How You Can Use A Weekly Seasonal Depression Symptoms Project Can Change Your Life

Seasonal Depression Symptoms

SAD is characterized by sadness or a decline in the enjoyment of everyday activities. They may lose interest with family and friends, sleep more, or have trouble waking up. They also crave carbohydrates, which gives the body instant energy.

The brain's pathways for regulating mood can be affected by the absence of sunlight during winter and fall. Some people have mild symptoms, while others suffer from symptoms that are severe enough to interfere with relationships and work.

Treatment

The good news is that treatment options are available. People with SAD can benefit from light therapy, psychotherapy and medication. They also can make simple changes that can help relieve their symptoms and improve their mood.

SAD can be mild or severe. It can affect people's concentration and energy levels as well as appetite. People with SAD may experience irritability or angry more easily. They may also have trouble concentrating or making decisions. Some sufferers of SAD experience difficulty sleeping and could cause them to lose energy during the daytime. The change in seasons can trigger symptoms of SAD. The shorter daylight in the fall and winter may alter a person's biological rhythms. Serotonin levels can drop and increase the hormone melatonin. This can lead to sleepiness or depression.

People with SAD frequently feel sad or depressed at a specific time of year. They usually experience these symptoms in winter or autumn months and are more comfortable in spring. They can also experience episodes of elation, or feeling high in the summer. SAD patients may have more depression-related episodes. SAD is often confused with other mood disorders. It's important to get an evaluation from a health professional.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can be an effective treatment for SAD. CBT is a form of psychotherapy that teaches individuals how to confront and change negative thinking. CBT for SAD focuses primarily on changing negative thoughts about the season to more helpful ones. It assists people in finding enjoyable activities to offset their loss of interest in the summer or winter.

It's unclear what the efficacy of herbal remedies or supplements are for SAD. Many dietary and herbal supplements aren't regulated the same way as medicines are. They can interact with certain prescription medications and cause serious issues. Talk to your healthcare professional prior to taking any dietary or herbal supplements.

Medication

The symptoms of seasonal depression disorder are more serious than just a few "winter blues." If you experience these mood swings every year around the same time your GP can help you identify and treat your symptoms. Treatment options include light therapy, psychotherapy and medications.

Winter-pattern SAD is defined by depressive episodes that happen throughout the year in the fall and winter. These episodes can be accompanied by a lack energy, an increased appetite, a preference for food that is starchy as well as sleep disturbances and weight increase. These symptoms can lead to feelings of hopelessness, despair and even suicidal thoughts in most extreme cases.

In addition to antidepressants, some people with SAD benefit by taking a dopamine inhibitor like bupropion. This medication helps balance the levels of dopamine and serotonin which reduce the feeling of being depressed and anxious. This is a relatively new kind of antidepressant that was approved by the U.S.  depression symptoms and anxiety Iam Psychiatry  and Drug Administration for use to treat SAD.

Your GP will prescribe the most effective medication for you based on your specific symptoms and the severity of your illness. They may recommend that you begin antidepressants prior to when seasonal symptoms usually start each year, and then continue taking them until spring. They might recommend using the light box or lamp to simulate sunlight, which can trigger serotonin to release.

It's important to know that although many people with SAD feel a vitamin D deficiency however, there is no evidence of this being the reason of their illness. However, making sure your diet is rich in healthy foods and that you spend sufficient time outside to get exposed to sunlight can help.

SAD can be a very difficult condition, and the symptoms can seem to last for a long time. It is essential to understand that there are a variety of treatments available for this condition. with the assistance of your GP and a variety of treatments, you can beat your symptoms and return to a normal life. 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

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a kind of depression that manifests in the winter and fall and improves in the spring and summer. It is caused by changes in the amount of sunlight exposure and biological rhythms which can disrupt sleep, eating, mood and behavior. The treatment for seasonal depression is with antidepressants, cognitive therapy and light therapy.

Researchers don't know the cause of SAD. They believe that less sunlight causes brain chemicals to change which lead to depression. SAD sufferers are more likely than others to be suffering from mental illnesses, such as major depression or bipolar disorder. They also may be at risk because of family history, such as a relative who has depression or schizophrenia.

People with winter-pattern SAD typically have lower levels of the chemical in the brain called serotonin that regulates mood. Serotonin levels are low and can affect sleep and the ability to think clearly and lead to sadness. People with summer-pattern SAD may have lower levels of melatonin which can affect sleeping patterns and trigger feelings of depression.

SAD symptoms include sadness, low energy, difficulty concentrating, and a loss of interest in the things you normally enjoy. You may be unable to connect with family and friends during the dark, cold months or lose weight to deal with the negative emotions. You may also begin to feel suicidal, which is a serious medical emergency that requires immediate attention.

Talk therapy can assist SAD sufferers recover from depression by changing negative thoughts and behaviors. During psychotherapy sessions, your therapist will ask questions and help you to be attentive to your reactions to difficult situations. Then, you will work together to develop ways to deal with these situations differently.

Psychotherapy is most effective when it's tailored for a specific problem, like SAD. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is one of the most promising treatments available for SAD. CBT was invented by Aaron Beck in the 1960s. It is based on Albert Ellis’ rational emotive behaviour therapy. It focuses on transforming negative patterns of emotional reasoning” that lead to depression.

Light therapy

As the seasons change, seasons many people feel slow exhausted, fatigued and down in the dumps. These symptoms are more serious than the "winter's blues" and may lead to depression, also referred to as seasonal affective disorder (SAD). If you are suffering from this condition, a few simple lifestyle changes and the assistance of psychotherapy or medication can help ease your symptoms and return your mood to normal.

Bright light therapy, also known as phototherapy, has been shown to help alleviate symptoms of SAD as well as other conditions that influence your mood. A daily use of light boxes or specialized full-spectrum light in the early morning hours can help reduce your symptoms. Light therapy helps increase the production of serotonin a natural chemical that boosts your mood and boosts your alertness. It can also stop a decrease in your circadian clock, the internal clock of your body that regulates sleep cycles.

The most effective results for SAD are achieved through an instrument that emits 10,000 lux of bright white light, roughly the same brightness as being outside on clear days in July. Your doctor may suggest that you sit or stand in front of the device for 30 minutes every day, starting in the morning.

You may experience some headaches or eye strain while using the light source, however these effects usually go away when you alter the intensity of the light and distance between you and the light source. It's important to use a light box that filters out the harmful ultraviolet rays that can cause damage to your eyes and skin. You can buy a lightbox from your doctor or locate one on the Internet, but make sure that it's approved by a medical professional for treatment of SAD.

You should tell your healthcare professional that you suffer from bipolar disorder or another mental health condition, because for some people, bright light therapy or antidepressants may trigger a manic episode. These risks can be mitigated through these treatments under the guidance of a physician.