You said your child often switches back and forth between high and low moods. You said that your child does
not stay happy or sad for a very long time. It is often hard to know when these mood changes are going to
happen. You said that your child has been having these mood swings for at least 1 year. These changes in how
your child feels have caused some problems for him/her at home or school. It may be causing problems in how
s/he gets along with you, other adults, or other children. Some children who have the problems that you
reported have Cyclothymic Disorder.
You said your child has some of the following problems with how s/he feels:
Sadness, Irritability
Crying
Doesn't want to do things s/he used to enjoy
Eats too much or too little
Has problems falling asleep or waking up too early
Has too little or too much energy
Feels worthless
Has little or no hope
Can't stay on task
Feels bad him/herself
Thinks about death
Thinks about hurting or killing him/herself
Big changes in how s/he feels: overly happy or silly; very irritable or angry
Feeling too good about him/herself
Too much energy; can go with little or no sleep for days without feeling tired
Increase in talking. S/he talks too much, too fast, changes topics too quickly, and cannot be interrupted.
Can't stay on task - shifts constantly from one thing to the next
Takes big risks - uses alcohol and drugs, risky sexual activities
Children with these mood swings often have other problems. They may have problems with drug abuse or
trouble sleeping. They often have problems falling asleep and staying asleep.
Cyclothymic Disorder often begins early in life. It is possible that your child will have more serious problems
how they feel as they grow older. These types of mood problems run in families.
