Suffering from a mental disorder affects you as an individual and greatly impacts those close to you. As a result, you are advised to seek medical help for your good and the good of those close to you. Most mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety, and cyclothymia, require medical management and psychotherapy to help you recover and resume your daily chores. Suppose you have Bethesda Cyclothymia no need to worry about how you can deal with the condition because there are various treatment options available. Examples of ways of managing and treating cyclothymia include:
- Psychotherapy
According to research, people suffering from cyclothymia, a type of bipolar disorder, but its symptoms are less severe than those of bipolar disorder I and II, can benefit from any therapy that meets their specific needs. In most cases, cyclothymia is often connected to impulsivity, personality disorders, anxiety, or substance abuse. Since cyclothymia is bipolar disorder, its treatments also come from treating mood conditions. Some forms of psychotherapy that are very helpful in managing cyclothymia include cognitive behavioral therapy, psychoeducation, and well-being therapy.
- Medications
When your symptoms are severe and negatively impact your day-to-day living, your care provider may recommend certain medications to stabilize your mood. In most cases, your physician determines which medications best suits your condition. Examples of medications that might be effective include:
- Mood stabilizers
The reason for giving mood stabilizers to people suffering from cyclothymia is to help balance the high and low moods commonly associated with this condition. In most cases, lithium is a common mood stabilizer to help deal with hypomania, depression, or mixed symptoms.
- Anticonvulsants
Other common medications are anticonvulsants, often used to treat bipolar disorders and seizures. These medications might also help manage the symptoms of cyclothymia. Even though there is very little research available to support anticonvulsants’ effectiveness in treating cyclothymia, lamotrigine and valproate are common anticonvulsants used.
- Antipsychotics
In most cases, antipsychotic medications are given to help deal with severe mood changes commonly referred to as high moods. However, when antipsychotic medications are used to treat cyclothymia, they should be given in very low doses. The reason is that antipsychotics can trigger depression in people diagnosed with cyclothymia when given in very high doses. For this reason, doctors are advised to be very keen and cautious while prescribing antipsychotics for cyclothymia. Some of the antipsychotics that might help when you have cyclothymia are olanzapine and quetiapine. The role of antipsychotics in people with cyclothymia is to help reduce the feeling of impulsivity and irritability associated with hypomanic periods.
- Antidepressants
Mostly the treatment of cyclothymia with antidepressants is controversial. Examples of antidepressants that are effective in dealing with cyclothymia include tricyclic antidepressants. However, antidepressants, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, may worsen cyclothymia because they trigger severe mood symptoms and hypomania. Most providers avoid using antidepressants while treating cyclothymia, but if other treatments are no longer effective, they might be the treatment of choice.
Living with cyclothymia might be quite challenging because it might affect how you take part in your daily chores. Therefore, if the condition is causing severe symptoms and you seek treatment, you can start by booking your appointment at Washington Center for Women’s and Children’s Wellness (WCWCW) today.