In recent years, the number of people suffering from various mental illnesses has been steadily increasing. Many of them are accompanied by depressive symptoms, weakness and decreased mood. These diseases are of varying severity. Small depressive disorders include dysthymia. The sections of this article detail this disease.
General information
Dysthymia is a mental disorder that has a chronic course and is manifested by such signs as a suppressed emotional state without the presence of severe behavioral disorders and somatic pathologies. This is a mild form of depression.
With this pathology, patients feel sadness, unwillingness to engage in everyday affairs, do not feel pleasure, and are often angry and gloomy. However, due to the absence of
somatic diseases, people with dysthymia can work and function relatively normally in society. Dysthymia is determined by specialists on such signs as low mood and apathy, which are present in the patient for two years. Psychiatrists also pay attention to the presence of insomnia, impaired appetite, fatigue, a feeling of weakness and a decrease in concentration. Such phenomena allow the doctor to diagnose dysthymia. This means that when identifying a disease, you need to choose the right tactics of therapy. With this pathology, treatment should be comprehensive. It is advisable to apply an individual approach to each patient, depending on the conditions in which he lives.
Factors provoking the disease
Pathology arises as a result of various causes - both external and internal. The main factors that trigger the development of the disease include the following:
- Genetic predisposition. In families where cases of the disease have occurred, it can occur even in children. However, parents often confuse dysthymia with manifestations of the personal characteristics of a son or daughter.
- Impaired functioning of the brain (insufficient production of the hormone serotonin).
- Nervous strain, trouble at work, difficulties in personal relationships.
- Lack of sleep.
- Unbalanced diet.
- Adverse family situation, lack of attention of parents or their absence (in minors).
- Personal characteristics (increased anxiety, vulnerability).
- Constant physical and emotional stress (for example, in military personnel).
So, dysthymia is a mental disorder that occurs under the influence of various factors. Therefore, each case must be considered individually.
Who is most at risk of getting sick?
Most often, this mental disorder begins to manifest in youth, sometimes it occurs in minors. However, there are such types of disease (for example, endoreactive dysthymia) that are observed in elderly people. As a rule, pathology manifests itself within two years and even for a longer time. Suppressed emotional state is observed in patients 2-3 months or more, and periods of improvement are short-lived. The younger the patient, the more pronounced his signs. Most patients with dysthymia suffer from other types of mental pathologies: schizophrenic or manic-depressive disorder, panic attacks, phobia, addiction to alcohol or drugs. However, in general, expressed violations of social adaptation are not characteristic of patients.
Dysthymia: symptoms of pathology
This disease is characterized by the following manifestations:
- Depressed emotional state.
- Inability to experience joy (only special situations cause a feeling of happiness, ordinary life causes longing).
- Increased anxiety.
- Closure.
- Hyperactivity.
- Fears (fear of fatal diseases, accidents, failures, poverty).
- Tearfulness.
- Feeling of own uselessness.
- Dissatisfaction with his personality, environment, life in general.
- The constant expectation of unpleasant events.
- Increased fatigue, decreased cognitive function.
- Lack of vigor and ability to make decisions.
- Sleep disorders.
- Decreased or increased appetite.
- Weight loss or weight gain.
These are common symptoms of this mental disorder. However, dysthymia is a disease that is divided into several types.
Forms of pathology
Primary and secondary dysthymia occurs. The first type arises on its own. The second appears in connection with other mental disorders. The cause of dysthymia can be diseases of any organs and systems, as well as stressful situations. According to the signs that appear on the background of the disease, dysthymia is divided into somatized and characterological. These types of pathology are discussed in detail in the following sections of the article.
Somatized dysthymia
This type of disease is characterized by the fact that a person constantly notices signs of pathologies of different organs. For example, he may complain of pain in the heart, stomach, and intestines. Acceleration of heart rate, constipation, respiratory failure, sensitive and restless sleep may be observed. A person begins to fear for his health. Fears may arise about serious illness. Many patients diagnosed with somatized dysthymia are afraid of cancer pathologies, the development of heart attacks, strokes, and so on. They constantly listen to their body, worry and fall into despair about their own health. This type of pathology resembles hypochondria.
Characterological dysthymia
This form of mental disorder is characterized by the constant presence of a pessimistic mood. Patients do not receive satisfaction from everyday events, they all yearn for.
Previously, these characteristics were considered personal manifestations. Today, mental health professionals are not convinced of the correctness of this point of view. Psychiatrists believe that constant pessimism indicates the presence of dysthymia. It should be added that, in addition to depression, the condition of such patients is characterized by periodic statements about the hopelessness of life, their own uselessness. Patients look lethargic, sad, lethargic, they perceive even minor troubles to heart. Such people grumble all the time, they are dissatisfied with their surroundings, uncritical of their own condition, tend to blame others for all troubles. Because of this behavior, even relatives and friends who used to empathize with the sick begin to shun them over time.
Dysthymia in a child
Sometimes the causes that trigger the mechanism of the disease manifest themselves in childhood. Of great importance is the psychological climate in the family where the child is raised. If the relations between parents are hostile, they constantly scandal - this can trigger the development of mental disorder in children. When the joyful mood of a son or daughter is reproached, they are forced to hide it. As a result of this, the child becomes apathetic, learns how to enjoy the things that made him happy before. What disorders are characteristic for dysthymia in childhood? How to recognize a disease? First of all, an alarming signal for parents should be that the child constantly looks sad.
Suspiciously, if he seems tired all the time, his circle of communication has narrowed, there are no manifestations of joy from gifts and goodies that previously caused pleasant emotions.
Diagnosis of dysthymia and treatment of pathology
In order to prescribe adequate therapy, the doctor must determine exactly what disease is present in the patient. The difficulty in diagnosing dysthymia lies in the fact that its symptoms are similar to the manifestations of other mental disorders, and patients are often uncritical of their condition. They often refuse to seek medical help, believing that unpleasant symptoms will soon disappear. For those who nevertheless decided to consult a doctor about their condition, the psychiatrist conducts a special diagnosis. It is based on the following criteria:
- Interviewing a patient and talking with him.
- Identification of a set of signs of dysthymia present in the patient.
- The presence of characteristic pathological phenomena for two or more years.
- Signs of dysthymia in the absence of symptoms of other mental disorders.
In order to identify this disease, doctors also conduct testing. When making a diagnosis, the psychiatrist draws attention to such manifestations as:
- Increased or lack of appetite.
- Sleep disturbances.
- The lack of positive emotions from things that used to make a person happy.
- Feeling hopeless.
- Inadequately low assessment of his personality.
- The constant presence of symptoms for two years, improvements are short-lived or absent altogether.
- Attacks of anger (usually in people of puberty).
The presence of most of the above signs gives reason to make a diagnosis of dysthymia. Treatment of the disease, as a rule, does not imply placing the patient in a hospital. The exception is situations when the symptoms of pathology prevent a person from living normally.
How to treat dysthymia?
To combat the symptoms of pathology, doctors recommend drug therapy. As a rule, antidepressants are prescribed to the patient, which increase the production of serotonin. Most drugs that are used today do not cause serious side effects. In order to achieve tangible results, medications must be taken for about six months. To combat irritability and insomnia, sedatives are recommended. An important role in the treatment of dysthymia is played by a visit to a therapist. It can be individual, collective or family sessions. Psychotherapeutic methods allow the patient to better adapt in society, solve problems in relationships with others, and cope with stress.
Pathology warning
Unfortunately, the answer to the question of whether dysthymia is completely treated is negative. Therapy, as a rule, is long, and recovery is rarely one hundred percent. The disease provokes many difficulties in work and in personal life. Patients are often prone to suicidal thoughts and attempted suicide. Is it possible to prevent the occurrence of such a mental disorder? The answer to this question is positive, provided that the person follows the following recommendations:
- You need to have hobbies and give them enough time.
- You should observe the sleep regimen and have a good rest.
- It is important to try to establish contact with relatives and friends, to maintain social ties.
- You need to lead a healthy lifestyle, abandon addictions, do not neglect sports.
- It should be fully and regularly eat.
- It is necessary to form a positive thinking in oneself.
- You should discuss your problems with family, friends, or with a therapist.
Compliance with such preventive measures will allow a person to protect themselves from the occurrence of such mental disorders as dysthymia.