Dysthymia: A Type of Depression That's Hard to Diagnose

  How to treat dysthymia?

Inna Bekovs, symptoms of dysthymia began to appear at an early age. By the age of 13, she was experiencing financial problems, feelings of worthlessness, and a bleak outlook on life.

'I thought of myself as a realistic person, but I was always depressed. People are in a state where it seems completely normal.'

It took her parents some time to realize that their daughter’s behavior was unusual. The sudden outbursts of anger and irritability were a sign that she needed help.

“I would suddenly feel a sense of overwhelming happiness. Then it would suddenly disappear and be replaced by a feeling of sadness.”

Despite these symptoms, she was diagnosed when her depression had worsened. After a medical examination, it was discovered that she had dysthymia.

Many patients like Anna spend years with symptoms before they are diagnosed. It is often assumed that the behavior of such patients is part of their personality. And for this reason, the diagnosis of the disease is delayed.

Marcelo Hyde is a psychologist. He says that such patients usually go to the doctor only when their symptoms worsen and then they realize that they have an illness.

 

What is dysthymia?

Dysthymia is a persistent depressive disorder that can occur from childhood to age 21. According to the World Health Organization, six percent of the world's population suffers from this condition. 

The difference between dysthymia and the more common form of depression is that the person affected by it appears normal in everyday life, but it becomes difficult to work, study and perform some of the most common tasks of daily life.

 Marcia Hague is a psychologist at the University of Curitiba. According to her, such people can work, but they have to work very hard.

According to experts contacted by The Health Rise, there is still no consensus on the causes of the disease. It is generally believed that it can be caused by experiencing severe mental stress in childhood, genetics, being involved in an accident or social reasons.

Bianca Breda, a psychologist at the University of São Paulo, says that when a patient is examined, it turns out that as a child they were very quiet and had difficulty functioning.

 Ana was helped to understand her illness through her work, which involved working in a center that provided support to children who had been sexually abused.

 

How is dysthymia diagnosed?

Compared to other types of depression, dysthymia symptoms tend to be more subtle.

In addition to being long-lasting, common symptoms include fatigue, feelings of worthlessness, difficulty making decisions, and hopelessness.

In general depression, the patient experiences intense sadness, loss of interest in work, loss of appetite, and other symptoms that the patient may identify.

Breda says that depression is characterized by an exacerbation of symptoms that is linked to some event.

 

It is not part of personality

Dysthymia is a type of depression that is difficult to diagnose and often patients' symptoms are considered part of their personality.

This mistake leads to a delay in diagnosis and patients delay in receiving the right treatment.

Experts say that it is wrong to say that someone is bored, or that they have been like this all their life, so they cannot change.

According to Marcelo Hyde, “Dysthymia comes on slowly and insidiously. However, over time, its effects intensify. The sufferer is given various names, such as moody or something else. Culturally, recognizing it does not make it a diagnosis and, on the other hand, it reinforces a personality in which the affected person sees everything in a negative light.”

 Ana had problems at school but did not know why.

“I have always had a feeling of insecurity, especially when it comes to love. But I did not know why.”

They thought these feelings were part of their behavior and would go away with time. However, this did not happen and their mood swings continued to increase.

“People with dysthymia have a conflicted relationship with themselves. At some point, you get angry with yourself,” says Anna.

 

How to treat it?

It is important that the patient seeks medical help. Often, going to a psychologist is avoided and in the case of an illness, a general doctor makes another diagnosis, which is harmful. 

According to Marcia Hague, 50 percent of cases of depression are not diagnosed because general medical experts cannot recognize it.

‘Then think about what happens to patients with dysthymia. It is common for its symptoms to be associated with another psychiatric illness or with drug use.’

They say that dysthymia and depression affect the body and can exacerbate many common diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, due to which the patient may need a higher dose of medication.

This disease can be even more complicated due to social behavior related to mental health problems. Therefore, experts advise contacting a psychologist so that after examination, they can prescribe the right treatment, which is possible only with medication or psychotherapy.

When Anna was diagnosed with this disease, she chose the path of psychotherapy because the doctor had advised her not to use medication due to her age.

She was unable to attend these sessions for a few years due to her work, but during the Corona pandemic, she underwent regular psychotherapy and saw a lot of improvement.

Experts say that treatment for this disease should not be interrupted until a specialist recommends it so that the patient can be monitored regularly.

This medical treatment may last for months or years, but it is essential to improve the patient's symptoms and quality of life.