Dysthymia: Symptoms, Causes, Diagonosis, and Treatment | My Fit Brain

Dysthymia or Persistent Depressive Disorder is a stage when depression reaches a chronic level or it can be said that it reaches its maximum level. It is actually a new diagnosis in a combination with dysthymia and Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). 

The symptom that Dysthymia has similar to other disorders is a feeling of deep sadness and hopelessness. And, this negative feeling of sadness develops negative thoughts in your mind which hinders your physical activities as well. Your mind no longer cooperates with your body and this creates an overall imbalance in the body. This accompanies the loss of appxetite and irregular sleep cycle of the patient and as a result, the patient starts losing interest in the activities that he used to love once. 

All of the above symptoms are the same as the other form of depression. But in PDD, the symptoms are less severe and longer-lasting. They can persist for years and may interfere with school, work, and personal relationships. 

The nature of Dysthymia and the duration of the disorder (we have already stated that these are long-lasting) makes it difficult for the patients to overcome the disease in the best possible manner. But these can be eased out with talk therapy (psychotherapy) and proper medication. 

Symptoms of Persistent Depressive Disorder: 

Many of the symptoms of PDD are similar to that of the other forms of depression. The only difference that Dysthymia has is the severity of the disorder and it is chronic and symptoms can last for about 2 years or more depending upon the patient's condition. 

These symptoms can be included with: 

1. Continuous feelings of sadness and hopelessness 
2. Irregular sleep cycle or insomnia sometimes
3. low energy level
4. Increased or loss of appetite
5. Low concentration power
6. inability to take decisions
7. Lack of interest in daily chores
8. Poor productivity
9. Low self-esteem
10. Negative attitude towards everything
11. Find themselves unable to participate in social activities 

The symptoms of PDD can start at any age and can happen to children of any age group. Its symptoms begin to appear during childhood or adolescence. Teenagers find themselves irritated all the time, moody, or pessimistic over a longer period of time. Some behavioral problems may also appear sometimes with poor academic performance and difficulty in

developing social participation skills. This may go on and these symptoms may retain in them over a longer period of time. 

Causes of Persistent Depressive Disorder (PDD): 

Unlike other forms of depression, the exact cause of Dysthymia is still unknown. But we can consider many factors stated below as the reasons that trigger PDD:

1. Chemical imbalances in the brain
2. Family history of some sort of depression
3. A history of other mental health disorders, such as anxiety or schizophrenia, etc.
4. Some past abuse or traumatic life events, such as the death of a loved one or financial crisis in the family
5. Physical illness reached a chronic level, such as heart disease or cancer.
6. Traumatic events that affected brain 

Diagnosis of Persistent Depressive Disorder: 

For the diagnosis, you may need to book an appointment for the best psychologist in your city and rush to the best psychologist at their scheduled time. The psychologist will conduct some tests on you like- Thyroid test, CBC, etc. to ensure that there isn't any physical health issue that is making your depression level high. 

After that, they will begin with your treatment plan. Your psychologist will examine and observe your symptoms and start the treatment accordingly. 

The psychologist will have a questionnaire for your psychological evaluation to look for signs of Dysthymia with stated symptoms. They will have a set of questionnaires that will include asking about: 

1. Symptoms
2. Personal life
3. Past experiences
4. Current medications
5. Personal or family history 

Treatment of Persistent Depressive Disorder: 

Treatment of PDD starts often with talk therapy which is the most effective way to treat people with this condition. 

Here are some ways by which your psychologist may treat you with Dysthymia : 

1. Medication

Patients with Dysthymia have mostly prescribed antidepressant medications but one thing you need to know is that your lifestyle adjustments also help you step out of this disorder. If the patient's conditions worsen or if they have suicidal thoughts then they may have to stay in the hospital in order to prevent them to hurt themselves.

You should never stop taking the medications as prescribed without consulting your psychologist first. If you stop treatment by yourself or miss several doses, you may have the symptoms back again and this will make depressive symptoms worse. 

2. Talk Therapy or Psycho Therapy

It works like magic along with medication. If you talk about and share what you're feeling right now and why then it will soothe your inner being. So this would be the first priority while beginning with medications and treatment. 

Talk therapy helps you to: 

Express your thoughts and feelings in the healthiest way

1. Helps you fight with emotional imbalance
2. Help you in adjustment to life challenges or major happenings in life helps you to identify thoughts, behaviors, or emotions that worsen your symptoms.
3. Helps you to replace negative thoughts with positive ones 
4. Helps you to live with satisfaction and confidence. 

3. Lifestyle changes

If you want to move out of this disorder, you need to take your first step forward by yourself. You can do this by making some adjustments in your daily life routine. 

The only thing you need to do is:

1. Avoidance of drugs and alcohol as these are nervous system depressants and makes your symptom worsen.
2. Practice exercising daily 
3. Get enough sleep and make a change in your irregular sleep patterns.
4. Make yourself good with relaxation techniques, Like deep breathing and meditation, etc. 
5. Take the sunshine and believe me you will shine brighter than the sun!

Get help from India's best online Therapists.

if you are suffering from depression or any other problem, feel free to contact us we have a team of professional doctors, they can help to solve your problem.

contact us now!!