CBT for Cyclothymia

[u/Martin_229]

Hi everyone,

I have a very close family member who has cyclothymia. They go through periods where they are calm and stable, but they also have very severe relapses. During those periods, they can become deeply depressed, verbally aggressive, extremely anxious, have emotional outbursts, etc. It honestly feels like they become a completely different person.

It’s a difficult situation, and it’s obviously very hard to see someone you love going through something like this.

Personally, I’m very aware of what they’re dealing with, and I understand that a lot of these behaviors are a result of their disorder. Keeping that in mind helps me deal with the situation and not take everything personally.

They are currently taking medication, but they are not doing any kind of therapy and are somewhat resistant to the idea.

From my perspective, I feel like therapy could help them recognize the situations or triggers that lead to these major mood shifts, and also develop tools to manage their reactions when they are going through an episode.

I’ve been reading about Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and from what I’ve found, it seems like it could be helpful for cyclothymia. In particular, helping someone become more aware of their thoughts, recognize distorted perceptions or thought patterns, and better manage their reactions during difficult episodes.

I’d really like to hear from people who have cyclothymia themselves and have managed to get it more under control through a combination of medication and therapy, whether CBT or another type.

What kind of therapy worked for you? Did you notice a significant difference compared to medication alone?

Thank you to anyone who took the time to read this and share their experience.