Dysthymia

Dysthymia General Information

Dysthymia is a form of depression. It is represented by moods that are significantly low, but not that severe as in other forms of depression. The alternative names of this mood disorder are: dysthymic disorder, depression-chronic, neurotic depression or chronic depression. This mild and enduring type of depression affects more women than men, (usually two or even three times more). Dysthymia often goes undiagnosed and therefore, untreated, because the patients think that being depressed is normal. This happens due to the fact that the medical condition appears early in the life of a person (usually in the childhood to an early adult age). The seeking of help is significantly delayed; more than ten years usually pass before the patients suffering from this mood disorder actually realize that something is wrong with them and that they need medical guidance. Also called minor depression, Dysthymia affects more than 5% of the globe population. More prone to develop it are those people who have close relatives with important and serious depressive disorders. But having this medical condition increases the risk of developing major depressive problems. It is well known that more than 8% of the people suffering of this type of depressive disorder end up developing major depression. Sometimes, both types of depression may appear and it is said that the patient has “double depression”. What really causes the dysthymic disorder is not yet known for sure. Sometimes, trauma or chronic stress may determine the occurrence of this medical condition.

Dysthymia Symptoms

Dysthymia itself is not as severe as any other forms of depression so that the signs and symptoms are milder and longer-lasting. So, the patients do not require hospitalization and can continue going to work. Having psychological and psychical effects, this disease may lead to impaired functioning in all social areas. The main signs and symptoms of this mood problem are the sad, dark or very low moods that persist for more than three years and are present almost every day in a patient’s life. Along these, some additional signs and symptoms may be involved, such as: poor concentration, shyness, problems with sleep, feelings of hopelessness, conflicts with everyone around (especially family and friends), poor performance at school or at work, overeating or poor appetite, low self-esteem, intense tiredness (severe fatigue) and almost no energy. The sleep irregularities can transform in hypersomnia or insomnia. In young people, if the causes leading to Dysthymia persist, the disease results in worsening signs and symptoms and in an increased isolation. In the elder ones, this medical disorder may be caused by cognitive decline, some medical illnesses, physical disability and bereavement. A person is considered to suffer from this mood problem only if the symptoms were experienced for at least three years and the periods without any manifestations were no longer than two or three months. This medical condition can trigger some symptoms and signs that have not been listed here. Although they are rarer than the ones that we have listed above, you should contact your personal health care provider and ask him or her to give you a complete list of the symptoms that could be caused by this disorder.

Dysthymia Treatment

If you find yourself in the description of Dysthymia, you should call your health care provider and set up an emergency appointment. The mood disorders are very important and since this one tends to control a person’s life since childhood, you should seek medical attention as soon as possible if you think you are suffering from this type of depression. Most people seek help after more than six or seven years. This is not good for their condition because if a person seeks sooner treatments for his or her problem then his or her chances to avoid further severe diseases and to recover are higher. When seeing a doctor, he will evaluate the patient’s mental health and will want to know the medical mood health history, as well as the symptoms and signs that have been present in the past few moths. Mental health professional are very rarely consulted, only in major cases, when more severe depressive problems have already occurred. So if you recognize any symptoms and signs of Dysthymia, it is best to refer to a medical specialist that deals with psychological and psychiatric health problems, called a psychiatrist. If you postpone your examination, then the Dysthymia will aggravate and your chances to recover will get lower.

Once the diagnosis is established, a doctor has many methods of treatment for this type of patient, but he must decide which one concords better with the individual and will offer efficient and quick results. The current most effective therapies are those based on medication. The drugs are actually serotonin reuptake inhibitors and some examples that we can offer are the well known Prozac (fluoxetine), Zoloft (a sertaraline) and Effexor (a venlafaxine). Other therapies are based on Tofranil (Imipramine), a tricyclic antidepressant. This type of treatment is called antidepressant therapy and has a benefic response rate of more than 60%. All these medication treatments against Dysthymia can also determine a series of some adverse effects, including reduced sex drive, an upset stomach or a mild insomnia. Other types of therapies include the behavioral therapy and the cognitive therapy also known as psychotherapy or talk therapy. The first one tries to help people communicate better with those who surround them, for example: co-workers, friends and family and wants to teach them how to act in a more positive approach in their life. The second one searches to change the unrealistic expectations, the self-evaluations that are way to critical and the pessimism that usually leads to Dysthymia. This one is important because it helps the individual to distinguish between those aspects of life are truly important and those that are not. It is of major significance to change the area that creates stress and contributes to the depression. A combination of medication and talk therapies has given amazing results in many cases. It has really efficient and quick results.