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The winter season has arrived with the days getting darker, shorter and the untimely warm weather. But what is the sad part of this season is it doesn’t come alone instead gets the seasonal depression along with it. Am I Right? Yes, most of us often feel more cranky, sad, anxious, tired, and lethargic at this time than usual. In clinical terms, it is referred to as ‘Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)’.
Know the seasonal affective disorder by the numbers below-
Individual experiences with seasonal affective disorder vary, but here are few symptoms to check out if you are feeling low.
In many cases, Seasonal Affective Disorder symptoms can appear during the late fall or early winter periods, and they go away during the sunnier months like spring and summer. People rarely suffer from Seasonal depression that occurs during the spring or summer months. Either way, the symptoms will start mild and get intense as the season progresses.
Symptoms that come with winter onset SAD, also known as winter depression, can include:
Symptoms that come with summer onset SAD, also known as summer depression, include:
Patients who suffer from bipolar disorder are more likely to experience mania and hypomania during spring and summer, and experience depression during the fall and winter months.
The symptoms of SAD are somewhat similar to that of depression. Read the signs below-
The exact cause of SAD still remains unknown, but some of the factors that trigger this condition are as follows:
Your Circadian rhythm: Also known as your biological clock may get disrupted. Due to the limited amount of sunlight in fall and winter, it can trigger intense depression.
Serotonin levels: Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that affects your mood and a drop in its levels can trigger Seasonal Affective Disorder, along with limited sunlight.
Melatonin levels: Melatonin is crucial because it regulates your sleep patterns and mood swings as well. The change in seasons can disrupt the body’s melatonin levels and trigger Seasonal depression.
Seasonal Affective Disorder is diagnosed in women more than men, and it occurs frequently in young adults than older adults. Factors that may trigger your Seasonal disorder include-
Genetics: Family history can play a major role in SAD. People suffering from this disease will have blood relatives who suffer from depression.
Having Bipolar disorder: If not diagnosed in the early stages, the symptoms of seasonal depression can get worse over time, especially if the patient suffers from Bipolar disorder
Living away from the equator: It has been observed that people who live far from the equator tend to suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder because of the decreased amount of sunlight during winter or longer days during the summer.
If you are thinking of beating the SAD, then we have brought to you a few tips for overcoming the winter blues.
Tips to beat Seasonal affective disorder-
Apart from all these, you can even try some relaxation techniques to prevent seasonal depression and also stress.
If in case you are willing to get treatment then here is some information about it-
Various treatments depend on the severity of the symptoms, and if you have any other type of depression or a bipolar disorder, the treatment can be different. There are traditional antidepressants that are used to treat seasonal depression.
Bupropion XL is the current medication that is FDA approved and is provided specifically to prevent any intense depressive episodes in people with Seasonal depression. Doctors only prescribe medication if the condition gets worse, but mostly they will recommend that patients get outside and take in as much sunlight as they can. If there is not much sunlight, then light therapy is used.
If you are experiencing the case of winter blues or the above symptoms, then consult a medical professional or a psychiatrist or a psychologist to do a mental health assessment and get a proper idea of how well you are able to reason, think, and remember and how you feel. Some of the treatments include-
If you feel low, and think you are in need of support and guidance, you are not alone. Call us @+91 96111 94949 or visit Cadabam’s and get the best assistance solution plan for treating this problem.