Dysthymia - AKA Chronic Mild Depression

This page discusses dysthymia.

One of the more often undiagnosed and untreated mental disorders, chronic mild depression can still be a difficult disorder to deal with, particularly if the severe episodes begin occurring more frequently.

One of the worst things about this illness is that the symptoms last longer than nearly any other kind of depression, including major depressive disorder; for this to fit the DSM, it needs to persist for longer than two years.

This illness can be particularly insidious because people may eventually internalize these sorts of feelings, and simply come to believe that they are a depressive sort, or mistake symptoms of their illness for aspects of their character itself.

Doctors may not even catch this mental illness, because those who suffer from it tend to be loath to discuss their problem with anyone, including their doctors, and those closest to them.

Some basic symptoms of chronic mild depression are:

• Lack of personal pleasure – Sometimes, a lack of ambition can be a symptom of this condition. Having a low capacity to experience the enjoyable aspects of life can also be indicative of someone who suffers from dysthymia.

• Withdrawing from life – Another indicator of chronic mild depression is when someone just withdraws from interacting with the people around them, in an attempt to avoid having to experience stress or failure. In the most severe cases, people completely stop engaging with day to day activities entirely.

• Difficulty in reaching diagnosis, yet a persistent feeling something is wrong – As noted above, this particular condition can be difficult to diagnose successfully. If you have been treated for other conditions, but haven’t experienced relief from your symptoms, you may want to consider that you may be suffering from it.

If you suspect that you suffer from this condition, you should speak with a mental health professional.

Chronic mild depression shouldn’t be something that should hold you back from enjoying life; it is treatable and curable.

Hopefully, with the proper treatment you can conquer this condition and move on to living a normal life.

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