Over the weekend, I learned the difference between major depression and dysthymia -- no, not from Wikipedia, from a doctor who had a lot to get through in a presentation of a couple hours.
If there's a quick way to tell them apart, it's this: Dysthymic people can be in denial over their pain. Major depressives (if that's what you call us) can't.The doctor said this is the only time denial is ever good or useful.
But I don't think it's necessarily good or useful even then. What happens when there are dysthymic deniers and major depressives in the same family? The dysthymics may deny the pain of seeing someone they love sunk in major depression -- which means they're denying that person's pain too. And depressed people need empathy.
One small quibble with something that was mostly excellent. I left knowing more about myself and my own family.
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