In medicine, depression refers to amood disorder marked by extreme sadness, negative thoughts and afeeling of hopelessness. Depression is considered to be a modern mood disorder, since nowadays more people suffer from it when compared to the earlier times.
Each person experience sadness dueto some sad event, but this sadness is only for a short period of time. However,chronic depression is a condition in which the sadness and the symptoms of the depression lastlonger than it is normal. The medical term for chronic depression is dysthymia.It belongs to the milder forms of depression even though it may last even foryears. The people suffering from chronic depression are able to perform theirdaily activities, but they do it without will and they are constantly unhappy.
Causes of chronic depression
The experts have not found the realcause for the incidence of dysthymia, although we know that certain tragic lossor sad event is likely to cause depression. However, there are several factorsthat contribute to the occurrence of chronic depression.
Chronic depression may be caused bystressful situations that happened early in the life of the patient. Furthermore,when one suffers from some chronic disease, it may also lead to the developmentof chronic depression. Imbalance of certain neurotransmittersand chemicals in the brain may also be responsible for the development ofchronic depression. For example, serotonin is a neurotransmitter that producesthe sensation of well-being and happiness. Depression may also be a heritable conditionsince there are researches that prove that depression runs in family.
Symptoms of chronic depression
The people suffering from chronicdepression usually experience the same warning signs as people sufferingfrom major depression.
Those with chronic depression usuallyhave problems to go to sleep while during the day, they feel a constantfatigue and do not have energy to perform any activity. Furthermore, thefeeling of worthlessness, as well as the feeling of guilt, can often be predominant inthese people. Poor concentration, inattentiveness and indecisiveness are alsosome of the symptoms of chronic depression. However, the most serious symptom ofdysthymia refers to suicidal thoughts or constant thinking about death.
Psychotherapy and drugs usually have to be combinedin the treatment of chronic depression. While drugs have the role to treat thechemical imbalances in the body and some of the symptoms of the chronicdepression, psychotherapy is important for resolving of some personalproblems that caused depression in the first place.
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