[hi there]

Hey everyone,

 

I am a guy, 22 years old and have felt low for about a year now. It comes in waves, and i watched a video lately about 'persistent depressive disorder', also called dysthymia. The symptoms for this condition felt very familiar.

During the last year I've had periods where I was actively trying to change my situation through therapy, but the relief that brought has felt temporary. I feel like I am slowly progressing, but clearly not there yet. I am quite sensitive, and introverted. Because of this I can feel drained or frustrated after social interaction, especially in groups.

Over the last couple weeks I had holidays with many different people in different social groups. Even though this sounds positive, it has left me feeling very drained and currently sent me into a negative cycle. I started isolating myself again and have trouble getting out of bed or taking care of myself. I feel ashamed and lazy now as I can't get through a day without huge mental efforts to do simple things.

I have never written posts on forums before, but I figured I might give it a try. Are there people here who suffered from dysthymia or recognize the situation? thanks for reading

[Severe case]

I read your posts and see you are at a very low point. I have been suffering from anhedonia for some time now and all I know is that your thoughts and negativity are not you. You can do this and you are not alone.