What is the difference between cyclothymia and dysthymia

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Although suicidal thoughts might occur with cyclothymia, they're more likely to occur if you have bipolar I or II disorder.

If you're considering suicide right now:. If you just can't make that call, reach out to someone else — immediately — such as your doctor, mental health provider, family member, friend or someone in your faith community. It's not known specifically what causes cyclothymia. As with many mental health disorders, research shows that it may result from a combination of:. Cyclothymia is thought to be relatively rare. But true estimates are hard to make because people may be undiagnosed or misdiagnosed as having other mood disorders, such as depression.

Cyclothymia typically starts during the teenage years or young adulthood. It affects about the same number of males and females.

There's no sure way to prevent cyclothymia. However, treatment at the earliest indication of a mental health disorder can help prevent cyclothymia from worsening. Long-term preventive treatment also can help prevent minor symptoms from becoming full-blown episodes of hypomania, mania or major depression. Cyclothymia cyclothymic disorder care at Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission.

This content does not have an English version. The aim of this article is to review and put in their historical context today's data, methodologies and concepts concerning subaffective disorders. The historic roots of dysthymic and cyclothymic disorders--part of the subaffective spectrum--are essentially Greek, but the first use of the word 'dysthymia' in psychiatry was by C. Other causative factors may include genetics, abnormal brain functioning which involves emotions and thoughts, chronic stress, negative life events and poor coping capacities.

Patients with Dysthymia will often experience negative emotions, hopelessness, unexplained sadness, feeling of guilt, poor social skills, insomnia and sleepiness during the daytime, loss of appetite or increased appetite, weakness, lack of self-esteem and trouble in concentration. However, the diagnostic criteria for Dysthymia include a history of depressed mood on most of the days in a year for at least two years associated with at least two of the symptoms mentioned above.

As far as the modality of treatment for this condition is concerned, psychotherapy such as interpersonal therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy , etc. Cyclothymia: Cyclothymia is characterized by alternating episodes of both elevated moods or euphoria and depression. Dysthymia: Dysthymia is only characterized by phases of mild depression.

Cyclothymia: Genetics and positive family history are considered as high risk factors.