How does the decline in intelligence/IQ from dysthymia compare with that of major depression?
I have had dysthymia for a long time. Back in school, I was so sharp that I was regarded as the nerd of the class. I would have quick answers to almost everything. I am not sure, but maybe my IQ was pretty good. Fast forward to college: I got dysthymia (due to some reasons) and I did not do well in university. I managed to go through university with the bare minimum required for a pass. My GPA was around 6.9 on a scale of 10. If I exclude the last two semesters, my GPA would go down to around 6.5.Fast forward to now: I am preparing for a competitive exam. I see a huge bump in my IQ since I have started preparing. I feel even more sharper than I was in school.Inference: Dysthymia probably does not cause a permanent damage, though I am not a doctor and that is just my own personal observation. I still have dysthymia, but I don't think my IQ is affected by it. The only way it affects me is I feel a complete loss of motivation to do anything when it strikes, and I refuse to even "think" sometimes because it becomes a chore. I am alright at the moment. But I know it comes in waves, and my doctor has helped me a lot in being prepared for it. User-13204633639965019018 - She is my doctor. She is amazing, and maybe she can better explain this.
I only feel mildly depressed (I have dysthymia) and can function at a limited level, but I don't get much enjoyment out of life. What can I do to improve my life so I can enjoy it?
I see lots of people here recommending medication and buying into the “depression is an illness” model. Given the current state of medications for depression, I would proceed with caution and fully inform yourself before embarking on that course of action. Look up tardive dysphoria as well.I do urge you to consider psychotherapy if you’re not already invested, and if you are and things aren’t changing, consider a different therapist and/or a different modality. I also recommend you check out this site: Authentic HappinessWhatever you want to call it, depression has much to do with personal philosophy and beliefs, with what and how you think, how you describe the world to yourself through your personal narrative. Yes, there are physical issues involving neurotransmitters and all that, which is how the brain works on an electrochemical basis, but depression is far more than just “chemical imbalance” which isn’t even a proven theory. If it was an absolute fact, then we���d see far more efficacy from antidepressants than equivalency with the placebo effect for many patients. Also, there are other ways to influence brain structure and the levels of neurotransmitters than popping pills (all of which have side-effects and some are as bad or worse than the effects of depression, especially mild depression, to which I can personally attest). Examples include meditation, exercise, and even diet. I’ve encountered several instances where it has been suggested low magnesium levels can play a part in mood disorders. Supposedly you need a red blood cell test rather than a serum magnesium test to determine magnesium levels. It’s worth a look, in my opinion, since magnesium is an essential mineral anyway.I think the key to improving your contentment and enjoyment of life lies not in what medications and supplements you take but rather in how you look at the world and your place in it. If your view is pessimistic or your thinking is distorted, if you’re bogged down in recycling the past and nursing all the misfortunes you may have experienced, or you see no value in yourself and your life, no pill is going to make you happy in a durable way.
I have dysthymia (mild depression). I can force myself to do things but the joy is missing from my life and I don't feel passionate about anything. How can I enjoy my life more?
Things that have been shown to work against depression include therapy (especially cognitive-behavioral therapy, which is mostly about recognizing harmful thought patterns), mindfulness (also known as meditation), exercise, and drugs. For the first and last you should go to a therapist.However, that doesn’t answer your question! You asked “How can I enjoy my life more?”Working on your depression is only part of that. The main things you have to do to enjoy life more are:Figure out what you enjoy doing, and do more of it. This may not be all that easy, but it’s necessary.Pick things to do based on how you are going to feel while you’re doing them or after you’ve done them, rather than whether you feel like doing them. Right now I don’t feel like going for a walk, but I know that I’ll enjoy it if I can only get myself out the door.Stop doing things that you don’t enjoy, to whatever extent is possible. Obviously, some things just aren’t much fun, but you have to do them anyway, like paying your income tax and going to the dentist. That brings us to:Recognize that most of what makes you feel bad is, not things, people, and events outside yourself, but how you feel about those things. Sometimes a shift in perspective, a bit of ironic humor, or promising yourself a reward after you do something unpleasant can help a great deal.Stay away from people who make you feel bad about yourself.a2a
I'm a 14 year old teenager and I'm always tired?
Hey. I'm always tired to and especially back when I was 15 and around your age. Perhaps drink some extra water or maybe have an energy shake before you go to school. Try going to bed earlier as well. Rest is VERY important especially at your age. You need to grow and to grow means to eat the right foods and to rest. At your age you need to have at least 8-10 hour sleep. If you exercise a lot too drink a lot of fluids and rest as much as you can. When we work and say swim or do P.E. that is a lot of work for our body so we need to rest the muscles that we used to work out. Resting will make your muscles be ready and up for action! Good Luck and talk to you soon.
I can't concentrate on almost anything?
im going to put it simple just because i need to do a written documentation in 5 minutes. Its hard to do i know because i normally go to bed at 1 then wake up and 5 and cant go back to sleep but you need to get more sleep prreferably 8 hours. You need to listen to less music even though it sounds good it will partially preoccupy you if you are having those problems with attention This is not a definite way to determine adhd or depression/anxiety but it "can" and normally is a great way to tell if you have it since i know the symptoms. Lets start with ADHD since the term ADD is not used nowdays. ADHD is simply the lack of Dopamine here are some symptoms Due to lack of dopamine you may feel like a bland person with slightly less emotions than others You are constantly thinking of multiple things at the same time and often times while thinking of many things at the same time you are also listening to a song in your head. When going to sleep it is hard because you cant stop thinking about things. The lack of attention attributed to ADHD is due to the above so for example if you are in a class you like but its boring you will constantly be off task thinking about more interesting things. Depression... You should know if you are depressed but minor "depression" is often ADHD, you will not be happy even with the funniest of things or things that you enjoy. With depression your body isnt producing enough seratonin so you physically cant be happy. It could be confused with ADHD since dopamine which you lack if you have ADHD is the pleasure hormone so you will experience less pleasure. Anxiety. You will get extremely panicky and often feel like its hard to breath, you are extremely afraid and may even be shaking. You cant handle people talking when your like this since your trying to calm down. General knowledge Everyone has different levels of hormones (Dopamine, Seratonin, Noradrenaline) but its only when they are very different from normal levels that you would be classified with a mental illness that is what it is called since it is an improper balance of chemicals in the brain. You could simply go to the doc and ask for stimulants and that will help but its up to you to determine if the good outweighs the harm that they can do. "I am in no way promoting listening to my diagnosis or asking for stimulants."
I just need advice with my life and thigh gaps and life.?
OK. Here's the low down on thigh gaps. It doesn't really matter how much fat you have on your thighs, or how skinny your legs are. Its about your hips. If you have a specific shape of hips, you will have a thigh gap, and it doesn't really matter how big your thighs are. If you don't have this kind of hips, you won't really get a thigh gap. Its about your bones. You can't change your bones. In pictures of skinny girls with giant thigh gaps, they are sticking their butts out backwards, which makes them look like they have a giant thigh gap. Its not really there. It doesn't really exist, either its weird posing, or photoshop. The thigh gap is pretty much mythical. If you want one in pictures, put your toes together with your heels apart, and stick your butt out. You'll have one. Its nothing to be self conscious about, and I promise even if you get liposuction (which is what you would have to do to get rid of that tiny pocket of fat that protects your muscles inside your thighs) you will find something else to be insecure about. Its not the thighs, its you. You need to accept that your body looks the way it does, and be happy that you have both legs and can walk and run with them. You need to appreciate what you have, recognise that you are beautiful, and realise that you have more to offer the world then your beauty, you have worth and value outside of your appearance, you are lovable no matter what you look like. Having a thigh gap won't make you feel better. Trust me. Being skinnier won't make you happier. I know it feels like it does, but it won't. If you're not happy now, you won't be happy no matter how thin your thighs get. I;ve been there. I suffered with depression and self esteem and eating disorders. If you're unhappy now, you will be unhappy no matter how "perfect" you think your body gets. You will always find something to complain about. You need to change inside. You need to get treated for your depression, and you need some therapy for your self esteem. Nobody cares about your thigh gap. I promise. Nobody even thinks about it or notices it except you, nobody will think differently of you if you have one or don't have one. It won't make you feel better about yourself, you just think it will. Walks and exercise are good, healthy food is good, just take care of your body. Your body is not an ornament to look at, its a tool to master your environment with, to experience life with.
I'm a fresh college graduate, and I'm currently unemployed and have dysthymia. I have the opportunity to travel for a year. Should I take it?
Go for it! I’ve had chronic fatigue syndrome for 14 years, which, as you can imagine, is a huge downer and has really put the brakes on my plans. For the first ten years I was unable to work.But still I get opportunities to do great stuff, and I regret the things I say no to.This weekend I’m helping friends put on a concert and comedy show and will be briefly involved on stage. This wouldn’t have come about had I not taken the steps to get to know a woman who’s involved because I liked her when I met her at work.I could have let being ill stop me; could have just stayed at home and figured “Why bother?” but I didn’t - and getting to know this fantastic bunch of people has opened up all kinds of doors.Your condition will tell you that you have to stay at home and be a victim.Give your condition the finger and go do what you find exciting and fulfilling!And when you come back, take the same attitude with you in the process of finding work.Yes, there will be challenges and obstacles, but none of them will be nearly as tough to deal with as they seem right now when you’re sitting at home worrying about them.One more thing: I lived in Germany for 6 years, which was where I was when I got ill. I’m so glad I said yes to going to live and work there, because even if I never had the chance to go abroad again, at least I did it while I could.I’ve had enough of being pushed around by illness. Don’t you let it push you around, either.