How to treat a cyclothymia or cyclothymic disorder

Cyclothymia or cyclothymic disorder is a relative mild mood disorder. It is also a one type of Bipolar Disorder which is not a severe one . Might be it is the first stage of the Bipolar disorder and the final stage is Type 1 : Bipolar Disorder is the severe bipolar disorder which needs extreme and proper treatment to overcome cyclothymia.

In cyclothymia disorder moods swing between low and high mood disorder and lasts for 2 years . Back to back the mood of hypomania and major depression shifts . When these shifting of moods reaches the saturation point , then there is a chances of facing Type 1 : Bipolar disorder. People with cyclothymic disorder have milder symptoms than occur in full-blown bipolar disorder.

Symptoms of Cyclothymic Disorder

Cyclothymic symptoms alternates between the high and low emotional. The high emotional consists of symptoms of hypomania and low emotional consists of symptoms of major depression.

Cyclothymia symptoms have less effects or cause than the Type 1 : Bipolar Disorder. With cyclothymia you can do your normal day to day life but if left untreated ,there is more chances of getting severe bipolar disorder .

Symptoms that arise during hypomanic episode

An exaggerated feeling of happiness (extreme happy for no reason)

Inability to concentrate or gets distracted easily

Decreased sleep

Inflated self-esteem

Talking more than usual

Hyperactive

Increased drive to perform goals.

Symptoms that arise during Depressive episode:

Changes in weight

Decreased sleep

Extreme sadness

Restlessness

Feeling tired

Loss of interest in activities once considered enjoyable

Problem concentrating

Having suicidal thoughts.

Fact about a Cyclothymic Disorder

Cyclothymic Disorder is a genetic problem. Based on a survey taken by the researchers most people who suffers from the cyclothymic bipolar disorder , one of their family member or relative is affected by bipolar disorder.

You cannot exclude this fact not only for this type of bipolar disorder , it is applicable for all type of mental illness.

Treatments for Cyclothymic Disorder

Cyclothymia frequently goes undiagnosed and untreated. Most people's symptoms are mild enough that they do not seek mental health treatment. In fact, some people resist the idea of treatment, which reduces their "up" episodes as well as "down."

The depressive symptoms of cyclothymic disorder are typically more frequent, unpleasant, and disabling than the hypomanic symptoms. Feelings of depression or instability are usually what cause people with cyclothymia to seek help.

Using a Mood stabilizer or antidepressant have been useful for the recovery along with the psychotherapy.

Some of the Mood stabilizer Includes:

lithium - which is commonly used to treat bipolar disorder

anti-epileptic drugs – such as carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine or sodium valproate

Some antipsychotics like quetiapine have also been used as mood stabilizer.

If medication may not be enough for the people , then your doctor may suggest to go for the psychotherapy treatment .

CBT(Cognitive Behavioural therapy ) : can be effective. CBT involves talking to a trained therapist to find ways to help you manage your problems by changing the way you think and behave. It can't remove your problems, but may help you manage them in a more positive way.

How do you know you have cyclothymic Disorder

If you have cyclothymia you will have alternate extreme happiness and followed by deep sadness. When you experience hypomanic episode (extreme happiness) will get no sleep . After a week , you may get major depressive episode

Mood swings will be fairly frequent, as well as persistent – you'll have no more than two symptom-free months in a row.

Your fluctuating moods need to have lasted at least two years .

What is smiling depression how to identify it

A smiling depression is appearing to be happy to others but literally having depressive feeling inside . Person with smiling depression not show their negative emotion because they have already undergone facing the darker side and pretending much happier to the outside world .

Depression varies person to person . Someone with depression is typically depicted as a person who can’t get out of bed and feels helpless, but that’s not the case for all depressed individuals. There are people who often appear to be happy and motivated that are still dealing with a type of depression that isn’t well known called smiling depression.

Another way to describe the smiling depression is wearing mask. Smiling depression is more dangerous than classic severe or major depression. People with smiling depression gives no clue to the outside world of their problem. They often maintain a healthy life , they do their daily activities perfectly .

Causes of smiling Depression :

Insomnia

Suicidal thoughts

Panic Attacks

Deeper Sadness

Suicide can be particular threat for the individuals suffering with siling depression. Typically, people suffering with classic, severe depression might have suicidal thoughts, but not the energy to act on their feelings. However, those suffering from smiling depression has the ability to go through the successive suicidal thoughts. This is why smiling depression can be more dangerous than a classic form of severe depression.

Smiling depression is treatable if a proper counseling is given to the person , the person can completely recover from the sadness .

Why a person hides depression ?

The causes might be different, for the person who hide depression and smiling might be mechanism of defending them from showcasing their depressive mode.

He/she is ashamed of the problem . So , they might avoid sharing it to others .They might think depression is a lack of will and character, so it is clear that if you have this prejudice though they will try to hide this condition that is a “defect”

Sometimes he/she doesn't recognise the depression . He/she might think that depression goes away itself . In these cases occurs a denial and the smile is a mechanism of self-affirmation through which the person tells itself it's not so bad, that it actually feels good.

He/she doesn’t want to bother others . They might feel not to share their problem to others having a prejudice thoughts it may be a burden or concern for others. They might have tendency to keep the problem inside and they are introverted in nature.

He/she might keen on the image . They might have a prejudice thought that other judge only by the exterior appearance and so they pretend well hiding their sadness and become characters acting everyday on a theatre stage.

Who are more likely to affected with Smiling Depression?

Introverted people, who have a tendency to beware problems or find it difficult to talk about their emotions.

Perfectionists, those that demand too much to themselves and think they can’t fail in any sphere of life.

Hyper responsible people who believe to carry the world on their shoulders and think that if they collapse, it will happen a cataclysm of epic proportions.

Dangers of smiling depression :

The depressed person who might choose to smile and hiding their sadness and try to pretend to be happier outside will have a strong suicidal thoughts.

And surprisingly relatives and friends never know that you are in a depressed state for longer time and because of it you have committed suicide .

So , person who tries to hide depression is actually feeding it.

Moreover, the persons trying to hide depression usually follow some agenda to not show to outside world , so that ends up carrying a hectic lifestyle that produces them a great fatigue. By overreacting every day, they will boost depression inside them. Sooner or later, irritability, fatigue, sadness and tension will find their way out.

The problem is that at this point, those persons suddenly finds themselves face to face with reality and feel they’re at a dead end with no one around who can help. For this reason they can even intent some life-threatening act.

Some psychologists taken a survey by following a group of drivers for two weeks and found that while more smiles were pretended, the worse was their mood back home; a mood marked by irritability, anger and sadness.

Therefore , it is important to be aware of the fact that depression doesn't go away by itself .Hiding or avoiding the problem will not cancel it. So , consulting a doctor and help or support from your friend you can syre recover from the smiling depression.

Things you should Know about Hoarding disorder

Hoarding disorder is a type of disorder where people save items randomly that others feels worthless. They have continuous possessions towards saving things in their living surroundings disrupting their ability to use the living space.

 

Difference between hoarding and collecting:

Hoarding is saving items in random manner or haphazardly.

Collecting is having strong possession in collecting the items and saving in an orderly or in an organised manner.

Hoarding is not the same as the collecting . Collectors collects specific items such as same car model stamps , same colours of water bottles , any particular brand of things . Arrange these things in an organised manner . People with hoarding save items in a perspective that they feel valuable or sentimental in the future. Even they feel safer by saving the items.

Around 2 to 5 percent of people are prone to get affected by the hoarding disorder.

Consequences of Hoarding Disorder :

As people affected by Hoarding disorder save items in their living area , they are much like to affected by contaminated disease , fire hazards , tripping hazard . They will isolate themself from the social activity , feeling loneliness , family neglection . And feels uneasy or discomfort to carry out normal day today activities like cooking , washing , bathing etc.

Symptoms of Hoarding Disorder :

Possession to save the items in and around your living surroundings

Can't discard the things that everyone wants to get rid of.

It causes major distress , harm your health , feel difficult to work socially.

Making haphazard environment making unpleasant for you and others to live comfortably .

Hoarding disorder accompany other mental illness like major depression , social anxiety, bipolar disorder, and impulse control problems.

How to recognize or self examine hoarding disorder
 

Do you have trouble in discarding the the things that are unpleasant to others ?

Because you like to store items in the living environment , making difficult for the people around you and also you to live in spacious environment.

To what extent your hoarding , storing , acquisition , clutter affects your daily routine functionality?

How much distress and other mental illness it causes.

How much do these symptoms interfere with school, work or your social or family life?

Few things you need to know about compulsive hoarding :

Compulsive hoarding can be affected to 7,00,000 to 1.4 million people approximately.

It is a type of OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) . But it is not compulsion that tf a person has OCD must have compulsive hoarding . All people with OCD may or may not be affected with compulsive hoarding.

It is genetic subtype of OCD. Compulsive hoarding can genetically be affected .

They are more attracted to save items or things with them and show regret to discard the things . While thinking of to throw of the things they want to save it , they are bounded with anxiety behaviour .

Hoarders are perfectionist , they do not know what things to keep with them or throw out . So , obviously they keep all things with them .

Most people who suffer from hoarding disorder more likely one of their family member is already getting affected by the compulsive hoarding disorder.

People with compulsive hoarding normal feels embarrassed to checkout to the doctor .

Compared to OCD , compulsive hoarding is difficult to cure . It must be addressed carefully and a treatment should be done on a regular basis.

Cognitive Behavioural therapy (CBT) could be more effective to recover from compulsive hoarding syndrome.

Generally your family member should recognize the problem . It is not bad that you are doing certain thing that is not pleasant from other point of view. So with a support from the closed one take a proper treatment.

Things you should Know about Hoarding disorder

Hoarding disorder is a type of disorder where people save items randomly that others feels worthless. They have continuous possessions towards saving things in their living surroundings disrupting their ability to use the living space.

Difference between hoarding and collecting:

Hoarding is saving items in random manner or haphazardly.

Collecting is having strong possession in collecting the items and saving in an orderly or in an organised manner.

Hoarding is not the same as the collecting . Collectors collects specific items such as same car model stamps , same colours of water bottles , any particular brand of things . Arrange these things in an organised manner . People with hoarding save items in a perspective that they feel valuable or sentimental in the future. Even they feel safer by saving the items.

Around 2 to 5 percent of people are prone to get affected by the hoarding disorder.

Consequences of Hoarding Disorder :

As people affected by Hoarding disorder save items in their living area , they are much like to affected by contaminated disease , fire hazards , tripping hazard . They will isolate themself from the social activity , feeling loneliness , family neglection . And feels uneasy or discomfort to carry out normal day today activities like cooking , washing , bathing etc.

Symptoms of Hoarding Disorder :

Possession to save the items in and around your living surroundings

Can't discard the things that everyone wants to get rid of.

It causes major distress , harm your health , feel difficult to work socially.

Making haphazard environment making unpleasant for you and others to live comfortably .

Hoarding disorder accompany other mental illness like major depression , social anxiety, bipolar disorder, and impulse control problems.

How to recognize or self examine hoarding disorder

Do you have trouble in discarding the the things that are unpleasant to others ?

Because you like to store items in the living environment , making difficult for the people around you and also you to live in spacious environment.

To what extent your hoarding , storing , acquisition , clutter affects your daily routine functionality?

How much distress and other mental illness it causes.

How much do these symptoms interfere with school, work or your social or family life?

Few things you need to know about compulsive hoarding :

Compulsive hoarding can be affected to 7,00,000 to 1.4 million people approximately.

It is a type of OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) . But it is not compulsion that tf a person has OCD must have compulsive hoarding . All people with OCD may or may not be affected with compulsive hoarding.

It is genetic subtype of OCD. It can genetically be affected .

They are more attracted to save items or things with them and show regret to discard the things . While thinking of to throw of the things they want to save it , they are bounded with anxiety behaviour .

Hoarders are perfectionist , they do not know what things to keep with them or throw out . So , obviously they keep all things with them .

Most people who suffer from hoarding disorder more likely one of their family member is already getting affected by the compulsive hoarding disorder.

People with compulsive hoarding normal feels embarrassed to checkout to the doctor .

Compared to OCD , compulsive hoarding is difficult to cure . It must be addressed carefully and a treatment should be done on a regular basis.

Cognitive Behavioural therapy (CBT) could be more effective to recover from compulsive hoarding syndrome.

Generally your family member should recognize the problem . It is not bad that you are doing certain thing that is not pleasant from other point of view. So with a support from the closed one take a proper treatment.

Obsessive Complusive Disorder - How to treat it?

Obsessive compulsive disorder is a chronic and long lasting disorder that forces you to do repeated things again and again.The person will have obsessive thoughts and behaviour that makes he/she to do repeated activities over and over or again and again.

Obsessions are repeated thoughts that cause anxiety.

OCD affects each person in different ways . But it cause a particular pattern of thoughts and behaviours

 The following are the patterns of thoughts and behaviour :

 

Obsessive : Often an obsessive thoughts , behaviours , mental images gets accumulated in your mind.

Anxiety : These obsessive or compulsive thoughts triggers intense anxiety feeling.

Compulsion : The intense anxiety or distress urged or forces you to carry out some repetitive activity or mental acts.

Temporary Relief : It is just the temporary relief from the obsessive or compulsive thoughts and may soon the person is accumulated with the repeated behaviours or mental acts.

Some person can have obsessive thoughts and some may have only compulsive behaviours.

Obsessive thoughts :

Everyone would have experienced obsessive thoughts at some point of our life. Fear on whether we have locked the door correctly or even sudden unwelcome violent or offensive mental images.

But if you continuously have these obsessive thoughts that often interrupts your other thoughts , then he/she may having OCD .

Some of the obsession thoughts that a OCD affected person has :

Fear of deliberately harming yourself or others : You may have fear of thoughts that you may attack your closed ones or harming yourself.

Fear of harming others by mistake : You may have fear that if we don't switch of the gas fire may occur .

Fear that you will be contaminated with disease , infection or unpleasant thoughts.

Indulging with a thought of a systematic or orderliness arrangements : You may ensure that the things are arranged in systematic manner . Example you may feel the need to ensure all the labels on the tins in your cupboard face the same way

Compulsive Behaviours :

Compulsive behavior occurs when a person's inner anxiety motivate them yo carry out the compulsive behaviours caused by the obsessive thoughts.

For instance , People who feel fear of germs and infection , they repeatedly wash their hands . If they fear of harming others they will harm their family may have the urge to repeat an action multiple times to "neutralise" the thought.

But many people with compulsive behaviour know they are wrong or irrational or makes no sense in doing repeated activity. But they can't stop acting on it . They will do it often because they need to do it.

Some of the compulsive behaviour that people with OCD does:

• Cleaning and handwashing

       

• Checking that their doors are locked or switch off the gas

           

• Arranging books , kitchen utensils , clothes in a particular pattern or even that label them     and check those labels are rightly placed because of the fear that they won't remember the arranged things .   

   

• Avoiding places and situation that could trigger obsessive thoughts .

           

• Repeating the words in their head for making sure the things are going smoothly.

Note : Some of the compulsive behaviours may seems obvious to others but not all .

So , if you find a person with such compulsive behaviours immediately suggest them to consult a doctor , urge them to take immediate advice and follow proper medications.

People with the above compulsive behaviour often feel reluctant to seek help or consult a doctor because they feel embarrassed or ashamed.

They also have irrational feeling they have gone mad and it is not fault that you're having it.

So , if you have these obsessive compulsion disorder immediately you can refer a psychologist or psychiatrist or therapist .

Treatments for OCD

Usually CBT will be done . Cognitive Behavioural Therapy that helps you face your fears and obsessive thoughts without "putting them right" with compulsions .

Antidepressant medication called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) helps to balance the chemicals in your brain.

CBT may completely cure OCD . If not eventually , SSRI would be carried out.

If these treatments don't help, you may be offered an alternative SSRI or given a combination of an SSRI and CBT. Some people may be referred to a specialist mental health service for further treatment.

Causes of OCD :

•     Can be Genetic or heredity

       

•     Chemical imbalance in the brain

       

•     Life Events – Abuse , neglect , bullying and sometimes OCD can occur after an 
      important life event .       

   

•     Personality : Neat , meticulous and methodical people can have OCD . Because 
      they feel anxious when the things around them is not happening in a systematic 
      manner.