost depressiv"... It's making my day to day life impossible to handle..
Anyway. Thank you for this video... Maybe do you have an idea of what could be going on with me through the fews words I wrote here. In any case, as said above, I'll try to see a therapist soon.
To give you an informed opimio. I would need to do my own evaluation. But definite see a therapist and see what they think I have a video coming up on how to talk to your therapist about your symptoms to better help them diagnose you. that episode comes with a symptom list worksheet. It's in a few weeks. Stay tuned.
I’ve recently been prescribed anti-depressants and recommended a therapist due to my symptoms of depression recently. I think what tipped it over was mention of suicidal thoughts and nearly being sectioned twice now in the past couple of weeks. I did say that it doesn’t make sense because one day I’m super energetic, starting a million tasks, hyper sexual, over spend and decide to spend £60 on Babbel to learn Swedish only to give it up when I fall back into the depressive state a few days later. I might mention that I want to be seen for this incase it is this! A diagnosis is a start for me, and I need to know what’s going on!! Thank you Dr.