What Is The Difference Between Cyclothymic Disorder And Bipolar Disorder?

Actually, Khattie is completely incorrect. I'm not sure if s/he is confusing cyclothymia with BP type 1 or something else. Here is a more accurate summary of it: en.wikipedia.org, Khattie mentioned that cycloth is less treatable by meds and that the best hope was to elongate the periods between BP outbreakes. Again, that's not cycloth. Most people with CT are almost socially unnoticable in the workplace and in general interactions. The mood outbreaks are mild and short-lived. Often a person with CT is either on mild doses of medicines or none at all. Usually, people with CT go their whole lives without a diagnosis (self-diag or professional) because the episodes and symptoms are so mild.  NOTE:  "Mild" only means that most people don't see the behavior as much more than eccentricity or moodiness. A person with CT does feel driven without reason or logic. But the awareness of that drive only dawns on them in reflection. These are highly productive, but highly disruptive people (I'm one.) While they're able to create great solutions or manifest creativity in art or scientific solutions, they're also likely to have more conflict and social irrationality. Sometimes, if left unmanaged, this irrationality can interfere with job performance, relationships, road rage, substance abuse and behaviors without appreciation for the consequences.

Actually Cyclothymia is considered by many physicians to be an order completely separate from bi-polar disorder. Although the symptoms may mimic bi-polar to a smaller degree, persons with Cyclothymia very rarely experience normal days. In fact, episodes can last several weeks and then rapidly cycle through depression and mania and from a deep sense of a loss of control to irritability beyond that of a normal person's level. Bi-polar disorder can usually be treated with medicines whereas Cyclothymia can be treated only to elongate periods between symptoms, and even then, it only causes the symptoms to appear milder because they can last so long that the episode feels "normal".

"Cyclothymia tends to be a chronic condition, with symptoms of depression and hypomania lasting an entire lifetime" (Price, 2004, p. 1).  Symptoms are often treated more effectively with anticonvulsant agents, rather than inhibitors. Antidepressants throw someone with cyclothymia into mania. Research your information so you can be realistically informed about the condition.

Bipolar 1 is diagnosed if the patient has one episode qualifying clinically as mania. Bipolar 2 is diagnosed if the patient has symptoms that do not meet criteria for mania, but meet criteria for an episode of hypomania and major depression in the past. Cyclothymia is diagnosed if the patient has had 2 years of alternating hypomania and some depressive symptoms without meeting criteria for a major depressive episode.