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Matt Edmondson reveals getting diagnosed with cyclothymia was ‘life changing’

Matt Edmondson reveals getting diagnosed with cyclothymia was 'life changing' 2

Matt Edmondson has revealed that being diagnosed with cyclothymia was ‘life-changing’ as he opened up about the rare disorder in an Instagram post shared on Thursday.

The Radio 1 star, 35, who first revealed his condition in January, detailed how he felt after finally getting a name for the years of struggling he suffered with his extreme differing moods, telling his fans: ‘I’ve had periods where I felt incredibly low.’

Cyclothymia causes mood changes and leaves people feeling very low or emotionally high’, with the condition having similarities to that of bipolar disorder. The lesser-known condition can lead to bipolar disorder if untreated.

Condition: Matt Edmondson has revealed that being diagnosed with was 'life-changing' as he opened up about the rare disorder in an Instagram post shared on Thursday

Condition: Matt Edmondson has revealed that being diagnosed with was ‘life-changing’ as he opened up about the rare disorder in an Instagram post shared on Thursday

According to the NHS, cyclothymia, or cyclothymic disorder produces mild symptoms that do not seek mental health treatment. Often, the emotional highs ‘feel nice’ so the patient ‘does not realise there’s anything wrong or want to seek help’.

As a result, cyclothymia often goes undiagnosed and untreated.

In a candid message, Matt explained that his bouts of extreme depression and equal stints of euphoria became difficult for the people in his life, revealing his eventual diagnosis helped him control his condition as he could ‘intercept’ things when he felt himself going ‘up or down.’

Matt said to his followers: ‘After years of struggling, simply getting the label Cyclothymia placed on how I was feeling was life changing.

Candid The Radio 1 star, 35, detailed how he felt after finally getting a name for the years of struggling he suffered with his extreme differing moods, telling his fans: 'I've had periods where I felt incredibly low' (pictured with his wife Bryony and their daughter Ivy, five)

Candid The Radio 1 star, 35, detailed how he felt after finally getting a name for the years of struggling he suffered with his extreme differing moods, telling his fans: ‘I’ve had periods where I felt incredibly low’ (pictured with his wife Bryony and their daughter Ivy, five)

‘It helped me understand that if I could spot myself starting to go ‘up’ or down’ I could do something to intercept it.’

Matt went on to explain that whenever he had an overwhelming urge to embark on a project, he forced himself to ‘not do it’ and wait a few days, thus helping him gain some ‘control’ over his condition.   

He also admitted that the coronavirus lockdowns left him worried about his mental health as work routines keep him ‘grounded’, before detailing how his contrasting moods eventually led him to seeking medical help.

He penned: ‘It all started in lockdown – like lost of people, I was quite scared of the prospect of lots of isolation, of my usual work disappearing and of any normal sense of routine going out the window. 

Honest: In a candid message, Matt explained that his bouts of extreme depression and equal stints of euphoria became difficult for the people in his life, revealing his eventual diagnosis helped him control his condition

Honest: In a candid message, Matt explained that his bouts of extreme depression and equal stints of euphoria became difficult for the people in his life, revealing his eventual diagnosis helped him control his condition

Finally: Matt said to his followers: 'After years of struggling, simply getting the label Cyclothymia placed on how I was feeling was life changing'

Finally: Matt said to his followers: ‘After years of struggling, simply getting the label Cyclothymia placed on how I was feeling was life changing’

‘For my mental health, I find having a ‘project’ to work on is what keeps me grounded. I’ve not really spoken about this much before, but a few years ago I was diagnosed with a condition called Cyclothymia.’

He went on: ‘For a long time, I was in either one of those two moods. The ‘up’ times truly feel fantastic. They come with a relentless energy, sense of excitement and hunger for new ideas.

‘I don’t get much sleep, don’t eat when I should and I get tremendous volumes of work done in very short spaces of time, often neglecting everything else around me.’

The TV personality described how his intense ‘low’ periods led him to seek medical help, with Matt adding: ‘ My low times after often accompanied by incredibly strong anxious thoughts, catastrophisation (is that a word? Red dots say ‘no’) and panic.’

Help: He also admitted that the coronavirus lockdowns left him worried about his mental health as work routines keep him 'grounded', before detailing how his contrasting moods eventually led him to seeking medical help

Revealing all: The radio star detailed how the disorder affected his life

Help: He also admitted that the coronavirus lockdowns left him worried about his mental health as work routines keep him ‘grounded’, before detailing how his contrasting moods eventually led him to seeking medical help

Opening up: The TV personality described how his intense 'low' periods led him to seek medical help, with Matt adding: ' My low times after often accompanied by incredibly strong anxious thoughts'

Opening up: The TV personality described how his intense ‘low’ periods led him to seek medical help, with Matt adding: ‘ My low times after often accompanied by incredibly strong anxious thoughts’

In his lengthy post, Matt also revealed that he has been working on new music for the past year and also announced a new podcast titled Not Another Love Song, with the star admitting that working on music ‘saved’ him.

He said: ‘So – the depression. This is going to sound corny, but it’s true. Discovering making music saved me. See, it’s a bit corny isn’t it?

‘I realised that if I jumped on my laptop and just made ANYTHING on Logic, however bad, it would stop my brain from racing off into anxious thoughts.

‘Honestly, 30 minutes of playing around with a synthesiser or a drum sequencer, or trying to write a little song, and I felt so much better.’

Matt told how his project took him a whole year to do and he couldn’t be ‘prouder’ of it, with his first song Hay Fever featuring the vocals of X Factor winner James Arthur.  

Sharing all: 'I don't get much sleep, don't eat when I should and I get tremendous volumes of work done in very short spaces of time, often neglecting everything else around me' (pictured with radio co-star Mollie King'

Sharing all: ‘I don’t get much sleep, don’t eat when I should and I get tremendous volumes of work done in very short spaces of time, often neglecting everything else around me’ (pictured with radio co-star Mollie King’

Saviour: In his lengthy post, Matt also revealed that he has been working on new music for the past year and also announced a new podcast titled Not Another Love Song, with the star admitting that working on music 'saved' him

Well done: Matt told how his project took him a whole year to do and he couldn't be 'prouder' of it, with his first song Hay Fever featuring the vocals of X Factor winner James Arthur

Saviour: In his lengthy post, Matt also revealed that he has been working on new music for the past year and also announced a new podcast titled Not Another Love Song, with the star admitting that working on music ‘saved’ him

Matt first revealed he suffered from rare disorder cyclothymia back in January, telling The Sun at the time: ‘I need to be doing something at all times, but I have a condition called cyclothymia.

‘I have these extreme episodes where I feel really productive and positive and then periods where I feel low and unmotivated – thankfully this is more rarely.

‘I’m on top of it now, but it was a little confusing when I was younger. I was in my late 20s when I was diagnosed.’  

The NHS website adds of the condition: ‘The mood swings can affect daily life, and cause problems with personal and work relationships. If you think you have cyclothymia, it’s important to seek help from a GP.

‘People with cyclothymia are at risk of developing bipolar disorder, so it’s important to get help before reaching this stage. Men and women of any age can get cyclothymia, but it’s more common in women.’  

Cyclothymia

Symptoms of cyclothymia

If you have cyclothymia, you’ll have periods of feeling low followed by periods of extreme happiness and excitement (called hypomania) when you do not need much sleep and feel that you have a lot of energy. The periods of low mood do not last long enough and are not severe enough to be diagnosed as clinical depression. You might feel sluggish and lose interest in things during these periods, but this should not stop you going about your day-to-day life. Mood swings will be fairly frequent – you will not go for longer than 2 months without experiencing low mood or an emotional high. Symptoms of cyclothymia are not severe enough for you to be diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and your mood swings will be broken up by periods of normal mood. 

Treatment for cyclothymia

Treatment usually involves medicine and some kind of talking therapy (psychotherapy).

The aim is to:

• stop the cyclothymia developing into bipolar disorder

• reduce your symptoms

• stop your symptoms coming back

You’ll probably need to continue this treatment for the rest of your life. 

Medicines

You may be prescribed:

• medicines to level out your mood (mood stabilisers)

• antidepressants

Mood stabilisers include:

• lithium – commonly used to treat bipolar disorder

• anti-epileptic drugs – such as carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine or sodium valproate

Antidepressants may help improve your low moods, but they may cause you to switch to the other extreme of hypomania.

Recently, some antipsychotics such as quetiapine have also been used as mood stabilisers.

But not all people with cyclothymia respond to medicine.

Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy, such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), can help with cyclothymia. CBT involves talking to a trained therapist to find ways to help you manage your symptoms by changing the way you think and behave. You’ll be given practical ways to improve your state of mind on a daily basis.

Source: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/cyclothymia/ 

 

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