# Dysthymic Disorder



## Arisa1536 (Dec 8, 2009)

*From* http://www.amoryn.com/zzdepressioninformation.html 


> Dysthymic Disorder (or "dysthymia") is milder but longer-lasting form of depression. People with dysthymia find little joy or excitement in life - but instead feel *bored, worried, sluggish, and/or irritable - for long stretches of time. Unlike a major depressive episode, which although severe may only last for weeks or months, dysthymia can persist for years (or even decades in some cases)*. Adults that developed dysthymia early in life may believe that it's *normal to feel depressed all the time*, and as a result they often do not recognize the disorder or take steps to treat it. Dysthymia affects about 3% of the population at any given time, and about 6% of all people will experience dysthymia at some point in their life.


*Has anyone else been diagnosed with this ?*
My psychiatrist recently told me about if, after he stuffed up with the ADHD thing lol
its always been there, and all the docs and shrinks i have seen have written down on their notes that i displayed symptoms of dysthymic-disorder and i was not aware of it until he told me that i had it lol. He was the first pdoc to actually mention it to me, the others just put me on different meds which i now knew were to try to treat dysthymia

The best medications for this are apparently *Tricyclics* like imipramine and nortryptaline *MAOI's* especially nardil, *SSRI's* including fluoxetine and Celexa, *SNRI* meds cymbalta and effexor and *NRI *Medication, Buproprion (wellbutrin)

any ideas? feedback, experiences????/


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## Ramondo (Feb 16, 2011)

To me, Dysthymia is simply mild depression. It's simply a description. If you study the definitions and diagnostic criteria, you'll find that there's no actual difference from depression except that's it's milder and doesn't warrant a diagnosis of Major Depression. The treatment is similar.
The reason your doctors probably haven't mentioned this diagnosis is that it doesn't really help much. You already know you have chronic mild depression (you've told _them_ that much). The diagnosis simply means they can't find another more specific reason for it.


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## broflovski (Feb 1, 2011)

I have not been clearly diagnosed with dysthymia, but prefer this category to major depression for characterization of my state (my doc tells about "depressive episodes", but we have original terminology here). At the same time I suffer from anhedonia, that is one of the diagnostic criteria for major depression. But as Ramondo mentioned the practical consequence was the same: i take meds indicated for depression.


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## Arisa1536 (Dec 8, 2009)

Ramondo said:


> To me, Dysthymia is simply mild depression. It's simply a description. If you study the definitions and diagnostic criteria, you'll find that there's no actual difference from depression except that's it's milder and doesn't warrant a diagnosis of Major Depression. The treatment is similar.
> The reason your doctors probably haven't mentioned this diagnosis is that it doesn't really help much. You already know you have chronic mild depression (you've told _them_ that much). The diagnosis simply means they can't find another more specific reason for it.


Well it certainly does not feel milder and from what i read dysthymia lasts for decades and leads to other disorders such as SA, GAD and ADHD


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## Monroee (Aug 26, 2009)

Arisa1536 said:


> Well it certainly does not feel milder.


It may not feel like a milder form of Major Depression, but it is. Dysthymic Depression usually lacks the major components of Major Depression, such as the hypersomnia/insomnia, the loss of interest that leads to failure in school or loss of jobs, and suicidal thoughts/gestures/attempts.

Dysthymic Disorder lasts longer but is less extreme.


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## Arisa1536 (Dec 8, 2009)

Homersxchild said:


> It may not feel like a milder form of Major Depression, but it is. Dysthymic Depression usually lacks the major components of Major Depression, such as the hypersomnia/insomnia, the loss of interest that leads to failure in school or loss of jobs, and suicidal thoughts/gestures/attempts.
> 
> Dysthymic Disorder lasts longer but is less extreme.


wow really? well all those symptoms you described is what i have and have ad happen to me like Insomnia/hypersomnia, loss of jobs, failed school, and intense periods of severe depression especially in the autumn and increased anxiety and depression in the spring.

i thought Dysthymic Disorder was what i had described above, severe symptoms and episodes of chronic depression and mania, bad mood swing that wont go away and seasonal effective disorder

perhaps i was wrong, well the pdoc then for diagnosing me with it when major depression crops up once a year, around the same time march/april and october/November


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## Noca (Jun 24, 2005)

Quoted from the DSM-IV-TR


> Quoted from the DSM-IV-TR
> 
> 300.4 Dysthymic Disorder
> A. Depressed mood for most of the day, for more days than not, as indicated either by subjective account or observation by others, for at least 2 years. Note: In children and adolescents, mood can be irritable and duration must be at least 1 year.
> ...


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## sparky10 (Dec 30, 2008)

Ive had this most of my life now when i come to think of it. Never been diagnosed but it was definetely there before the depression struck. If you have this then get major depresiion it is called double dip. It is long lasting and chronic but milder than serious depression. It still makes life unenjoyable along with the other symptoms descibed above.


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## Arisa1536 (Dec 8, 2009)

sparky10 said:


> Ive had this most of my life now when i come to think of it. Never been diagnosed but it was definetely there before the depression struck. If you have this then get major depresiion it is called double dip. It is long lasting and chronic but milder than serious depression. It still makes life unenjoyable along with the other symptoms descibed above.


Double dip? yeah perfect  it sucks
although i guess on a different medication it can be lightened up a bit


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## Ramondo (Feb 16, 2011)

Arisa1536 said:


> Well it certainly does not feel milder and from what i read dysthymia lasts for decades and leads to other disorders such as SA, GAD and ADHD


I'm not trying to deny the seriousness of your depression at all. But that's what Dysthymic Disorder means, as you can see for yourself in criteria D posted above.
If you have had a Major Depressive episode, you probably have chronic major depression. But you can see for yourself from the criteria that sometimes there's not much difference. (I'd say no difference, except for severity, and that Major Depression can be an isolated event, whereas dysthymia is, by definition, longterm.)
As far dysthymia leading to anxiety disorders, sure, but no more than lots of other things that can lead to anxiety. And, of course, anxiety disorders can lead to depression of chronic dysthymia.

Remember that a lot of these DSM diagnoses are *descriptions*, especially in the personality disorders and anxiety and depression areas. They don't have the solidity and specificity of a diagnosis of, say, cancer or diabetes, or even schizophrenia. 
Also, DSM is only one diagnostic model of psychological disorders. ICD10 is another. The WHO criteria might be another. There's a lot of different ways that therapists (and patients) can interpret symptoms, esp. psychological ones. For instance, what's the difference between SA and being severely shy? - One possible answer: one is a medicalised term for the other for which doctors have developed diagnostic criteria.


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## Arisa1536 (Dec 8, 2009)

Ramondo said:


> I'm not trying to deny the seriousness of your depression at all. But that's what Dysthymic Disorder means, as you can see for yourself in criteria D posted above.
> If you have had a Major Depressive episode, you probably have chronic major depression. But you can see for yourself from the criteria that sometimes there's not much difference. (I'd say no difference, except for severity, and that Major Depression can be an isolated event, whereas dysthymia is, by definition, longterm.)
> As far dysthymia leading to anxiety disorders, sure, but no more than lots of other things that can lead to anxiety. And, of course, anxiety disorders can lead to depression of chronic dysthymia.
> 
> ...


ah yes u are quite right 
major depression was my first ever diagnoses when i was 17 and finally got help from a shrink, is it possible for major depression to be a long term disorder similar to dysthymia?


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## Ramondo (Feb 16, 2011)

Arisa1536 said:


> , is it possible for major depression to be a long term disorder similar to dysthymia?


Certainly.


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## WalkingDisaster (Nov 27, 2010)

I haven't told anyone or been diagnosed but I've done around 5-10 tests online and all but one of them said I probably suffer from dysthymia.


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## Arisa1536 (Dec 8, 2009)

Ramondo said:


> Certainly.


ah interesting well i guess its probably a mixture of major depressive episodes and seasonal affective disorder.


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## partaluna777 (May 20, 2011)

-Is it possible for this kind of depression to be cured only with St John's Wort and a change in lifestyle,way of thinking,etc?


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## Noca (Jun 24, 2005)

partaluna777 said:


> -Is it possible for this kind of depression to be cured only with St John's Wort and a change in lifestyle,way of thinking,etc?


Prolly


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## APGUPTA (Apr 23, 2013)

*I wish there were some cure to depression.*

Have a look at:http://www.depressionny.com/q&a.htm
_*Dysthymic disorder can be thought of as a paradoxical disorder*_

In my opinion, there is NO cure to Dysthymia. I have suffered for more than 25 yrs. and still going on....Well the things that I have tried are:
1. Ayurveda treatment including St John's Wort or Gensing ,herbs etc.
2. Homeopathic treatments.
3. Allopathic medications. Now more that 50 different medicines I've tried and visited many hospitals/doctors,research centres.
4.Hyphnotheraphy, even learnt Hypnosis.
5. Meditations like T.M. , Reiki, Yogasans, Aeorobics, Art of Living,Prayanams, Went to Lots of Ashrams and met lots of GODMEN, did lots of short Courses., joined various Forums and awakening of Kundalini etc.
6. Went to lots of religious shrines and holy places, read lots of spiritual books, listened to lots of healing programs including 3 minutes cure to depression etc.
7. Went to lots of Astrologers and spent fortune in buying real stone/gems according to planets position/date of birth etc.
8.Performed lots of religious rites, worshipping ,donated lots of money.
9. Magnet theraphy, Ayurvedic style of body massage,healing etc.

Still I'm the same person though learnt that what cannot be cured, must be endured. Anyway,this is my struggle for existence..Life is too long to live.I've already lived 2/3 rd of it. 1/3rd is still left.I wish life were a bit short.


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## vitaminu100 (Jul 18, 2011)

I've been diagnosed with this... you might be interested in reading up on mixed anxiety-depressive disorder, it's pretty much the same thing but with mild anxiety mixed in.


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## coldplay (Aug 1, 2013)

I know this is an old thread but I was looking at depression types today and came across dysthymia and wow, this is so me. Does anyone in the UK have this and what are the first steps when you visit your GP? What sort of treatment are you getting?


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