Dysthymia

Dysthymia Overview

While there are a lot of possible causes for a persistent "blah" mood, dysthymia, as a form of depression, is one possibility. Dysthymia is a long-standing mental illness where a person shows symptoms of sadness and a low mood. Dysthymia, if not treated, can take over a person’s life. According to a survey in Clinical Epidemiology and Global Health, Volume 26, 3-6% of people suffer from dysthymia in India. Any age group can suffer from this disorder. People suffering from this illness feel upset and sad for days, months, or years, which doesn’t go away irrespective of the circumstances. Dysthymia is similar to major depressive disorder, but the symptoms of dysthymia are low-grade compared to MDD.

What Is Dysthymia?

Dysthymia is also known as persistent depressive disorder. It is one of two main types of clinical depression; the symptoms of dysthymia are mild compared to major depressive disorder. The American Psychiatric Association has defined dysthymia as a depressed mood that lasts for a long time, at least two years. This will be associated with the symptoms of improper appetite, irregular sleep patterns, fatigue, low energy, low confidence, poor concentration, etc. This can disrupt the career, relationships, and overall lifestyle.

What Are the Types of Dysthymia?

Dysthymia doesn’t have any types or sub-categories; dysthymia itself is a subtype of clinical depression.

What Causes Dysthymia?

Doctors have found one or more causes of dysthymia in patients, including:

• Biological Differences: Brain structure alteration can be an aetiology of dysthymia. It is still uncertain how brain differences affect dysrhythmia.
• Brain Chemistry: According to surveys and research, changes in neurotransmitters can lead to the disorder.
• Genetic Traits: A person with an ancestral history of similar illness is prone to suffer from dysthymia. These can be your first-degree family members, e.g., parents, children, or siblings.
• Life Incidents: Agonising life history such as a beloved’s death or financial burden can alter a person’s mental stability, leading to dysthymia.
• Negative Personality Traits: Your personality in general, the way you look or perceive the world, and the way you experience the world can lead to or be a risk factor for getting this condition.

What Are the Symptoms of Dysthymia?

A person will show the following signs and symptoms of dysthymia:

• Loss of interest: An individual loses their interests and desires in things that they once enjoyed doing. This is termed “anhedonia” in the therapy world. For example, you loved painting or playing the guitar, but you have stopped it because it doesn’t bring you joy.
• Unbalanced Appetite: Poor eating or overeating is also a key sign. It can be a matter of concern if someone has a loss of appetite or an increased appetite. You must notice if you have been eating too much or too little lately.
• Irregular Sleep Schedule: People may have insomnia or hypersomnia. For example, you cannot sleep at all and struggle to sleep. It is like you may want to sleep all day long and never want to get out of bed. For you, getting out of bed becomes very difficult.
• Low energy levels or dizziness: People may feel lazy or constantly tired. You may not feel like performing work or daily tasks, and gradually your willpower decreases.
• Difficulty in focusing: People will have poor concentration, which would further create problems in decision-making.
• Low Self-Esteem: People will have low to no confidence. You will not think about your future, and you will have a feeling of hopelessness.

Diagnosis of Dysthymia

It is completely okay to reach out for help. The diagnostic criterion is that the symptoms are not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance or another medical condition, so again this is another exclusion criterion.

• Psychotherapy: A person’s mental condition can develop negativity in them. So psychotherapy helps to change your negative perception into positives. This helps them to change their entire lifestyle and face challenges with ease.
• Antidepressants: Doctors use different types of antidepressants to treat patients. It takes a few weeks to get effective results from these antidepressants. Your psychiatrist will guide you properly about when to start and stop taking the antidepressants.

Treatment of Dysthymia

The following are some of the most commonly used methods of dysthymia treatment by mental health experts:

• Psychoeducation: A patient is educated about their condition.
• Psychological Treatment: Talk therapies like CBT and interpersonal therapies can be used to understand the thoughts and change the mindset of the patient.
• Pharmacological Treatment: Medications like SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors), SNRIs (serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors), and TCAs (tricyclic antidepressants) are used for this condition.

Difference Between Dysthymia and Major Depressive Disorder

Living with Dysthymia

It is not easy to acknowledge and then accept that you have a mental illness. It is completely normal, just like physical illnesses, but the exaggeration has built a stigma about it. So firstly, it is quite a brave move by an individual to accept the diagnosis and treatment of dysthymia. It can be difficult to live with it, but one can cope with it.

• Self-Care: Take the best care of yourself. At your lows, you can enjoy doing leisure activities. Develop a hobby, practice yoga, go to the gym, paint, learn an art or dance form, and groom yourself. This can help in boosting your morale and reducing stress.
• Adequate Sleep: A proper sleep schedule with the right amount of sleep and rest helps in early recovery.
• Keep patience: It takes time to recover from the illness. Your suffering will end, but you should be patient undergoing treatment.
• Don't consume substances: Alcohol and substance use will relieve you temporarily, but doctors say it is dangerous in the long run.
• Maintain a journal: You can put down your thoughts by writing a journal. You can express your intrusive thoughts without the fear of judgement.

How to Support Loved Ones With Dysthymia

Supportive people play an important role in a dysthymia patient’s life. For you, it can be heartbreaking to see your loved ones struggle and not be themselves. You can also follow the below-mentioned steps to support your loved ones with dysthymia:

• Motivate them to find help: Patients are hesitant to seek help due to the stigma, so you can encourage them to find the right treatment. You can research the best psychiatric treatment that is available nearby.
• Look for warning signs: Guide the person with depression to contact their psychiatrists to create a plan for what to do when their symptoms are uncontrollable.
• Understand the risks of suicide: People with dysthymia can be suicidal. Be observant enough to understand if they are indicating signs of suicide and seek help.
• Be an active listener. Make them feel that they are not alone and that you are there for them. Listen to how they feel without being judgemental and reactive. It can help them in healing if you just listen and understand them.

How Jagruti Rehabilitation Centre Is Helpful in Dysthymia Treatment?

An individual must accept that they need help. The sooner you reach out for help, the sooner we start talking about it, and the sooner we can help lift the cloud of this disorder. The Jagruti Rehabilitation Centre has depression specialists who are experienced in treating the full spectrum of dysthymia. We have the resources needed to manage your dysthymia challenges and develop the treatment plan and support system to handle triggers and symptoms. Reach out to us today.

Myths About Dysthymia

Statistics about Dysthymia

• As per the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), dysthymia affects around 1.5% of adults in the United States. It is estimated that 49.7% of individuals living with dysthymia experienced severe repercussions from their symptoms.
• Dysthymia occurs in women at a rate three times greater than in men.
• People diagnosed with borderline personality disorder also have dysthymia 70% of the time.
• Dysthymia and mood disorders coexist with substance use disorder in 30–40% of cases.
• The NIMH reports that around 11.2% of teens between the ages of 13 and 18 experience depressive disorders at some point in their lives.