Customer Reviews

When the Blues Won't Go Away: New Approaches to Dysthymic Disorder and Other Forms of Chronic Low-Grade Depression

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I bought this book because there was a point in my life after 4 kids and a divorce that I felt "blue" most everyday. This book was very helpful with tips and insight, After a second marriage where the blended family thing was a problem, I read this book a lot. It has been was a very hekpful book for me to read to understand depression and the different causes and types.

If you are mildly depressed, irritable, out of sorts, impatient with employees or your partner, and it has gone on for a long, long time, you may have dysthmic disorder. DD is a low level, chronic mood malfunction, nowhere near as severe as a major depression, bi-polar disease, or other macro-behavioural problems, but it is real and persistent and does not usually go away on its own. Whereas other disorders come and go over months, DD trudges on for years. As with other psychiatric problems, it is difficult for the affected individual to recognize that it is happening, but it can wreak havoc on a life. Alcohol or drug abuse are not infrequent results. An estimated 3-5 percent of American adults, twice as many women as men, suffer from this illness. A low self image, inability to finish tasks, bristling defensive behaviour and other symptoms can make the DD sufferer a royal pain in the butt to live with. Hirschfield offers effective self-help advice, and information about professional treatment and medications available if that is your bag. If you or someone you love might have DD, check this one out. It worked for me.

This book is very readable to a lay person who struggles with dysthymia disorder. He presents clear strategies to help someone understand the disorder and how to find workable solutions.