DYSTHYMIA

SYMPTOMS

Dysthymia symptoms typically come and go over a period of years, and their severity can vary significantly. But the symptoms normally do not go away for longer than two months at a time. Additionally, the series of major depression periods can happen before or during the attack, sometimes referred to as double depression.

Symptoms can cause severe disability which includes the following:

• Hopelessness
• Loss of interest in daily activities
• Sadness, emptiness or feeling down
• Tiredness and lack of energy
• Low self-esteem, self-criticism or feeling incapable
• Irritability or excessive anger
• Decreased activity, effectiveness and productivity
• Avoidance of social activities
• Feelings of guilt and worries over the past
• Poor appetite or overeating
• Sleep problems
• Trouble concentrating and trouble making decisions

The symptoms in children can include irritability and depression.

DIAGNOSIS

For the doctors to come up with a precise diagnosis of the condition, they will advise the patients to have physical exams.

The physician may also conduct blood tests or several other laboratory tests to rule out any medical problems that could cause your illnesses. If the physical examination was found normal, the physician may suspect a mental health condition. 

Your primary care physician will ask you a couple of inquiries to decide your present mental and physical condition. With the help of the patient’s responses, the physician will recognize if the patient has PDD or pervasive developmental disorder or different kinds of mental illness. 

TREATMENT

The two primary therapies for dysthymia are medicines and psychotherapy.