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Dysphoria

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Dysphoria (from Greek: δύσφορος (dysphoros), δυσ-, difficult, and φέρειν, to bear) is a profound state of unease or dissatisfaction. In a psychiatric context, dysphoria may accompany depression, anxiety, or agitation. It can also refer to a state of not being comfortable in one's current body, particularly in cases of gender dysphoria. Common reactions to dysphoria include emotional distress, in some cases, even physical distress is seen. The opposite state of mind is known as euphoria.

Contents

In psychiatry

Intense states of distress and unease increase the risk of suicide, as well as being unpleasant in themselves. Relieving dysphoria is therefore a priority of psychiatric treatment. One may treat underlying causes such as depression or bipolar disorder as well as the dysphoric symptoms themselves.

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) categorizes specific dysphoria in the obsessive–compulsive spectrum.

Gender dysphoria

Gender dysphoria is discomfort, unhappiness, or distress due to one's gender or physical sex. The current edition (DSM-5) of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders uses the term "gender dysphoria" in preference to "gender identity disorder".

The following conditions may include dysphoria as a symptom:

  • Major depressive disorder (unipolar) and dysthymia
  • Bipolar disorder and cyclothymia
  • Borderline personality disorder
  • Premenstrual syndrome
  • Premenstrual dysphoric disorder
  • Stress
  • Adjustment disorder with depressed mood
  • Anxiety disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder
  • Dissociative disorders such as dissociative identity disorder, dissociative amnesia, and depersonalization disorder.
  • Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
  • Mixed anxiety-depressive disorder
  • Gender dysphoria, sometimes referred to as "gender identity disorder" (note that use of the latter term and its identification with gender dysphoria is controversial)
  • Personality disorders such as borderline personality disorder, dependent personality disorder and antisocial personality disorder
  • Substance withdrawal
  • Body dysmorphic disorder
  • Akathisia
  • Hypoglycemia
  • Schizophrenia
  • Sexual dysfunction
  • Body integrity identity disorder
  • Insomnia
  • Chronic pain

    • Drug-induced (dysphoriants)

    Some drugs can produce dysphoria, including κ-opioid receptor agonists like salvinorin A (the active constituent of the hallucinogenic plant Salvia divinorum), butorphanol, and pentazocine, μ-opioid receptor antagonists such as naltrexone and nalmefene, and antipsychotics like haloperidol and chlorpromazine (via blockade of dopamine receptors), among others. Depressogenic and/or anxiogenic drugs may also be associated with dysphoria.

    Against Me! released the album Transgender Dysphoria Blues in which the lead singer Laura Jane Grace shares her experiences of gender dysphoria.

    References

    Dysphoria Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA