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cyclothymia

cyclothymia

1 9.9
A long-term condition with mild mood swings between mild depression and times of higher energy
  • noun
  • /ˌsaɪkloʊˈθaɪmiə/
  • Specialized
translation icon : ciclotimia
  • So perhaps I could be diagnosed with cyclothymia or PMDD, but that's not really helpful considering that if my psychological state weren't how it was, from my own experience, I'd be likely to fluctuate between waking up feeling "OK, let's do this" and waking up feeling "meh, got to get up... awww, alright then..."
  • cyclothymia and bipolar
  • diagnosing cyclothymia

Examples

  • A complex part of the puzzle is the degree to which mood elevations and depressions may influence creativity through hypomania or cyclothymia (Richards & Kinney, 1990).

    Academic text (2002)
  • Cyclothymia is a mood disorder, like bipolar disorder, that is characterized by mood swings from depression to hypomania.

    Blog text (14)
  • I have anxiety, cyclothymia, and depression.

    Blog text (26)
  • Depressive episodes and less severe manic symptoms, classed as hypomanic episodes: Cyclothymia.

    Academic text (2012)
  • Cyclothymia involves alternating periods of cyclothymia and hypomania that affect daily life.

  • People with cyclothymia often experience emotional highs followed by lows that can last for days.

  • Having cyclothymia means dealing with mood changes that are less intense than those in full-blown bipolar disorder.

Synonyms

cyclothymic disorder
vscyclothymia
  • Specialized
1 9.8

A long-lasting condition of mild mood swings between low and high feelings

uses the clinical term hypomania instead of elation
cyclic disorder
vscyclothymia
  • Specialized
8.6

A long-term condition in which moods often change between mild low and mild high feelings

is similar but focuses on chronic fluctuations without stressing frequency

Antonyms

363 3.1

Being steady and not likely to change

How Severe

bipolar disorder
  • Specialized
24 3.9
cyclothymia
  • Specialized
1 9.9
moodiness
5 4.3

Surface Forms

cyclothymia singular
cyclothymias plural

Morphology

cyclothymia = cycle (semi-transparent) = cyclo + thym + ia

The combining form 'cyclo-' suggests cyclical or recurring change (relevant to mood swings) but the medical combining form 'thym-' meaning 'mood' is technical and unlikely to be known by average learners.

Etymology

Cyclothymia combines cyclo- meaning 'circle' (like the familiar word cycle) and -thymia meaning 'mood'. So the name suggests 'circular moods' that go around and come back, which fits the repeating mild highs and lows of cyclothymia.