Dysthymia - A Mild Form of Depression

Dysthymia is characterized as a depressive disorder that is less severe than major depression. It is often characterized as chronic depression. Those who can be diagnosed with this disorder have symptoms of mild depression for at least two years, and they feel blue or depressed more often than not during that time.  

Those who suffer from this type of chronic depression often feel irritable, lack the ability to concentrate, experience sleep disturbances, have low energy or feel excessively tired, have low self esteem, and experience feelings of hopelessness. Sufferers of dysthymia often eat too little or too much. But the dominating feature of dysthymia is feeling blue, or depressed. 
              
Although dysthymia sufferers do not live with severe depression, it is more chronic and can adversely affect your life by keeping you from being productive and enjoying life. 
Those who suffer from this disorder should seek treatment, as there are therapies that can treat and cure this disorder. There is no reason why someone should live with depression, even mild depression like dysthymia. 
 
If you suffer from symptoms of dysthymia, it is important to educate yourself about the treatment choices available, and find one that suits you. There are a number of available, including traditional treatment and alternative remedies. 
 
Traditional treatment involves prescription medication and psychological counseling, and many have been helped with this combination. Others have had little success with traditional treatment in treating their depression and have sought other alternative treatments such as natural remedies, acupuncture, and hypnosis. 
 
Among those who have tried traditional treatment involving prescription antidepressants and psychological counseling, about half of those who tried taking antidepressants stopped taking them due to unpleasant side effects. 
 
Of the people who were able to tolerate the medication, about one-third did not experience relief from their depression. Some people do tolerate prescription antidepressant therapy well and do experience relief from their depressive symptoms.
 
Psychological counseling has been found to be effective in treating dysthymia, and it is recommended to anyone who is experiencing any kind of depressive symptoms. 
 
In addition to traditional therapy for dysthymia, there are other alternative treatments available to those who prefer more natural treatment methods. Recent studies have shown that a number of these alternative treatments are just as effective in treating dysthymia and mild depression as the traditional treatment, and in some cases they are even more effective.