Diseases and Conditions
Persistent depressive disorder (dysthymia)
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Overview
Symptoms
Causes
Risk factors
Complications
Prevention
Diagnosis
Treatment
Lifestyle and home remedies
Alternative medicine
Coping and support
Preparing for an appointment
Prevention
There's no sure way to prevent persistent depressive disorder. Because it often starts in childhood or during the teenage years, identifying children at risk of the condition may help them get early treatment.
Strategies that may help ward off symptoms include the following:
- Take steps to control stress, to increase your resilience and to boost your self-esteem.
- Reach out to family and friends, especially in times of crisis, to help you weather rough spells.
- Get treatment at the earliest sign of a problem to help prevent symptoms from worsening.
- Consider getting long-term maintenance treatment to help prevent a relapse of symptoms.
