ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) — A continuous feeling of sadness could be just a dark mood, or it could be Persistent Depressive Disorder, PDD< that lasts for a long period of time. Ivanhoe explains the symptoms and treatment options. Depression
Persistent Depressive Disorder, or PDD, is not as severe as depression, but adults can struggle with the symptoms of it for years. According to the Cleveland Clinic, three percent of Americans experience it at some point in their lives.
Jyoti Mishra Ramanathan, PhD, Neuroscientist at UCSD says, “People don’t realize sometimes that they may have it because it’s so subjective.”
Symptoms of PDD include a sad mood, fatigue, lack of concentration, low self-esteem, trouble sleeping, and lack of appetite or overeating.
Mishra, PhD says, “We’re looking at your changes in mood from day-to-day. So you don’t just tell me how you’re feeling at this very moment.”
Scientists say the first step in treatment is often a prescription for anti-depressant medications.
“About 30 to 50 percent of people respond to the standard of care, antidepressants that are available. Other than antidepressants, there’s also psychotherapy that’s available.” Explains Mishra, PhD.
Health experts say making some lifestyle changes can also help. This includes eating a well-balanced diet, exercising several times a week, and limiting alcohol use. There are also activities that can help people cope with the effects of PDD. Experts suggest going to a movie or a ballgame, spending time with friends, enjoying the outdoors, or taking a yoga class.
The Cleveland Clinic says PDD is more common in women and it can affect people at any age, including children and teens.
Contributors to this news report include: Lindsay Dailey, Producer; Roque Correa, Editor.
Sources:
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9292-persistent-depressive-disorder-pdd
PDD: THE DEPRESSION YOU MAY NEVER HAVE HEARD OF
REPORT #3164
BACKGROUND: Persistent depressive disorder (PDD) is a type of depression that involves the feeling of sadness and dark moods that occur daily. It can happen to anyone at any age and is more common in women and those with a family history of it. There are a few treatment options that can help people with PDD like medication, talk therapy, and lifestyle changes. These treatments can help manage the symptoms and help the person feel better all over. Learning coping mechanisms is also a way to help mange PDD. Things like hanging out with friends who are positive and encouraging, getting some crafts and being creative, spending time outside in the fresh air and sun, and exercise like yoga or meditation, can teach you to cope with these feelings and enable you to possibly live with PDD and not let it run your life.
(Source: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9292-persistent-depressive-disorder-pdd)
SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT: A diagnosis of PDD comes when a person shows signs of sadness on most days which last longer than two years. Some signs of PDD are a feeling of hopelessness, low self-esteem, poor appetite, and poor concentration. The exact cause of the disorder is unknown. Prescribed medications are the most common form of treatment and often the most effective for PDD but can take longer to work and take effect in the body. Talk therapy is a popular treatment as it lends a person a comfortable place and situation to talk about their mental state while learning ways to cope with it. It can aid a person in understanding how PDD has affected their life and how they can manage it more effectively. While many people fully recover from PDD, there are cases where people continue to have symptoms throughout their life.
(Source: https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/diseases-conditions/persistent-depressive-disorder)
NEW DISCOVERY FOR TRACKING DEPRESSION: New research shows that using a deep brain stimulation device along with AI might be the new tool to improve therapy for treatment-resistant depression. The study involved 10 adult patients with treatment-resistant depression. Each patient underwent deep brain stimulation therapy for six months. They began by receiving the same stimulation dose at the start of the study, and then the levels were increased once or twice over the six months. Researchers then used artificial intelligence (AI) tools to analyze data from six patients. They observed a common brain activity signature, or biomarker, that was linked with patients expressing feeling symptoms of depression or stability as they recovered. “Nine out of 10 patients in the study got better, providing a perfect opportunity to use a novel technology to track the trajectory of their recovery,” said Helen Mayberg, MD, director of the Nash Family Center for Advanced Circuit Therapeutics at Icahn Mount Sinai in New York City. “Our goal is to identify an objective, neurological signal to help clinicians decide when, or when not, to make a DBS adjustment.”
* For More Information, Contact:
Michelle Brubacker, Director of Media Relations
UC San Diego Health
858-249-0416
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