When navigating Persistent Depressive Disorder (also known as dysthymic disorder or dysthymia ) - a chronic, low-grade depression that can operate undetected from our early twenties well into our forties (speaking from personal experience) - measuring recovery presents a unique logistical challenge. The traditional metrics used to evaluate acute clinical depression often do not apply. We are rarely completely incapacitated; we go to work, we maintain relationships, and we fulfill our obligations. However, we exist in a persistent, functional gray area. Because this low-mood baseline is the only environment we have known for decades, recognizing when it begins to shift requires a highly specific set of analytical tools. Here is an academic approach to objectively tracking the dysthymic shift, moving beyond the flawed pursuit of "happiness" to measure the actual expansion of your emotional capacity. The Flawed Metric of Joy The most common error in evaluating mental health prog...
Nearly twenty years ago, I started a blog called The Path is Too Deep, a geeky reference to a rare computer error message. A great deal of life has happened since then, a life I would like to share. So, here again, are some random bits of unfiltered Chris.