There are several conditions categorized under bipolar and bipolar related disorders, one of which is Cyclothymic disorder. This can manifest as a personality disorder with severe, chronic mood disturbances. Understanding this disorder and its early warning signs can help you get an accurate diagnosis where appropriate.
What is Cyclothymic Personality Disorder
The cyclothymic personality disorder definition is a chronic, fluctuating mood disorder that falls under the category of bipolar related disorders. It is a condition where individuals for at least two years have numerous periods of hypomanic symptoms and depressive symptoms that aren’t severe enough yet to qualify for a bipolar disorder.
Early Warning Signs of Cyclothymic Personality Disorder

It is important to recognize early warning signs of cyclothymic personality disorder, because many people overlook the signs which lead to a complete failure for a timely diagnosis or treatment and this runs the risk of the cyclothymic personality disorder turning into bipolar disorder as the signs get worse.
- Emotional and Mood-Related Symptoms: It’s not uncommon for someone to struggle with emotional and mood related symptoms, particularly lengthy time frames where they experience symptoms similar to hypomania and symptoms similar to depression.
- Behavioral Changes: Behavioral changes can include irritability, impulsivity, anxiety, and sleep disturbances.
- Chronic Fluctuations in Mood: Some of the biggest issues have to do with chronic fluctuations in mood where an individual experiences things like low self-esteem, changes to appetite and sleep patterns, fatigue, and agitation.
Cyclothymic Disorder vs. Borderline Personality Disorder
So how does this compare to borderline personality disorder?
Symptoms
When you look at the symptoms, borderline personality disorder has a lot of overlap, with pervasive patterns of relationship instability and behaviors. However, Cyclothymic personality disorder is a milder form that has more depressive and hypomanic episodes that are the cause of that impulsivity, emotional instability, and irritability.
Causes
They also differ in terms of causes, with borderline personality disorder derived from early childhood upbringing and childhood experiences and cyclothymic personality disorder linked to genetic and biological factors.
Key Distinctions in Diagnosis
It is not uncommon for a misdiagnosis to happen because of the extreme mood instability, which is often incorrectly linked to borderline personality disorder. Sometimes, it can be difficult to differentiate between borderline personality disorder and bipolar disorder or Cyclothymic personality disorder, as there are many overlapping features and symptoms.
Diagnosing Cyclothymic Personality Disorder
The diagnostic criteria centers on symptoms that have to do with numerous depressive symptoms and manic symptoms that don’t quite meet the criteria for hypomanic episodes or major depressive episodes.
Criteria for Diagnosis
An individual can receive a diagnosis of cyclothymic personality disorder if they meet the following criteria:
- For at least 2 years, there have been numerous periods of hypomanic and depressive symptoms that do not meet the criteria for hypomanic episodes or major depressive episodes
- During that time frame, the symptoms have been present for at least half of the time, and individuals have not been without those symptoms for more than 2 months at a time
- Criteria for manic, hypomanic, or major depressive episodes have never been met
- The symptoms under category A are not better explained by other conditions like schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, delusional disorder, or other psychotic disorders
- The symptoms are not attributable to any other medical condition or substance abuse
- The symptoms cause clinically significant impairment or distress in important areas of functioning, including occupational and social functioning
In some cases, this condition can manifest with anxious distress.
How Mental Health Professionals Diagnose Cyclothymic Personality Disorder
So, how does a professional diagnose this? They go through this criteria while evaluating personal history and current symptoms.
The Importance of Early Diagnosis
As mentioned, it is essential to get an early diagnosis even if symptoms don’t seem severe because they can lead to worsening symptoms and, ultimately, bipolar disorder.
Treatment Options for Cyclothymic Personality Disorder
With cyclothymic personality disorder, treatment often involves a combination of therapy and medication. The goal of any combined treatment for cyclothymic personality disorder is to help reduce symptoms and stop the condition from developing further into bipolar disorder.

Psychotherapy
Therapy is the most common form of treatment, and it can help individuals change their relationship with a condition and learn to manage symptoms instead of letting the symptoms manage their daily lives.
Medications
Medication can be combined with other therapies and lifestyle adjustments, including things like family therapy, mood stabilizers, antidepressants, and atypical antipsychotics.
Lifestyle Adjustments
Lifestyle adjustments can help control symptoms as well including regular exercise to stabilize mood and a proper sleep schedule to improve mood.
Other aspects of lifestyle adjustments are things that can be discussed during psychotherapy and include avoiding triggers, relaxation techniques, a healthy diet, journaling to track mood in order to help identify triggers and relaxation techniques that are effective, and avoiding substances like drugs and alcohol.
How to Seek Help for Cyclothymic Personality Disorder
If you are worried that you might fit the cyclothymic personality disorder definition, it’s important that you contact a mental health professional, especially when you experience the alternating time frames of depression and then mania.
The reason it’s so important to get checked out for things like cyclothymic disorder vs. borderline personality is that cyclothymic disorder can turn into full bipolar disorder without treatment or a proper diagnosis.
The right kind of treatment, including therapy and medication, can help manage symptoms. If you have a loved one who is struggling with cyclothymic personality disorder, offer to support them in any way you can including taking them to appointments to get a diagnosis, supporting them with family therapy, and more.
Conclusion
What is cyclothymic personality disorder? It is a chronic form of personality disorder that falls under the category of bipolar related conditions. Without a proper diagnosis and treatment it can become bipolar disorder. For that reason it is important to recognize early warning signs of cyclothymic personality disorder for timely intervention.