Seasonal Depression Symptoms
SAD is characterized by sadness or a lack in enjoyment of daily activities. They may lose interest in family and friends, sleep more, or have trouble getting up, and are in search of carbohydrates which give the body rapid energy.
Less sunlight in fall and winter can alter brain pathways that help regulate mood. Some people experience mild symptoms, but others have symptoms serious enough to interfere with relationships and work.
Treatment
There are a variety of options for treatment. People suffering from SAD can benefit from light therapy, psychotherapy and medication. They can also make simple changes that will help ease their symptoms and improve their mood.
SAD can be mild, moderate or even severe. It can affect a person's concentration and energy levels as well as appetite. People with SAD may be more angry and irritable frequently. They may also have trouble in concentrating or making decisions. Some people with SAD have trouble sleeping and this may cause them to be deficient in energy throughout the day. The change in seasons can trigger symptoms of SAD. The shorter daylight hours during the fall and winter can affect a person's biological rhythms. It can decrease serotonin levels, and increase the level of melatonin. This can cause insomnia or cause depression.
People with SAD frequently report feeling down or sad at certain times of the year. They typically experience these symptoms in winter or autumn months and are more comfortable in spring. In the summer, they may have episodes where they feel elevated or euphoric. People with SAD may have more episodes of depression than other people. SAD is sometimes confused with other mood disorders. It's important to get an assessment from a medical doctor.
CBT (Cognitive behavioral therapy) is a successful treatment option for SAD. CBT is a kind of psychotherapy which teaches people how to confront and change negative thinking. CBT for SAD focuses primarily on changing negative thoughts about the season to more helpful ones. It helps people find fun activities to counteract their loss of interest in winter or summer.
acute depression symptoms 's not clear what the efficacy of herbal supplements or remedies are for SAD. Many dietary and herbal supplements aren't regulated in the same way that medicines are. They can cause serious issues when they interact with prescription medications. Talk to your healthcare provider before taking any herbal or dietary supplements.
Medication
The symptoms of seasonal depression are much more severe than the occasional "winter blues." If you suffer from these mood swings every year at the same time you GP can help you identify and treat your symptoms. Treatment options include light therapy, psychotherapy and medication.
Many people who suffer from winter-pattern SAD suffer from depressive episodes that come and go each year in the winter and fall. These episodes can be associated with a lack of energy and a greater appetite, a preference for starchy food and sleep disturbances, as well as weight growth. These symptoms can lead to feelings of hopelessness, despair and even suicidal thoughts in most severe cases.
Some people with SAD may benefit from taking a bupropion, a dopamine-inhibitor. This medication helps balance your serotonin levels and dopamine levels to lessen the possibility of being anxious and lethargic. This is a relatively new kind of antidepressant that has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat SAD.
Your doctor will prescribe the right medication for you, according to your symptoms and severity. They'll likely suggest that you start antidepressants before the symptoms of seasonality usually begin each year, and then continue taking them until spring. They might also suggest that you use an artificial light source or a light box to simulate sunlight, which can trigger the release serotonin.
It is important to remember that although many people with SAD are suffering from a vitamin D deficiency, there is no proof of this being the reason of their condition. However, ensuring that your diet is a source of healthy foods and spend enough time outdoors to expose yourself to sunlight can help.
SAD can be a very difficult condition, and the symptoms can appear to last for a long time. It is essential to know that there are many treatments available for this condition. with the assistance of your GP, you can overcome the symptoms and resume living your life normally. For more information on seasonal affective disorder and other mental health conditions, visit the Health Matters blog(link opens in a new window) at NewYork-Presbyterian.
Cognitive behavior therapy
SAD is a type of depression that is common in fall and winter, and improves during the spring and the summer. It is caused by changes in the amount of sunlight exposure and biological rhythms that can disrupt sleep, eating mood, and behavior. Antidepressants, light therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy can ease symptoms of seasonal depression.
Researchers aren't sure what causes SAD. They believe that less sunlight causes brain chemical changes that can lead to depression. SAD patients are more likely than others to suffer from other mental illnesses, such as bipolar disorder or major depression. They may also be at risk due to an ancestral history of mental health conditions such as schizophrenia or depression.
Serotonin, the brain chemical that regulates mood, is typically lower in those with SAD winter-pattern. Insufficient levels of this chemical may cause problems with sleeping, thinking clearly and being sad. Melatonin levels could be lower in people who have SAD summer-pattern. This can affect sleep patterns and cause depression-like symptoms.
Symptoms of SAD include depression, fatigue and difficulty concentrating, as well as an absence of interest in the activities that you normally enjoy. You might cut off contact with your family and friends during winter months, or lose weight in order to cope with negative emotions. You might also begin to feel suicidal. This is a serious medical condition that requires immediate attention.
Talk therapy can help those suffering from SAD overcome depression by changing unhealthy thought patterns and behaviors. During sessions, your therapist will ask you questions and help you to be aware of your reactions to stressful situations. Then, you'll collaborate to come up with ways to approach these situations in a different way.
Psychotherapy is most effective when it's tailored to a specific issue, for instance, SAD. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is one of the most promising treatments for SAD. It was created by Aaron Beck, a psychiatrist at the University of Pennsylvania in the 1960s, CBT was an adaptation of Albert Ellis' rational emotive behavior therapy and focuses on reversing the harmful patterns of "emotional reasoning" that can lead to depression.
Light therapy
As the seasons change, seasons many people feel slow exhausted, fatigued and down in the dumps. For some, these feelings are more severe than a typical case of the "winter blues" and can cause depression, which is known as seasonal affective disorder, or SAD. If you suffer from this condition just a few lifestyle changes and the assistance of psychotherapy or medication could help ease your symptoms and return your mood to normal.
Research has shown that bright light therapy, also known as phototherapy, can improve symptoms of SAD and other conditions that affect your mood. The daily use of light boxes or specialized full-spectrum light in the early morning hours can alleviate your symptoms. Light therapy boosts serotonin production, which is a natural chemical that improves your mood. It also helps prevent a decrease in your circadian clock, the internal clock in your body that regulates sleep cycles.
The best results can be achieved with a device that emits 10,000 Lux of bright white light. This is roughly the same amount of brightness you see outside on a sunny day in July. Your doctor will suggest that you stand or sit in front of the device each day for a minimum of 30 minutes starting in the early hours of the morning, all week.
There may be some headaches or eye strain while using the light source, however these effects will usually disappear if you adjust the intensity of the light and distance between you and the light source. Use a light box with an anti-radiation filter that blocks harmful ultraviolet rays. These UV rays can cause harm to your eyes and skin. You can buy a lightbox through your healthcare provider or you can locate one on the internet. Make sure it's medically approved to treat SAD.
Tell your healthcare provider if you have bipolar disorder, or any other mental illness, you have. Bright light therapy, or antidepressants, can cause manic episodes in certain individuals. The risk can be reduced by using these treatments under the guidance of a psychiatrist.