Doctors have invented a medical name for the feeling of ‘meh’ – and it could be a serious psychological condition that affects 10 million Americans
- Persistent depressive disorder is a little-known form of mild depression
- It affects 10 million Americans of all ages, with women being more susceptible
- READ MORE: Getting less than five hours of sleep can increase your risk of depression
It's a feeling you can't quite put your finger on. You don't feel happy, but you don't feel desperately sad either; you can even smile.
You just feel a little…meh. It's a term that's becoming increasingly popular on social media as Gen Z searches for words to describe their understated feelings.
On TikTok, for example, videos with the hashtag βhow to stop feeling mehβ have been viewed a combined 13.4 million times.
While it could be due to the sun setting earlier in the evening or the approaching holidays, many aren't sure exactly what's behind the resistance.
Persistent depressive disorder (PDD) β or the feeling of βmehβ β affects about three percent of Americans, or 10 million
According to experts, persistent depressive disorder (PDD) is a form of chronic depression that is usually mild and lasts for at least two years.
In children, a diagnosis is only made if these feelings persist for at least a year.
The condition was previously defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) as dysthymia, the Greek word for “low spirits,” “moodiness,” or “dejection.”
PDD is characterized by a persistent feeling of sadness, although patients are often able to function and have short periods of feeling normal again.
According to the DSM-5, symptoms include poor appetite or overeating, difficulty falling and staying asleep, fatigue, low self-esteem, poor concentration, difficulty making decisions and feelings of hopelessness.
About three percent of Americans β nearly 10 million β experience PDD at some point in their lives.
Women are more likely to develop it, as are women with a family history of the condition.
However, doctors aren't entirely sure what causes it.
One theory is that this could be due to the brain producing low levels of serotonin, a hormone that influences mood and works with the sleep chemical melatonin to help determine when you fall asleep and wake up.
PDD can also be caused by stressful or traumatic events, such as losing your job or going through a divorce.
According to the National Institutes of Mental Health, PDD can also be linked to health problems such as diabetes and cancer, due to the mental toll of living with it.
PDD is less serious than major depressive disorder (MDD), a form of depression that affects about eight percent of American adults and 15 percent of teens.
The main difference in the conditions is how long the symptoms last.
Although signs of PDD should last for two years, MDD can be diagnosed if symptoms last for at least two months.
In addition, MDD tends to be more severe, leading to feelings of worthlessness, weight loss, restlessness, and frequent thoughts of death.
MDD is also more likely to interfere with relationships, school or work performance, and family responsibilities.
PDD can be treated with antidepressants such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and with therapy.