What is dysthymia?

Dysthymia is a low grade chronic depression, formerly viewed as a character trait that was difficult to treat, but is now known to be responsive to antidepressant pharmacotherapy. It is being depressed most days, for most of the day, for at least two years and not without symptoms for more than two months at a time.

The DSM-IV defined dysthymia in adult requires at least two of the following:
*Poor appetite or overeating
*Insomnia or hyper-insomnia
*Low energy or fatique
*Low self esteem
*Poor concentration
*Feelings of hopelessness

The symptoms are required to cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational or other important areas of functioning and not to be cause by the direct physiological effects of a substance.

Dysthymia is more common in women less than 65 years of age, unmarried person, and young persons with low income.

In children and adolescent, dysthymia may be characterized by irritability (instead of sadness) and has to persist only for at least one year.
What is dysthymia?

Understand the Depression

Understand the Depression
There are two major type of depression. In the first depression or unipolar depression, the patient’s mood varies between being either normal or depressed; he or she never becomes excessively elated. In the second, manic-depression or bipolar illness, the patient’s mood varies between being depresses and being “high” or “euphoric.” In the past manic-depression was sometimes called manic-depression psychosis. Psychosis is another word for “insanity,” including symptoms such as delusions (false beliefs) and hallucinations. The mostly people with manic depression are never psychotic.

Dysthymia refers to a state of mild chronic depression. Cyclothymia refers to a condition in which the person’s moods swing up and down for days, weeks, or moths at a time, with symptoms that are not as severe as those in manic depression.

There is also much confusion about whether these illnesses are produced by psychological experiences or by malfunctioning within the brain (a chemical imbalance). The major point is that depression, manic depression, dysthymic disorder, and cyclothymic disorder are disease, the product of abnormal biological functioning.
Understand the Depression

Is adolescence really a Period of Storm and Stress?

Is adolescence really a Period of Storm and Stress? Are adolescents really more likely to experience psychological problems than either children or adults? The conclusion is that adolescents have a far worse reputation than they deserve. 

It is simply not true that most adolescents are emotionally disturbed or that most develop significant problems such as drug abuse and chronic delinquency. Instead, significant psychopathology characterizes only in a minority of adolescents, and many of them were maladjusted before they reached puberty and continue to be maladjusted during adulthood. 

In a comprehensive survey of mental health researchers discovered that about 10% of a sample of 14 year olds appeared to have serious psychological disorders and another 10% could be described as very miserable and negative about themselves. Rates of diagnosed psychological disorder were slightly higher in this population of 14 year olds than among a group of 10 year olds or among the parent of the youngsters studied. 

Yet adolescence is a period of heightened vulnerability to some forms of psychological disorder. After all, adolescents must cope with physical maturation, the emergence of new cognitive abilities, dating, changes in family dynamics, moves to new and more complex school setting societal demands to become more responsible and to assume adult roles, and more . 

Most adolescents seem to cope with these challenges remarkable well and undergo impressive psychological growth, although it is not unusual for them to feel depressed, anxious, and irritable now and then. For a minority, the stresses of adolescent can precipitate serious psychological disorders. 

Is adolescence really a Period of Storm and Stress?