Hypothymia: What It Is And Characteristics Of This Emotional Symptom
Feeling sad and down is normal. There are days when we are in a better mood and others when we are not so good, as is expected in a person who has euthymia.
However, sometimes you can live in a continuous state of despondency and hopelessness, not serious enough to be considered a full state of mind, but which can be a source of discomfort.
This is called hypothymia, and it is a common symptom of mood disorders, although it can also occur on its own. Next we are going to look in more depth at what it is and what differences it presents with respect to dysthymia and depression.
Hypothymia is an abnormal decrease in emotional tone A person presents this symptom when their emotional response is diminished and is inadequate to their real situation, accompanied by depression, inexpressive language and slow movements.
Furthermore, a fundamental aspect of hypothymia is that the individual loses interest in what previously gave him satisfaction such as hobbies, circle of family and friends or others.
Hypothymia is not a diagnostic category, but it is a symptom that is present in many diseases of medical origin and mental disorders. It is considered a positive symptom, that is, the disorder adds to the person’s life It is not a specific symptom, and can occur in many mental disorders and diseases, such as a brain tumor or conditions related to craniocerebral injuries. It is considered one of the main symptoms of depression.
It differs from euthymic, that is, normal, sadness for several reasons. The first is that The person not only feels sad, but is also incapable of feeling happiness, even if you have experienced an event that, in principle, should be a source of joy. For example, a person suffers hypothymia if, upon learning that he has had good grades, he is a father or he has won the lottery, he does not show any joy.
When hypothymia occurs A wide repertoire of mild feelings can occur, such as hatred and pessimistic ideas, or go to deeper thoughts of life worry, discomfort and shyness. Catastrophic feelings, hopelessness and a sense of failure may occur.
Based on its definition, it can be thought that hypothymia is related to dysthymia and depression and, indeed, it is. However, it differs from these two mood disorders for various reasons that we will see below.
Differences between hypothymia and dysthymia
There are several differences between hypothymia and dysthymia. For a start, hypothymia is a symptom, not a nosological category or disorder, while dysthymia is. Dysthymia is one of the mood disorders, characterized by a sad mood, melancholy, sadness and other symptoms of low mood, but the diagnostic criteria to consider the case as depression are not met. It could be considered a kind of mild depression.
In order to diagnose dysthymia, it is necessary that the state of depression from which the patient suffers has been maintained for at least two years. This depression could initially be considered hypothymia, as long as that period of time was not exceeded and the degree of severity did not increase.
However, Another of the main differences between dysthymia and hypothymia is in their temporality Hypothymia, as we have mentioned, is a symptom, a state related to depression that is relatively short-lived. On the other hand, dysthymia is more of a trait or state prolonged over time, making more reference to the fact that the person, generally and in various contexts of their life, is in low spirits.
In the same way that hypothymia can be related to dysthymia, and even confuse it without taking into account the differences already explained, this symptom can be related to depression. In fact, as we have already said, it is one of the main symptoms of depression.
Among the differences between depression and hypothymia is its intensity In depression, since it is a mood disorder, the symptoms of apathy, despondency, loss of interest and coldness are very intense and generalize to most of the situations that the patient experiences. On the other hand, hypothymia, although it is present at all times in the patient’s life, its intensity is much lower, more characterized by the absence of happiness than deep sadness.
The other difference is the duration Hypothymia is relatively temporary, with a shorter and more variable duration than depression, ranging from a few days to, at most, months. In contrast, depression is usually a long-term disorder.
Although to diagnose it it is required that several of its diagnostic criteria have been met for a period of more than two weeks, it is common for the person to have actually endured depression for longer, at least six months.
How hypothymia intervenes
Although hypothymia is not a disorder nor is it as serious as dysthymia and depression, It is necessary that the person who suffers from it receives adequate professional help
This is important given that, if not properly treated, feelings of unhappiness and despondency can evolve, over time, into a dysthymic disorder or even depression.
The first thing to do is consult with a specialist psychologist, with the intention of confirming the diagnosis. Generally, hypothymia is usually exogenous that is, caused by a condition outside the person, such as a work problem, a relational problem, some type of worry… Thus, it will be possible, with professional help and support from family and friends, to be able to address the source of distress, as well as to provide the patient with tools for resolution.
Inside the therapy It is essential to ensure that the person continues with their daily activities and that they do not lose social contact, since isolation can worsen their emotional situation.
If possible, it is recommended that the patient do some weekly exercise, since sport is known to help raise the mood and, given the fact that hypothymia is not a seriously sad mood, it is possible that the patient will recover. normal levels quickly. However, no matter how much sport you do, psychotherapy should not be abandoned to direct the improvement process.
The patient should also be encouraged to carry out pleasant activities, which will help them disconnect from their worries and obligations, in addition to relativizing their problems. These activities can be of any type, such as reading, playing video games, painting, dancing or any hobby that you like, regardless of how “productive” your environment or even yourself perceive it. The important thing is that you do things that you like, that make you feel better.
Throughout psychotherapy, it is essential to monitor how hypothymia progresses. This is very important given that, as we have already mentioned, If it is not adequately intervened, this symptom can evolve into depression or dysthymia something that the patient clearly wants to avoid.
