Does anyone have dysthymia? If so, can you please let me know what your symptoms are and how it affects your daily life and relationships?

[les82]

As title explains x

[easedale]

hi les82

I think I may have! I have just found out about this. the symptoms seem so me. I left my partner 7 months ago. I thought I was doing right thing at the time. I was so low, stressed, felt unloved and taken for granted. every day is a struggle and now I am alone and finding it really hard to cope. visit to drs next step. hope this info on dysthymia will help dr to help me.

[les82 in reply to easedale]

Thank you for the reply hun. Can you go for a while feeling fine and then wake up feeling down. I have no patience, feel angry and hate my other half when it hits. I dont want anyone near me. Does this sound like you? X

[Hidden]

Hi

I think many of us who write on the website have dysthymia but have not known it called that as most medics would diagnose long term chronic depression.

Dysthmyia is a word for chronic depression that is long term, reactive and accompanied by low self esteem and lack of energy and I had all those things. I still sometimes do feel the symptoms but mostly am pulling through it.

I'm not sure what you are asking or why you are asking it. Do you think you have dysthymia or are you doing a research project?

[les82]

After struggling for years i have decided to do my own research into why i am feeling this way. When i read about it i have realised that this is me. I fit into all of the symptoms. Especially not feeling down all the time but for periods at a time. It is definitely affecting my relationship. Before i fell pregnant i was on sertraline and there was a huge improvement in my mood. I am now on amitriptyline as i am breastfeeding. Setraline is one of the ssri's that is used to treat dysthymia so i'd be looking to get back onto it soon x

[Hidden in reply to les82]

Oh it must be hard for you having a young baby and feeling chronically down, have you thought about where the depression comes from in terms of your own early experiences? I found that a helpful approach as it enabled me to understand why I was depressed and not just to treat the symptoms. I found meds really helpful but know that staying on them long term usually results in needing increasingly higher doses whereas understanding why I was depressed has enabled me to grieve and move on - well most of the time anyway! I still get depressed but now the pervasive low that I felt before. x

[Binky1]

Hi Lesley,

Well I find this very interesting as I had never heard of this until now

I have all the symptoms

apart from under/overeating but up until now I have been labelled with depression or stress anxiety

I have very low mood

Absolute exhaustion

Irritable ... either tearful or rage

Very poor concentration

Worn out with the slightest exertion

Isolating myself from people, just want a quiet life as I can't deal with problems anymore

I'm wondering now if I have depression or dysthmia, thankyou very much for bringing this condition to my attention

Best wishes

Lesley x

[les82]

My mum and dad split up when i was 8 and from an early age i had to look after my younger sister and brothers as my mum was out drinking all the time. I am 31 and she died when i was 29 after years of alcohol abuse. I had a lot of responsibility put on my shoulders. However, it didnt affect my education as i got great grades and went on to achieve an honours degree in psychology and a honours in business management. Looking back i dont know how i did it. I was constantly out drinking, sleeping around and my life wasnt very great. I have now met who i would regard as my soulmate but we clash as we r so similar. I just need answers. Hoping i get to see the psychologist soon x

[Hidden in reply to les82]

Yes, you did have a lot of responsibility from an early age which must have been difficult for such a young child and that will have left you still needing care. It's great that you did well academically - I also did a Psychology degree but went from there to teach Psychology Health and Social Care and then to train as a psychotherapist, though now I am a freelance artist - well mean to be when I get down to working! So I guess from the degree you will have understanding of how your childhood may have affected you and perhaps also why you were drinking and sleeping around, looking for the love you had needed as a child. Yes, I know what you mean about soulmates clashing... Hope things go well with the psychologist though you can mostly be a help to yourself by letting yourself feel how it was for you when you were young as those feelings will be carried with you and still be there in the way you interact with your soulmate and your baby. Perhaps in finding a soulmate you were looking for someone who was like you, like a mirror, but then differences can present problems - but that kind of relationship can be good for emotional growth if you can let yourself be vulnerable and accept that any relationship that touches you deeply will also touch the child feelings in you.

Sue x

[les82]

Your welcome Lesley. I have researched all the different types of depression and this is definitely me too x

[les82]

That makes a lot of sense Sue. I craved attention and love from men so the fact that i didnt get this early doors will definitely have had an impact. Now i have a man who worships the ground i walk on but i havent surrendered myself to him 100% incase i get hurt. Maybe i just need to take the risk x

[Hidden in reply to les82]

If you think he is a good man then do. Yes, you risk being hurt - but then not fully engaging in a relationship also brings risk in that your partner does not fully know you and is more likely to misunderstand you. We are all vulnerable - if you think he is a good man who will not intentionally hurt you then go for it! x

[les82 in reply to Hidden]

I'd just like to say thank you for your help and advice on my posts. You go to great lengths and i appreciate the time that you take out to reply. Thank you x

[les82]

He is. He just does my head in at times, ha ha. X

[easedale]

I don't really understand why I feel low most of the time. it started with pms, when I was on the pill that helped for a while. it seamed to get worse after the birth of my 1st baby - 34 years ago lol. my daughter who is now 30 was diagnosed diabetic at 22 months. she had a blood sugar of 44 and was really ill. I think the stress of caring for her affected me a lot. her dad and me divorced after 24 years. I have been on antidep for about 30 years. he couldn't cope with my moods. I met a man 8 years ago and it was good until the last couple of years. I felt taken for granted . hes a horder and I got more and more stressed, tidying, cleaning. he spent sat and sun in his local. apart from this we did and still do get on and have a laugh. but I got more and more stressed, tired and down. I couldn't sleep. I also help look after my mam. it got too much. I couldn't cope and i left.

am still struggling with my mood , I still end up crying most days. I cant settle on my own, the tv is on but just background noise. my med has been changed from duloxetine to mirtazapine.

I feel when life around me is going ok, I cope. when things start to go wrong, my mood gets lower and lower. I don't seam to stop overthinking. I blame myself for everything that goes wrong. I have felt that I just don't fit in, theres something in relationships I just don't get! and so it goes on!

[les82]

My goodness, i could have wrote that except i'm 31 so couldnt have squeezed all of that in. Ha ha. I told my fiance i dont understand how to be in a relationship and its true. He has had a few long term ones and seems to know what to do. You sound so like me its unbelievable. I get stressed when the place is a mess, my fiance's laziness gets me down, when i'm in a mood i can see him far enough, i end up snapping at my 4 and a half year old daughter, i dont like going out when i feel like this but then i complain about cabin fever. I cant win. I get angry, agitated, easily irritated and i could physically fight someone to get the rage out. I feel numb and my head just doesnt want to think or speak, then when me and my fiance argue i just shutdown. I have often been told that i am just existing and that i'm dead inside depression is a horrible thing x

[easedale]

and I thought it was only me . its so sad really. its so hard when u want the person u love to try to understand, to be patient and try to help. to realise I don't choose to be a mood cow at times. ive almost given up hope that I will ever be "normal" crying now again lol

[les82]

I think i have too. My fiance said thats a cop out tho and i wouldnt let anyone away with flooring my so why do i allow the depression....fair point tho! I just surrender myself to it and allow it to consume me. Its hard to fight it when you feel so low. Thanks for speaking to me. Finally, someone who understands my brain x