Depression that strikes around the same time every year, often during the winter, is called seasonal affective disorder. is a kind of depression that worsens in the fall and winter and may have far-reaching consequences for a person's personal and professional life, as well as their relationships with others and their feeling of self-worth. You may have feelings of hopelessness, sadness, tension, or stress and a loss of interest in the people and things that bring you joy in the summer. SAD often starts in the autumn or winter because days grow shorter and last until the lighter days, early spring and summer months. However, a less prevalent version of the illness causes sadness throughout the warmer months. Approximately 1%-2% of the population suffers from SAD, most often women and young individuals.

Do you have SAD?

Reduced exposure to light, heat, and color during winter might make some individuals feel down or tired. This is normal and not cause for alarm. However, suppose your symptoms occur at the same time every year, significantly reduce your standard of health, and improve with the changing seasons. In that case, you may very well have seasonal affective disorder.

So exhausted that I either can't sleep or constantly fight off the need to nap.

There has been a shift in my eating habits, most noticeably an increase in my desire for sweet and starchy meals.

You have gained weight; you are depressed, guilty, and significantly down on yourself; You have lost hope; You are irritable; you were withdrawing from people and things that formerly pleased me; you are tense and agitated, and you no longer have any desire for sexual or other physical interaction.

Light Therapy Is A Cost-Effective And Cheap Treatment

Dr Alfred Lewy discovered in 1980 that exposure to specific amounts of artificial light at night inhibits melatonin synthesis, a vital hormone in maintaining healthy sleep patterns. People who suffer from the seasonal affective disorder (SAD) may have jet lag-like symptoms if they often get up before sunrise. Due to this, light therapy with high intensity continues to be the primary treatment option. Light therapy is effective in more than 60 clinical investigations. Wirecutter, a subsidiary of The New York Times, researched and evaluated a wide range of light boxes. Kit Dillon, a writer, considered the Carex Day-Light Classic Plus illumination the most outstanding, cost-effective, risk-free option. The Center for Environment Therapeutic Agents, a non-profit organization, consisting of scientists and medical professionals who study the effects of environmental factors, also endorses it.

Diagnosis Of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

Because various forms of depression and other mental health illnesses may produce similar symptoms, it could also be difficult for your medical professional mental well-being expert to identify seasonal affective disorder even after a complete assessment.

Complete diagnostic procedures for seasonal affective disorder usually include of

• I am getting checked out. A doctor or nurse could conduct a thorough physical examination and ask you about several concerns regarding your health. Depression has been connected to physical health issues in certain people.
• Experiments in a laboratory. Your doctor may order a complete blood count (CBC) blood test or examine your thyroid gland to ensure it produces healthy hormone levels.
• Analytical psychology. Your doctor or therapist will ask questions about your mood, outlook, and behavior to see whether depression is possible. To assist with these inquiries, a questionnaire is available for your completion.

Treatment

Light treatment, talk therapy, and medication are all options for treating the seasonal affective disorder. Tell your doctor and therapist if you've been diagnosed with bipolar disorder; they'll need to know if they want to prescribe light therapy or an antidepressant. Both therapies have the potential to bring on a manic episode.

What Are Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) Medications?

Antidepressants may help some persons whose SAD symptoms are very severe. People with a history of SAD may benefit from taking an extended-release form of the antidepressant citalopram (Wellbutrin XL, Aplenzin) to reduce the likelihood of future depression. Various antidepressants could also be prescribed often in the treatment of SAD. To prevent the annual recurrence of symptoms, your doctor may advise you should begin antidepressant therapy in advance. Your doctor may also advise you to take the antidepressant even after your symptoms have subsided.

Conclusion

Seasonal depression is known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Typically, it occurs in autumn and winter. Less sunlight and shorter days have been linked to a chemical shift throughout the brain that might also cause depressive feelings. Antidepressants and light therapy have effectively treated seasonal affective disorder. Depressive episodes with the seasonal affective disorder (SAD) seem to occur around the same time each year. Less daylight in the fall and winter is only one of the seasonal shifts that may harm your disposition. The darker days may influence the regions of the brain that produce chemicals like serotonin and melatonin, which help regulate mood.