Cyclothymic disorder involves recurring patterns of mood symptoms that need assessment over time. Ordinary changes in energy or a brief mood log cannot establish it. This page helps you describe the larger pattern, what it disrupts, and questions about other possible explanations.
How to use this page
Choose a recent, manageable example. Write, draw, or discuss your answers. Skip anything that does not fit; this page is not a diagnostic assessment.
Look beyond isolated days
Choose a broad period and note repeated changes in mood, energy, sleep, and activity compared with your usual experience. Include intervals when things felt more settled. Approximate observations are enough; you do not need to reconstruct every day.
Ask for a longitudinal view
Discuss medicines, substances, health conditions, stressful circumstances, and any more severe mood episodes. Ask how the clinician will assess the history and monitor change without making your whole day revolve around symptom recording.
Reflection prompts
Use these questions in conversation, on paper, or in the downloaded PDF. You may adapt or skip a prompt.
What recurring shifts in mood, energy, sleep, or activity have you noticed over time?
How have they affected relationships, responsibilities, or decisions?
What settled periods, health factors, or more severe episodes should be included in the history?
What assessment and monitoring questions would help you understand the pattern?
Facilitator notes and adaptation
Assess longitudinally and distinguish ordinary variation, other bipolar patterns, substances, medical conditions, and environmental rhythms. Do not offer a self-diagnostic checklist or medication advice. Escalating activation, severe depression, or safety concerns need timely clinical evaluation.
Sources behind the concepts
These sources inform the concepts in this original resource. They do not validate or endorse this specific page.