Dysthymia, Minor Depression - Symptoms and Treatment

Apocalypse Suicide Page
Good Mood
Living with Depression
Mental Health Recovery
NIMH
SHOCKED! ECT

HealthyPlace.com Radio
Depression Support Groups

Books on Depression
Conference Transcripts
Depression Videos
Diaries - Journals
Disorders Definitions
Mental Health News
Online Depression Tests
Psychiatric Medications
Resources
Site Map

Email
ICQ
Instant Messenger

Visit and Post

Abuse
ADD/ADHD
Addictions
Anxiety-Panic
Bipolar
Eating Disorders
Personality Disorders
Self-Injury

send this page to a friend

Dysthymia (Minor Depression)

Dysthymia is a disorder with similar, but longer-lasting and milder symptoms than clinical depression. By the standard psychiatric definition, this disorder lasts for at least two years, but is less disabling than major depression; for example, victims are usually able to go on working and do not need to be hospitalized.

About three percent of the population will suffer from dysthymia at some time - a rate slightly lower than the rate of major depression. Like major depression, dysthymia occurs twice as often in women as it does in men. It is also more common among the poor and the unmarried. The symptoms of dysthymia usually appear in adolescence or young adulthood but in some cases do not emerge until middle age.

The symptoms of Dysthymia are:

poor school/work performance
social withdrawal
shyness
irritable hostility
conflicts with family and friends
physiological abnormalities
sleep irregularities
parents with major depression

At least three-quarters of people with dysthymia have some other psychiatric or medical disorder as well.

What Dysthymia Is Like

Jill is now 42 years old and she reports never really feeling happy. She says that there were times when she felt that her life was going better than other times, but she never really remembers getting any joy out of her life. Jill reports that she is always negative about anything new that is suggested to her by others. She never really felt that any man was right for her and, as a result, Jill has been single all of her life. It is hard for her to laugh and Jill says that she’s never had a sense of humor. She sighs often and always has the feeling that she is carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders. She also has a chronic problem with her weight. Jill is forever on a diet, but her weight has always gone up and down like a yo-yo. She reports the need to sleep a great deal, but at times she has insomnia and walks around feeling tired all day. Jill blames this on her chronic low level of energy. She has always agonized over what for others would be simple decisions. Jill states that she hates her indecisiveness. Other people are always accusing her of spending half her day disagreeing with herself. As far back as junior high school, her guidance counselor told her that she needed to work on her low self-esteem. Jill feels that at her age, it is too late to change and she has accepted that she will always be unhappy and unfulfilled.

Jill is suffering from the milder, but longer lasting form of depression known as dysthymia. Dysthymia is also known as minor depression and is characterized by its long-lasting quality. People often suffer from this condition all of their lives. Dysthymia is typically diagnosed in people who have been experiencing its symptoms almost all day every day for two years with no greater than a two month span without the symptoms. In children and adolescents, the primary symptom is different from that of adults. Adults primarily have sadness, whereas children and adolescents often display irritability and defiance. Children also tend to do worse in school during times of depression. Besides feeling depressed, two of the following symptoms must be present for dysthymia to be diagnosed: poor appetite or overeating, problems sleeping or oversleeping, low energy, low self-esteem, poor concentration, difficulty making decisions, and feelings of hopelessness.

Dysthymia affects two to three women for every man, and is thought to begin in childhood and adolescence. Left untreated, dysthymia will usually continue through a person’s life. People who have dysthymia often have other disorders such as a phobia, anxiety disorder, or a personality disorder.

Current Treatments for Dysthymia

Medications

In multiple clinical studies, both Prozac and Tofranil have been shown to be effective treatments for Dysthymia. The response rate to antidepressant therapy is usually around 62%; whereas the response rate to placebo therapy ranges from 19% to 44%.

Therapy

Psychotherapy or cognitive therapy (also known as "talk therapy") is used to alter people’s self-defeating thoughts.
Behavioral therapy may help people learn how to act in a more "positive approach" to life and to communicate better with friends, family, and co-workers.

advertisement

Psychotherapy is used to treat this depression in several ways. First, supportive counseling can help to ease the pain, and can address the feelings of hopelessness. Second, cognitive therapy is used to change the pessimistic ideas, unrealistic expectations, and overly critical self-evaluations that create the depression and sustain it. Cognitive therapy can help the depressed person recognize which life problems are critical, and which are minor. It also helps them to learn how to accept the life problems that cannot be changed. Third, problem solving therapy is usually needed to change the areas of the person's life that are creating significant stress, and contributing to the depression. Behavioral therapy can help you to develop better coping skills, and interpersonal therapy can assist in resolving relationship conflicts.

Seeing a Psychiatrist vs. Family Doctor

In many cases, the symptoms are hard to recognize and classify, and the response to treatment is unpredictable. Most people with dysthymia see only their family doctor, who may misdiagnose them, especially if the main complaints are physical. Many people do not think of themselves as depressed, and are relieved to be told they have a treatable illness.

Unfortunately, mental health professionals are usually consulted only when major depression develops, although dysthymia alone may lead to alcoholism or suicide. Even when it is recognized, dysthymia is difficult to treat. The longer a depression lasts the slower the recovery.

If you recognize the signs of dysthymia or any other type of depression, see a psychiatrist - a specialist in diagnosing and treating psychiatric - psychological disorders.