Guide To Managing Dysthymia

Continuous Education About Dysthymia

It's important to engage in continuous education about dysthymia. Not only does this help patients keep up-to-date on managing their mood and treatment, but there's new information about dysthymia being discovered every day. Researchers are establishing new treatment methods of both the medication and therapy variety. Another reason for individuals to continuously educate themselves about dysthymia is so they can be self-aware of how the disorder affects them. It's common for dysthymia to lead to feelings of low self-worth and unhappiness with one's life. Rather than believing those feelings and drowning in them, which can lead to self-destructive behavior, individuals should try to recognize and acknowledge them. The more they understand about dysthymia, the more they understand about their own brain.

Pay Attention To Triggers

Dysthymia tends to be caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain, which means the symptoms may persist even without an apparent cause. An individual might have a thriving home life, a great job, and a variety of hobbies, and still feel depressed. But external triggers can cause dysthymia symptoms to become much worse. With dysthymia, it's common for a brain to fixate more heavily on negative things than positive ones. Different individuals are triggered by different things, so they need to pay attention. Stress of any kind can make symptoms worse. Confrontations and harsh critiques can have an impact on self-esteem, while long periods without social activity can contribute to depression. Once individuals know what triggers them, they can acknowledge their triggers and deal with them in a healthy way.