How to Bring Up Cyclothymia to Psychologist?
Question by Random Person: How to bring up Cyclothymia to psychologist?
I see a psychologist once every week because of bouts of depression I get. When I described how I felt to her, she brought up Dysthmia. I’d heard of it before, but I didn’t know exactly what it was. I found out it’s where you’re not exactly depressed, but still not “normal”. It also said you feel like this most of the time. The last statement didn’t sound like it described me since I don’t feel like crap all the time. As I kept reading through the article, I found Cyclothymia. Once again, I’d heard of it, but not knowing exactly what it was, I clicked on the link. This seemed to fit me more than Dysthymia because I am known to be very happy,”goofy”, and laugh at almost anything. But I can also just have normal days. I’m 16 years old, so I don’t even know if I’m old enough for symptoms of this to start showing. How do I bring up that I think this is what I have to my psychologist? Will I seem stupid for bringing it up? It just seems odd to me that it fits me so well, yet she hasn’t brought it up. Thanks.
Best answer:
Answer by Jody
Dysthymia is a chronic, long-lasting, mood disorder; it’s low grade depression. It affects 3% of the population and causes “significant functional impairment.” The symptoms fluctuate in intensity and are far less intense than major depression.
At least 3/4 of people with dysthymia also have a chronic physical illness or another psychiatric disorder such as one of the anxiety disorders, drug addiction or alcoholism. Your laughter may not be joy, but for effect, anxiety and trying to fit in. There is a saying about the tears of a clown…
The criteria is that your “symptoms are not absent for more than two consecutive months” over a two year period. So it’s normal to be happy sometimes, but not for two months straight. But it makes you feel distress when it comes to school work, in social situations, work or chores, or even at home. You would feel irritable pretty often.
People with dysthymia have lived with this low grade depression for so long, they come to feel it is normal, part of their character. And it runs in families. You may feel like you’re just stressed out, or somewhat “moody”. It’s common to down-play underlying unhappiness.
If you have “manic, hypomanic or mixed episodes” you may be suffering with cyclothymia.
Cyclothymia is the least disruptive diagnosis in Bipolar Disorder spectrum. There is Bipolar 1, Bipolar 2 and Dysthymia. Nevertheless the euphoric episodes can be long lasting and become highly destructive.
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