Double depression is a disorder that occurs, when a person is already suffering from dysthymia. Often, Dysthmia is diagnosed first, as the dysthymic patient may consider the development of double depression symptoms, not like reactive depression as a part of his/her personality. A surprising fact about double depression is that it affects 3 to 6% of the population.  If left untreated, it could become a life threatening condition. What Causes Double Depression If you want to know about double depression, you should first understand Dysthmia. It is a chronic, depressive disorder that lasts for at least two years. Some people may suffer from mood disorders for 10 to 20 years. Overtime, Dysthmia patients start developing major depression symptoms opposite of agitated depression symptoms, which is known as double depression. The main difference between double depression and other types of depression is the effect of underlying Dysthmia. Another important about double depression is that it could make changes in the body, increasing the chance of developing ailments like diabetes and heart diseases. This makes diagnosis and treatment more important. Symptoms of Double Depression The symptoms of double depression include •    Feeling of hopelessness •    Felling like little or no control over life •    Lower self esteem •    Extreme Guilty feelings •    Withdrawal from family and friends •    Thoughts of suicide or death •    Fatigue, drained feeling •    Weight loss or gain •    Inability to experience pleasure •    Insomnia •    Loss of interest in usually pleasurable activities •    Agitation and lethargy Treatment  ...

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