Shown: posts 1 to 5 of 5. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by janejj on March 13, 2002, at 17:30:54
HI,
Went to my doctor today and he said I have dysthymia. I think it means a low mood all the time. Do you know any good websites I could look at for this condition ?
I'm on Prozac, do you think thats the best med to be on ?
Regards
janejj
Posted by fachad on March 13, 2002, at 20:57:38
In reply to Dysthymia, I have it, what is it ??, posted by janejj on March 13, 2002, at 17:30:54
Yes, your are correct, dysthymia is a mild, chronic depression.
It is different from depression in that it is less severe and more chronic.
Doctors used believe (and some still do) that dysthymia is more related to habitual ways of thinking about things in a negative fashion, whereas clinical depression was more related to a chemical imbalance.
Pdocs used to recommend psychotherapy, especially cognitive behavior therapy for dysthymia. Now it is frequently treated with medication also.
Prozac is a fine med to try first.
> HI,
>
> Went to my doctor today and he said I have dysthymia. I think it means a low mood all the time. Do you know any good websites I could look at for this condition ?
>
> I'm on Prozac, do you think thats the best med to be on ?
>
> Regards
> janejj
Posted by sid on March 13, 2002, at 22:39:06
In reply to Dysthymia, I have it, what is it ??, posted by janejj on March 13, 2002, at 17:30:54
Dysthymia is low-grade long-term (chronic) depression. It means you can function about normally, unlike during an episode of major depression, but you tend to find life blah. Dysthymic people are perceived as pessimistic, defeatist even, and they are not particularly fun to be around. I should know, I've had dysthymia for 21 years. I didn't realize it until I had major depression and started to read on depression, only to find a description of myself under "dysthymia." The major depression is cured, but the dysthymia stayed with me, so I decided to try an AD for it. A dysthymic person has a higher probability of developing major depression and anxiety problems.
I think Prozac can help, as other ADs can. I'm not sure if it's the best however, it likely depends on many factors, as usual. I am on Effexor XR and it's working well for me, at a low dose (75 mg a day). Treatment for dysthymia tends to be low dose and long term (1 year +, possibly forever), since this type of depression is low-grade but long-standing.
For more info on dysthymia:
http://www.psycom.net/depression.central.dysthymia.htmlGood luck!
- sid
Posted by Hattree on March 14, 2002, at 8:38:16
In reply to Dysthymia, I have it, what is it ??, posted by janejj on March 13, 2002, at 17:30:54
Jane,
When I first tried Prozac for dysthymia (which I had never heard of) I discovered the absence of depression for the first time. It was pretty amazing.
More recently, I have gotten more help from mood stablizing meds, which I don't think is a usual approach for dysthymia, but Prozac was helpful for me for a long time, and may be for you also. I hope you have good luck with it.
Posted by henryO on March 15, 2002, at 2:12:36
In reply to Dysthymia, I have it, what is it ??, posted by janejj on March 13, 2002, at 17:30:54
It is a fancy word that means you have been suffering for a long time. You are supposed to feel good. I mean good. Don't stop clamoring for meds untill you feel like you think you are supposed to feel. Even if you feel a little "better" don't stop there. Keep trying these pharmaceuticals untill you feel the way you think you are supposed to feel. It takes a long time, and people can be very opinionated about "drugs" especially those people who have no experience personally with depression. Those people usually preach worse than I am here. They can be so certain that you should be able to " just make up your mind to feel better." Then you feel more ashamed for being depressed. Sometimes combinations of meds i.e. a "cocktail" can be a positive thing. You have to shop around for a doctor you can work with. Hey maybe you'll luck out and find something that works wonders on your first try. I've seen it happen. Welcome and Good Luck.
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