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Cyclothymia, sometimes referred to as “bipolar lite,” is when you have normal moods interspersed with periods of dysthymia (depression too mild too qualify as major depression) and periods of hypomanic symptoms.

“Hey, that sounds like everyone I know. Does the whole world have cyclothymia?”

Not quite. The DSM-IV specifies that the symptoms must “cause the patient clinically significant distress or impair work, social, or personal functioning.” Furthermore, the euphoric highs and depressive lows in cyclothymia are not in response to life events, but come about for no apparent reason—at least one episode every two months. Cyclothymia sometimes develops into bipolar disorder and, like bipolar disorder, is genetic.