Some people experience a few symptoms, some many.
Also, severity of symptoms varies with individuals. Sometimes people with dysthymia also experience major depressive episodes. Another type of depressive illness is manic depressive illness each year, also called bipolar depression . Not nearly as prevalent as other forms of depressive illnesses, manic-depressive illness involves cycles of depression and elation or mania. Sometimes the mood switches are dramatic and rapid, but most often they are gradual.