Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), often known as seasonal depression, is a mental health illness characterised by depressive and meaningless sensations that surface around the same time every year. Although SAD often manifests throughout the winter, a rare variation called summer depression or reverse SAD can arise during the longer, balmy summer months.
The symptoms of seasonal sadness can be crippling and overpowering, but they don’t have to control your life. In order to understand how to handle winter SAD and get through the season feeling the joy you deserve from life, it’s vital to receive treatment.
Continue reading to find out more about seasonal affective disorder, including its causes, risk factors, requirements for a proper diagnosis, and available treatments.
How Common is Seasonal Depression?
SAD is rather typical. In fact, studies suggest that 5% of Americans may have SAD on an annual basis. The seasonal pattern of SAD often begins for most people in late fall or early winter and lasts into late spring or early summer.
Up to 25 million additional Americans may suffer from “the winter blues” or winter melancholy, a milder version of SAD.
Symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder
There are several potential signs of seasonal depression. SAD symptoms are different for people who experience it in the summer compared to those who do so in the winter.
Seasonal depression in fall or winter
As was already said, the colder winter months are when most people encounter symptoms of seasonal depression. Similar to those of general depression, associated symptoms might include:
- Feeling hopeless & exhausted
- Desire to be left alone
- Increased appetite
- Low energy levels
- Irritability
- Difficulty focusing
- Suicidal thoughts
- Weight gain
- Fatigue
Many SAD sufferers experience depression almost every day. They could become less interested in past interests and become more interested in eating and resting.
Seasonal depression in the summer or spring
Those who experience SAD during the summer months may have different symptoms, including:
- Reduced appetite
- Weight loss
- Trouble sleeping
- Agitation
- Restlessness
But even in the summer, the underlying sentiments of shame, worthlessness, and hopelessness are still still there.
Seasonal Depression Causes
Even while study hasn’t been able to definitively identify the exact aetiology of SAD, certain popular beliefs are being put to the test. Serotonin is a brain molecule that has a role in mood and may be produced less in patients with SAD.
The hormone melatonin, which controls sleep, appears to be produced more often in those with seasonal sadness. Vitamin D, which has both a direct and an indirect function in sleep regulation, is often produced insufficiently by their bodies.
Your circadian rhythm could also be a contributing factor. Your body’s circadian cycle may be disturbed due to reduced daylight hours, which can result in the onset of depression symptoms.
Many people don’t even realise they are depressed, so being aware of the symptoms can help you receive spravato treatment.
Seasonal Depression Risk Factors
The likelihood of getting seasonal affective disorder has been connected to a number of variables, including gender, age, place of residence, and familial history of depression.
Sex
Women are about 4 times more likely to have SAD than men.
Age
For most people, SAD begins during late adolescence or early adulthood.
Location
Those who live furthest from the equator are more likely to develop seasonal depression symptoms. Shorter days and less sunlight is thought to make people more susceptible.
History of depression
Seasonal depression is more likely to occur in those who have a personal or familial history of depression or bipolar illness.
Types of Treatment for SAD
Healing can start right away by speaking with a therapist who specialises in helping people with SAD.
Therapy or medication (or both)
Based on the intensity and frequency of symptoms, different patients get different treatments for seasonal affective disorder. A combination of talk therapy, such as online cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), and prescription drugs like beta-blockers or antidepressants may be used to treat SAD.
Light therapy
Wintertime reductions in natural sunshine exposure have been related to seasonal depression. Full-spectrum illumination, such that produced by lightboxes, is thought to have antidepressant benefits on certain people. Although it isn’t a guarantee, doing this helps many individuals have fewer and milder SAD symptoms.
SAD prevention
There are several methods for combating the onset of SAD. Here’s how to deal with seasonal depression:
- increasing the amount of time spent outside, despite the cold. Step outside to take in the sunshine and fresh air. The benefits of sunshine that filters through cloud cover still apply on overcast days. Try sitting beside a window, opening the curtains, and soaking up the sunlight if it’s too chilly to venture outside.
- eating a diet rich in foods that are high in water. Fighting off depression requires good nutrition. Consuming fatty fish, lean meats, kale and other green leafy vegetables, nuts, cheese, and whole-grain meals might help lift your spirits.
- exercising five or more days a week at least moderately enough to cause sweat. Exercise releases endorphins naturally, which reduces the symptoms of depression and offers a host of other positive health effects. Working out at a gym can boost your opportunities for socialising, another beneficial strategy for overcoming depression.
- increasing your morning exposure to natural light by rising earlier. SAD often happens during the few winter days when sunlight is at a minimum. Early morning exercise can be a powerful natural antidepressant.
Regardless of the underlying cause of depression, mindfulness meditation, pranayama (deliberate breathing), yoga, aromatherapy, hot Epsom salt baths, and sunglasses are also advised. Before your SAD sets in, consider incorporating these and other holistic strategies into your daily routine.
Getting Diagnosed & Finding Help
Doctors look for the following symptoms to diagnose seasonal affective disorder:
- Depression or mania that repetitively begins and ends at the same times each year
- Symptoms that self-resolve, disappearing during “normal” (warmer) seasons
- Symptoms that have repeated for at least 2 consecutive years
What is seasonal depression might be a difficult issue to define. Given that it shares symptoms with a number of other disorders characterised by depression and/or mania, such as bipolar disorder, chronic fatigue syndrome, hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), some viral illnesses, and an underactive thyroid, to name a few, it can be challenging for a doctor to diagnose.
This makes getting treatment so important if you believe you are suffering from SAD symptoms. In order to start an efficient, beneficial course of therapy to assist you get through the season, consult a doctor to rule out any further medical concerns.
learn more about treatment resistant depression Delaware and how seeking help for depression may be done more easily through online counselling.