Dysthymic Disorder

Question: What's the difference between clinical depression and dysthymic disorder? I know clinical depression is more serious, but lasts shorter, while Dysthymic disorder [or dysthymia] is chronic and less severe. But, is there another difference in between them? Like, what types of things would cause dysthymia and clinical depression? Is it a chemical imbalance or something like that? Or does it just develop? I just want to understand what I have to deal with better. =/

Answer: Life changing events can cause either. Often in a life changing event it takes six months to settle into the change. If not an adjustment disorder occurs which can lead to clinical depression. Depression is not a simple topic as it can be organic, or caused by life stressors. (Reactive). Dysthemia is just a general feeling of being down, whereas depression is acute and has sometimes debilitating symptoms. Both can be organic (chemical) both can be due to life events.

Question: Are there more boys or girls diagnosed with Dysthymic Disorder? I've read in many places that Dysthymic Disorder seems to occur equally in both sexes in children. However, I've also come across a few articles stating that some studies suggest that the disorder occurs more frequently in adolescent boys than girls. Does anybody have any knowledge on this matter? I'd greatly appreciate your input. Thanks.

Answer: Considerably more females are depressed than males, and there is a grey area between mild/moderate depression, and dysthymia, (depending on the length of time) but there are people who cycle between the two. Google: "dysthymia; gender distribution"

Question: Can someone please explain Dysthymia or Dysthymic Disorder? My husband was recently diagnosed with Dysthymic Disorder. What can I expect from here? What are the symptoms, etc? Thank you!

Answer: Dysthymia is a mood disorder that falls within the depression spectrum. It is typically characterized by a lack of enjoyment or pleasure, clinically referred to as anhedonia, that continues for an extended period. Dysthymia differs from major depression in that the former is both longer-lasting and less disabling. Dysthymia can prevent a person from functioning effectively, disrupt sleep patterns, and interfere with activities of daily living (ADLs).

Question: What's the difference between Dysthymic Disorder and Major Depressive Disorder?

Answer: Think of them as the difference between a flu and a cold. Major depression, is more severe but doesn't last as long whereas a dysthymia is milder but chronic. Here are the symptoms of depression: Depression MILD Lack of motivation Low self esteem Feeling tired Isolating self - not seeing friends or family Sleeping too much Feeling sad or blue most days Thoughts of wanting to die from illness MODERATE Losing sleep Losing appetite Losing hope Thoughts of suicide with no intent Feeling helpless, trapped Having problems concentrating and/or making decisions SEVERE Feel hopeless and helpless Thoughts of suicide become obsessive Can be self destructive or self defeating Thoughts of suicide with intent People with dysthymia will stay in the mild range all of their lives if left untreated. It can be managed without medication however with proper diet and exercise. People with major depression go into the moderate and severe categories and usually need medication to deal with their suicidal thoughts. There are other types of depression as well such as bipolar, situational type depression, and grief.

Question: Can somebody tell me what they know about Dysthymic Disorder? especially any doctors out there...i would love for you to answer. all i know so far is that is a disorder about depression, and in order to be diagnosed with it, you have to have the symptoms for like a year or two. all info possible would be great!!!!

Answer: Depression that seems to last forever. People with Dysthymic Disorder tend to have a very negative outlook, difficulty making decisions and may have a lack of energy. Not as severe as Major Depression, and the diagnosis isn't used quite as often. http://www.emedicine.com/med/topic3120.h… I had been diagnosed with Major Depression, I used to think I fit the criteria for Dysthymic Disorder and I never mentioned it to my psychiatrist. Then, guess what, she changed my diagnosis to Dysthymic Disorder after I saw her for a few years. I took St. John's Wort and it gave me unbelievable stomach aches; I'll never take that stuff again. Maybe it worked for somebody, but not me. I have taken Desipramine, Paxil, Buspar, Seroquel and Cymbalta. Paxil and Cymbalta both worked well and I'm not even sure if one is better than the other. The side effects haven't bothered me very much. I read somewhere that some psychiatrists don't think there's really any real difference between Major Depression and Dysthymic Disorder. I can't remember where I read that, though. I have met people who work in mental health who say they never heard of it. I work in mental health medical records and I can definitely say the diagnosis of Major Depression is a lot more commonly used as a diagnosis among our clients.

Question: Can dysthymic disorder be severe enough to deem someone disabled and unable to work?

Answer: Yes. Dysthymia is a chronic low-grade depression. It's not as extreme as major depressive disorder, but because it's chronic it lasts longer, meaning that someone could go years only just about functioning. If they have a stressful job, it might be impossible for them to cope with it. Dysthymia has a high suicide rate because it can be so debilitating - the sufferer feels there is no hope because they have so few times of feeling better.

Question: What's the best way to fight dysthymic disorder?

Answer: Lots of excersise, lots of sunlight, laughter, good friends, doing things you enjoy, really, sounds wishy washy, but try it. If it doesn't work go to a doc and tell him your symptoms, or see a therapist. Good Luck

Question: What exactly is dysthymic disorder? Can this disorder be cured or controlled with medication?

Answer: Dysthymic Disorder is characterized by chronic depression, but with less severity than a major depression. The essential symptom for dysthymic disorder is an almost daily depressed mood for at least two years, but without the necessary criteria for a major depression. Low energy, sleep or appetite disturbances and low self-esteem are usually part of the clinical picture as well. The diagnostic criteria is as follows: * On the majority of days for 2 years or more, the patient reports depressed mood or appears depressed to others for most of the day. * When depressed, the patient has 2 or more of: Appetite decreased or increased Sleep decreased or increased Fatigue or low energy Poor self-image Reduced concentration or indecisiveness Feels hopeless * During this 2 year period, the above symptoms are never absent longer than 2 consecutive months. * During the first 2 years of this syndrome, the patient has not had a Major D

Question: Any hope for dysthymic disorder? I know I spelled that wrong. What hope is there, if you know, in the long term if you are dysthymic and have been your whole life?

Answer: As a mental health professional with 20+ years experience, now retired, I can tell you that, first of all, you spelled it correctly. Diagnostically speaking, a dysthymic disorder is a mild depression when you compare it to a Major Depression or Major Depressive Disorder. Interestingly, over the 20 some-odd years of my practice, the term has varied in it's scope, and the clinicians', from psychiatrists to caseworkers, understanding or "interpretation" of that disorder has changed noticeably, at some times actually becoming so befuddling to themselves as to make it a major clinicians' disorder as to which to diagnose: Dysthymic Disorder, with all it's variants or Major Depressive Disorder, with all it's variants. AND, I can promise you, a life of psychiatric medications IS NOT a requirement, BUT, you have to go to a counselor or counseling center that does NOT think that all life's solutions are through psychiatry. That may be hard to do since so much more money is made for the center if you're on psychiatric medications, especially if you've been able to be labeled as "disabled" by the Social Security Administration, who pays the center and the psychiatrist for each visit such a client makes. But you need to be specifically aware of their priorities: making money, or helping you. I know that sounds like a "cold and calloused" viewpoint, but I've been in the business long enough, and now don't have to "speak the party line" or "be politically correct", and I can tell you the facts as you may not have heard anyone tell you before. Go see a counselor or preacher who cares for their clients and not their clients wallets or pocketbooks, and you'll do excellently. Also, as an old American Indian doctor I worked with for about ten years always told his depressed clients, go for a walk four or five times a week. Just an easy walk, with no chores like walking the dog attached to it. Start out slowly, picking up some speed as your body loosens up, and then slow down as you get ready to return home so that your body doesn't have the tendency to cramp up from cooling off too fast. He once told me not to worry about such a simple solution. He said we'd always be in business anyway because the majority of our clients wanted some fancy-named diagnosis and some high-priced meds so they'd feel big about themselves, when all they really needed was some half-way decent walking shoes as opposed to the high-priced athletic shoes that you see everybody walking around in, and halfway decent weather. I promise you that he was VERY correct, but, we still had clients who wanted all the high-priced and big-named diagnoses and prescriptions, and so we stayed in business. My clinic is still in business and going strong years after my retirement, so he must have been wiser than we knew. God Bless you, and don't worry so much. Go for a walk. God be with you.

Question: What's a dead give away that you have Dysthymic Disorder?

Answer: There is no exact give away. However, if you pay close attention one will be very lazy, lethargic, unusually sad or uninterested in typical activities, or is simply depressed. Since Dysthymic Disorder is continuous depression for at least two years, it also helps to see a complete change in attitude for a long period of time. If it is a friend, listen closely to anything they say for any signs. Also, cutting may help show the disorder, but is probably not very likely. I hope I helped!