Dysthmia - moderate depression
I have felt moderately depressed for much of my adult life, but always just told myself to suck it up, life is hard, life is not fair, etc. Well, you can imagine where that got me....earlier in this year, I had a major medical issue that I had to face alone (I am single and did not receive a lot of support from "friends" during this time). Everything turned out fine for me physically, but left me very depressed, as I felt I had no one to turn to in a major moment of crisis.
I finally went to see a psychiatrist and she put me on a low dose of an anti depressant (she has gradually increased the dosage). I am feeling better, but not exactly "happy". At my last appointment, as I was checking out, I saw the term "dysthmia" on my record. I went home and researched it and could not believe how accurately it described me...low self esteem, either over weight or underweight, fatigue, irritability, chronic MILD depression, trouble sleeping or sleeping too much.
I know that therapy along with medication is more effective than just meds alone in treating depression, but I have not taken that extra step yet. I went to a counselor 2x in the very beginning but was so overwhelmed wiht her approach of trying to make a plan for being more social, trying to meet someone, etc (i had told her I was lonely, etc). It makes sense that I wasn't ready for that given my low self esteem.
Just wondering if anyone has experiences with mild depression? How long does it take to feel "happy"? (not really expecting answer to that last question...it's just what I ask myself all the time)
Dysthmia - moderate depression
I've been through similar. I initially went into counseling for PTSD related issues left,over from childhood abuse, treated primarily through counseling. After we got through all that, there were still some underlying depressive issues that just wouldn't go away. Back into counseling for more "here and now" (vs past) stuff. What ultimately was right for me was a dysthymia diagnosis, and medication. I've been on antidepressants for over ten years now, and it changed my life so much for the better. Don't be afraid of them. Sometimes there's biochemical stuff going on that needs to be adjusted that no amount of therapy or or other tools will fix. At least, that's my experience. I'm a little bit jealous when I hear of people that can manage dysthymia with meditation, yoga, or exercise. When I've tried to be med free, using a combination of diet, exercise, mindfulness and other tools, it's been a disaster. I function really well: years of counseling and recovery work did me a lot of good, but with my MD we made the determination that we aren't going to try and get off them until I'm well through menopause.
Good luck
Dysthmia - moderate depression
(continuation after reading OP again)
I don't know if its worthwhile to discuss "feeling better" vs "happy". For me, happy has to do with finding joy and contentment with my life, and really being in the moment. I still have plenty of days when I'm anxious, really sad, pissed off about something, or other strong emotions, which i believe is as it should be - that's real life. With untreated depression, these and other strong, "negative" emotions can really take over and be crippling. With treatment, whether its meds or other tools, you can handle them in a healthy manner, as a part of the life experience. Anyone that is expecting life's downs to go away with treatment of depression is fooling themselves; it's how the downs are handled that changes.
Before my dysthymia was treated, I felt like I functioned veiled with a shadow. It's hard to describe exactly, but that's the best I can come up with. Tasks went uncompleted, I lacked focus, and had a lot of anxiety and fear. Counseling, 12 step work, and medication changed my life for the better. For me, happy is a feeling of general contentment in my life and day to day choices, not an "up" or "high" feeling, at least not all the time. I do have long moements now where I feel so good that it takes my breath away and fills me with gratitude, but I don't expect to have that all the time. Having a really solid marriage ( we've done a ton of work) has helped immensely....I don't know where I'd be without that.