Everything You Need to Know About Double Depression

Did you know that between 3% to 6% of world’s population falls into double depression?. This is a condition where dysthymia, a persistent depressive disorder and major depressive disorder co-exist. Patients with dysthymia usually have symptoms of low energy levels and low self esteem. If you suspect your love one is undergoing this emotional state, contact a psychologist or psychiatrist for some medical intervention.

Since dysthymia is a mild but chronic form of depression, most individuals accept it as a normal way of life and so they don’t seek immediate medical intervention. When left untreated, dysthymia graduates to a more severe form that’s much harder to treat.

Similar to other types of depression this too reduces functionality in routine duties as well as the quality of life. Double depression is majorly characterized by extreme feeling of hopelessness and loss of control over their life. A patient feels that external forces such as fate and other people controls them and so determine their future.

In addition, an individual views themselves and their environment negatively and feels the world is against them and no way they can change that.

Symptoms of Double Depression.

• Hopelessness.

• Suicidal thoughts.

• Poor concentration.

• Low self esteem.

• Loss of self worth and feeling guilty.

• Sleeping too much or too little (insomnia).

• Agitation or low energy levels.

• Overeating or loss of appetite.

The above symptoms makes it even harder to treat patients with this condition as they cause other health issues such as; Obesity, diabetes, heart diseases, excessive loss of weight.

Treatment of this condition involves antidepressant medication along with cognitive therapy which entails helping the patient to change their negative thinking. Exercise should also be incorporated in the treatment. This helps to improve the patient’s mood as well as improve the sleeping patterns.

In conclusion it’s better to start on one treatment at a time and see how it works and gradually introduce others as you check how the patient responds to each. Essentially it’s best to treat patients with dysthymia to ensure they don’t fall into this severe form of depression.