Help with Depression & Dysthymia

This website is made in the hope that it can help sufferers from both Depression and Dysthymia .

We have formed a related Yahoo Group where you can leave messages, chat etc it is well worth a visit.

In the future we hope to set up a full society to care for the needs of sufferers.

If you are looking for information on Dysthymia or can help us in building this website we would like to hear from you.

Depression

Depression is one of the commonest illnesses with nearly everyone suffering an episode sometime in there life. With more stressful modern lives it is on the increase with more and more people suffering. Happily many make a full recovery after a few days or a few weeks. Many though do not realize they are suffering from Depression with vague symptoms like tiredness and a lack of concentration many put it down to a physical illness. However Depression is an illness in its own right. What are the symptoms?

Symptoms of Depression

Depression has a number of symptoms the symptoms at the end of this page we give two professional definitions before those we pick out 3 of the primary symptoms:-

• Lack of concentration, you may find work, reading, driving and other activities requiring concentration becoming more difficult, in servers causes almost impossible.
• Loss of interest in usual even once enjoyable activities, hobbies etc. can become harder, like become mundane difficult to cope with.
• Anxiety often precedes or goes hand in hand with depression, particularly if you find yourself anxious over things you never used to be or have a stressful event along with anxiety.
• The above 3 often accompanied by a change in Sleep patterns can mean you may be suffering from Depression, however self diagnosis can be dangerous as these can be symptoms of other complaints, you need to see your GP to give. a proper diagnosis

Symptoms as given by the respected Merck Manual are:-

A person who is withdrawn, speaks little, stops eating, and sleeps little is experiencing what doctors call vegetative symptoms. In contrast, a person who appears anxious and fearful (especially in the evening), has an increased appetite resulting in weight gain, and, although initially unable to sleep, sleeps for increasingly longer periods is experiencing depression with atypical symptoms. A person who, in addition, is very restless—wringing the hands and talking continuously—is experiencing agitation.

Many people with depression cannot experience emotions—including grief, joy, and pleasure—in a normal way; in the extreme, the world appears to have become colorless and lifeless. Thinking, speech, and general activity may slow down so much that all voluntary activities stop. Depressed people may be preoccupied with intense feelings of guilt and self-denigration and may not be able to concentrate. They may experience feelings of despair, loneliness, and low self-esteem. They are often indecisive and withdrawn, feel progressively helpless and hopeless, and think about death and suicide.

Sleep problems are common. Most depressed people have difficulty falling asleep and awaken repeatedly, particularly early in the morning. A loss of sexual desire or pleasure is common. Poor appetite and weight loss sometimes lead to emaciation, and in women, menstrual periods may stop. However, overeating and weight gain are common in people with mild depression.

In some depressed people, the symptoms are mild but the disorder lasts for years, often decades. This type of depression, called dysthymia, often begins early in life and is associated with distinct changes in personality. People with dysthymia are gloomy, pessimistic, humorless, or incapable of having fun; passive and lethargic; introverted; skeptical, hypercritical, or constantly complaining; and self-critical and full of self-reproach. They are preoccupied with inadequacy, failure, and negative events, sometimes to the point of morbid enjoyment of their own failures.

Some depressed people complain of having a physical illness, with various aches and pains or fears of calamity or of becoming insane. Others think they have illnesses they believe to be incurable or shameful, such as cancer or sexually transmitted diseases, and think they are infecting other people.

About 15% of depressed people, most commonly those with severe depression, have false beliefs (delusions), or they see or hear things that are not there (hallucinations). For example, they may believe that they have committed unpardonable sins or crimes or may hear voices accusing them of various misdeeds or condemning them to death. In rare cases, they may imagine that they see coffins or deceased relatives. Feelings of insecurity and worthlessness may lead people with severe depression to believe that they are being watched and persecuted. Depression with delusions or hallucinations is termed psychotic depression.

Officially the symptoms of Depression as defined in DSM-IV ( Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders )

Depression, which affects people of all ages, income, race, and cultures, is a disturbance of mood and is characterized by a loss of interest or pleasure in normal everyday activities. People who are depressed may feel "down in the dumps" for weeks, months, or even years at a time.

In the same 2 weeks, the patient has had 5 or more of the following symptoms, which are a definite change from usual functioning. Either depressed mood or decreased interest or pleasure must be one of the five:

• Mood. For most of nearly every day, the patient reports depressed mood or appears depressed to others.
  
  Interests. For most of nearly every day, interest or pleasure is markedly decreased in nearly all activities (noted by the patient or by others).
  
  Eating and weight. Although not dieting, there is a marked loss or gain of weight (such as five percent in one month) or appetite is markedly decreased or increased nearly every day.
  
  Sleep. Nearly every day the patient sleeps excessively or not enough.
  
  Motor activity. Nearly every day others can see that the patient's activity is agitated or retarded.
  
  Fatigue. Nearly every day there is fatigue or loss of energy.
  
  Self-worth. Nearly every day the patient feels worthless or inappropriately guilty. These feelings are not just about being sick; they may be delusional.
  
  Concentration. Noted by the patient or by others, nearly every day the patient is indecisive or has trouble thinking or concentrating.
  
  Death. The patient has had repeated thoughts about death (other than the fear of dying), suicide (with or without a plan) or has made a suicide attempt.

These symptoms cause clinically important distress or impair work, social or personal functioning.

If your moods are constantly changing or you swith from very happy to very depressed you may be suffering from Bipolar Disorder more information on this can be found on the mdf website.