I don't know if I have cyclothymia..or indeed anything...

Most people seem to have mood swings over days or weeks...mine happen throughout the day. I start off in the morning pretty much normal, then I get a little hyperactive which then either goes into being more hyperactive or to feeling down. Then usually I get hyperactive again and then I get depressed.
I rarely get mixed moods but they do happen...but they don't last very long at all. I think they last about half an hour-an hour. I read somewhere that you don't get mixed moods if you have cyclothymia. I'm very confused. Is it 'normal' to be like I am or is it a disorder? Or is it hard to tell from my description? I know you can't give me a diagnosis or anything, but I'd really like someones opinion who knows what they're talking about without seeing a doctor. None of my friends understand how difficult it is to control my moods. I think they're all getting fed up/annoyed/bored with me.

What does it mean? I kep searching everywhere for something, but I can't find anything. Everything says that moods have to last for at least a few days, but nothing lasts with me. I was fine earlier. I was being very productive and was positive. And now it's gone. The best mood I've been in for ages and it's gone.

hey

i came on here to find out the exact same thing as you, every day i hope im going to be excitable and productive but i can never guess and i change throughout the day, triggered by seemingly little things.

gonna keep an eye on your message to see if i can get some answers too, let me know if you find out anything good

xxx

Hi kattv and Serena,

I've suspected for a while that I've had some sort of 'mood disorder' and have just found out about cyclothymia. I'm pretty sure I have it, but probably to a fairly mild degree.

I get the same ups and downs in mood, triggered by seemingly small things and sometimes no apparent trigger. They usually last for hours or days and can change several times during the day.

I think most people get changes in mood, but I guess it's just more pronounced with us.

I like to think of cyclothymia as part of a spectrum of mood stability... At one end is the really stable person, who is always in the same sort of mood. At the other end is Bi Polar disorder. Cyclothymia is somewhere in between.

Not sure if this helps, but all the best and keep in touch.

i am also in a similar situation. i mean, all these things ask how long i am having these moods...how should i know? all i know is that i don't feel good or normal. hopefully someone will post some answers on here, cuz i definately need them.

I also have a similar mood pattern.. although some of mine can span over months or weeks..but my mood can change in the day dramatically.. mainly because i'm way over sensitive.

Those who are talking about sudden mood shifts, moods that change too quick to fit in with cyclothymia, may benefit from reading something on Borderline Personality Disorder, AKA emotional dysregulation.

Borderline shifts can happen in .0001 seconds, from happy to violent, content to despair. I'm not diagnosing any of you, but I believe a lot of people with BPD are wrongly diagnosed in the bipolar spectrum.

Hmm....

I know it's Wikipedia, but still.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultradian
"Ultradian cycling is characterized by cycles shorter than 24 hours."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bipolar_di ... sification
"There are references that describe very rapid (ultra-rapid) or extremely rapid[14] (ultra-ultra or ultradian) cycling. One definition of ultra-ultra rapid cycling is defining distinct shifts in mood within a 24–48-hour period."


Oh, and since some of you talked about odd mood patterns (from on-going ones, to rapid cycling)

"The diagnostic subtypes of bipolar disorder are thus static descriptions — snapshots, perhaps — of an illness in continual flux, with a great diversity of symptoms and varying degrees of severity. Individuals may stay in one subtype, or change into another, over the course of their illness "


Are any of you on ADHD meds? That'll cause extreme mood shifts like this. Lots of different medicines affect moods, especially this such is kind of known for bipolarish side effects.

I think that's maybe the source of my hypomanic, euphoric mood bouts throughout the day. That and just the ADHD in me itself (the hyperactivity thing an' all.... yeah... ).
I've been taking adderall for years now. But I just started having this mood thing, like, maybe a year ago when I was 16. I don't remember. I think these happy-swings have been more intense since then. I started 10 mg (was on 20 mg before that) from the age of 14, and then started on 5mg either towards the end of last school year(I was still 16) or the beginning of this one(I've turned 17). I don't know what's causing this stuff, really. I'll just throw in that bipolar disorder tends to run in my family, too.
And I dunno what to report for other things. It could be confusing in my case.

But yeah. It could be the medicines you might be taking.

Anywho. Hope I helped. lol

Well, in my honest opinion it looks as if you had a cyclothymia, you have many similiar symptoms that i have, go and visit doctor i am of the opinion that's the best advice

I struggle with the same thing. I'm curious to know if there is an actual DSM term for it now, since cyclothymia usually cycles by the day or week. I cycle HOURLY.