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Jan 2, 2024 · Dysthymia is a type of depression with mild to moderate symptoms that go on for at least 2 years. It can be hard to recognize and diagnose it, but it can be treated with...
- Depression vs. Dysthymia: Key Differences and Treatment - WebMD
Dysthymia (also known as persistent depressive disorder) is...
- Depression vs. Dysthymia: Key Differences and Treatment - WebMD
- Overview
- What are dysthymia (PDD) and depression (MDD)?
- Differences between dysthymia (PDD) and depression (MDD)
- Symptoms of dysthymia (PDD) and depression (MDD)
- Treatment options for dysthymia (PDD) and depression (MDD)
- Double depression
- The takeaway
Dysthymia and depression can both result in feelings of deep sadness and hopelessness. However, these two conditions vary in the severity and consistency of their symptoms.
While some people may use the terms above, the medical classifications for dysthymia and depression are persistent depressive disorder (PDD) and major depressive disorder (MDD), respectively.
Understanding these differences can be an important first step toward getting the right treatment.
Read on to learn more about how the conditions differ in their symptoms, how medical professionals can diagnose them, and what treatment options are available to you.
Dysthymia (PDD)
PDD is a chronic form of depression that’s less severe than MDD but lasts for years. It can significantly affect your: •relationships •family life •social life •physical health •daily activities
Depression (MDD)
MDD is a common medical illness that negatively affects the way you think, feel, and act. This may lead to emotional and physical problems that can interfere with your ability to function at home and work.
Finding help
If you or someone you know is considering suicide or self-harm, please seek help. The following services can provide confidential assistance, information, and support: •Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 24 hours a day at 800-273-8255. •Text “HOME” to the Crisis Text line at 741741. •Call 911 or your local emergency number if you feel it’s an emergency. •Not in the U.S.? Find a helpline in your country with Befrienders Worldwide. If you or someone you know is facing mental or substance use disorders, call SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 800-662-4357. Was this helpful?
Medical professionals typically use PDD to describe a person who experiences clinically significant depression over a long period.
As a result, the most significant difference between the two conditions is how long a person may experience symptoms.
For a diagnosis of MDD, symptoms must last at least 2 weeks, and for a diagnosis of PDD, symptoms must have been present for at least 2 years.
The two conditions also differ in terms of recurrence and severity.
While people with PDD will typically experience depression for longer than someone with clinical depression, their symptoms may not be severe enough for an MDD diagnosis. However, people with PDD can still experience major depressive episodes.
Between these episodes, people with PDD will return to feelings of general, less severe depression.
The symptoms of MDD and PDD are similar but differ in intensity and how long they last, as described above.
Symptoms of PDD and MDD include:
•feeling sad, empty, tearful or hopeless
•responding to even small matters with anger or frustration
•losing interest in normal daily activities, such as sports, sex, or hobbies
•sleeping too little or too much
While medical professionals will individually tailor treatment programs for any type of depression, the treatments for PDD and MDD are similar.
The main routes of treatment are programs of short- and long-term medications and therapy sessions. Combining these two methods of treatment is more effective than either treatment by itself.
Even though PDD and MDD are separate conditions, people can have both at the same time.
If you’ve had PDD for several years and then have a major depressive episode, you may refer to this as double depression.
While many people, and even medical professionals, may use this term, it is not an official diagnosis. However, this does not discount the severity of experiencing PDD and MDD at the same time.
Learn more about double depression here.
Whether you’re experiencing PDD, MDD, or another type of depression, these are all real and serious conditions. There is help available. With a proper diagnosis and treatment plan, the majority of people with depression can overcome it or learn to manage their symptoms.
If you recognize symptoms of depression in your mood, behavior, and outlook, talk about it with your doctor or a mental health professional.
- Scott Frothingham
Apr 28, 2022 · Find out how dysthymia, a form of depression, differs from major depression. Dysthymia (persistent depressive disorder) and depression can affect daily functioning, but are both treatable...
- Nancy Lovering
Feb 15, 2022 · Persistent depressive disorder, known as dysthymia or low-grade depression, is less severe than major depression but more chronic. It occurs twice as often in women as in men.
- Yes, persistent depressive disorder is less severe than major depression, but as its name suggests, the condition is chronic and can be long-lastin...
- Yes. Symptoms of persistent depressive disorder, also known as dysthymia, consist of mild depressiveness that can last more than two years. The sym...
- Double depression refers to the onset of a major depressive episode when one already suffers from chronic depression. In this case, the persistent...
- Dysthymia, or persistent depressive disorder, is mild chronic depression. Cyclothymia is a mild case of bipolar disorder . A person with cyclothymi...
Aug 12, 2024 · Dysthymia (also known as persistent depressive disorder) is a type of depression. You might have fewer symptoms than someone with major depression, but your depression will be...
Dysthymia is not a minor form of major depressive disorder, and for some may be more disabling. [9] As dysthymia is a chronic disorder, those with the condition may experience symptoms for many years before it is diagnosed, if diagnosis occurs at all.
Dysthymia is a mild, but long-lasting form of depression. It’s also called persistent depressive disorder. People with this condition may also have bouts of major depression at times.
