Dan Fields, a consultant to the Grief Support Services of the Samaritans, recently crafted a beautiful piece that articulates what his dysthymia feels like.
I think his description does a better job of communicating the subtle signs of male depression than any list of symptoms I could throw at you. I have excerpted his profile from the helpful site, Families for Depression Awareness. However, I urge you to follow the link because he explains later in the piece what has worked for him.
I’ve struggled with depression at greater or lesser intensity since my teens. The word “depression” suggests sadness, and this is certainly one aspect of the disorder.
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Thanks for sharing. You are not alone. When I was a teenager, I viewed the world through a mental veil, nothing was clear, somedays it would lift and everything I looked at was clear and focus. Those were the good days. Today I am so much better due to medicine. I tell anyone and everyone that I use medication. Some people will look at me as if I had share to much information. But, I know they are just the lucwho ones who have never experience the darkness of daytime.
I read the rest of the article and I like what Dan had to say about therapy: “the parched heart takes in water and prepares, when it’s able, to break into bloom”. When my Depression strikes, it usually lingers into a week or more. When it loses its grip, I emerge, able to “break into bloom” and my life springs forth into enthusiasm of love and happiness.
Thank you for this great article! SiSara
Dan is a wonderful writer and has given me insight into what it really feels like to live with depression. Thanks for the article!
This is a wonderful article, capturing the essence of what many experience with dysthymia. As a therapist that specifically deals with dysthymia, I can not over state the value of proper assessment.
All to often people are simply given a prescription and improperly sent on their way, thus minimizing the significance of their distress. Unfortuantely many general practice physcians do not see dysthymia in their patients. Subsequently, receiving sub-par care.
Dysthymia is a serious condition that is often requires medication, certaintly psychotherapy for the individual, possibly the family and psychoeducational support.
Research is showing more clearly than ever that dysthymia is at the very core of many issues facing individuals and society at large. The looming question is, why? It is crucial to understand that an individual can not simply be reduced to genetics, chemestry or bad parenting.
It is an complex issue that derserves our very full attention and understanding.
A great article that I will share with many.
Dan you are a very competent guy. Many think that depression manifests itself in lethargy. However you rightly say that in many it leads to irritability and anger that are especially hard on those around you. I’m a great fan of Charles Linden’s work. God bless.
On reading an artical in the daily mail I have realised that what I have suffered with for the past 30 years has a name. I have been on and off medication for years but am now on a permenant low dose taken daily and do not ever want to change as I see the world in a different light.
Which medication has made such a change?