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.