Bipolar Disorder Vs. Cyclothymic Disorder

Similarities exist in many mental health diagnoses and, for this reason, mental health professionals must take prudent steps to ensure proper testing and diagnosis are achieved. Such is the case for the individual suffering from symptoms of Bipolar disorder. With a pre-cursor of Bipolar disorder often found in Cyclothymic disorder, the mental health professional should take precaution when diagnosing a patient so as to ensure proper medication management and psychotherapy are applied. As patient experiencing fluctuating mood swings, it is important to recognize the variety of mental health complications which could persist and, what if any, misdiagnoses may occur.

Within Bipolar disorder and Cyclothymic disorder there are significant common characteristics of the mental health sufferer. Such behaviors include oscillating from depression to euphoria over a period of weeks or even months. In addition to oscillating mood swings, the Bipolar disorder and Cyclothymic disorders are both believed to be genetic in nature, exacerbated by social events or trauma and may even be complicated with co morbid complications such as a thyroid disorder.

Treating both Bipolar disorder and Cyclothymic disorder is also quite similar, at face value. While both mental health disorders require the use of mood stabilizing drugs, it is the degree and severity of these conditions which determine the collaborated or supportive prescription drugs to be administered. So, what makes these two mental health conditions so different?