As the warm and sunny days of summer vacation grow farther away and fall winds start to blow through, some of us can't stop ourselves from succumbing to Winter Blues. You would think that when sweater weather creeps closer, our elation would grow as people start pumpkin picking and planning their vacations. The promise of Christmas day and the beginning of a New Year usually fill us up with excitement as snow days infiltrate our daily schedules.
Unfortunately, it is not so for everyone and long periods of Winter Blues can even result in Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, which is a type of depression that's related to changes in seasons — SAD begins and ends at about the same times every year. For most people the symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder start in the fall and continue into the winter months, sapping your energy and making you feel moody. Less often, SAD causes depression in the spring or early summer.
The causes for most psychological disorders are never completely clear, and same goes for SAD, but there are a few factors that have been found to affect the chances of a person developing this disorder. First of all, women are about four times more likely to develop SAD than men because serotonin levels (levels of an important chemical and neurotransmitter in the human body that helps regulate mood and social behaviour, appetite and digestion, sleep, memory, and sexual desire and function) are affected by things like menopause and PMS. Furthermore, reduced sunlight can cause a drop in serotonin that may trigger depression. Serotonin can be increased by consuming foods that are sugary or rich in carbs which is why weight gain is a side-effect of winter-onset seasonal affective disorder.
The change in seasons causes the amount of sunlight we receive to reduce in fall and winter may cause winter-onset SAD which may may disrupt your circadian rhythm (your body's internal biological clock) and lead to feelings of depression. The change in season can also disrupt the balance of the body's level of melatonin, which plays a role in sleep patterns and mood.
The difference between symptoms specific to winter and summer onset SAD can be compared to the functioning of a machine. In summer-onset SAD the machine gets overheated and releases energy, i.e. people show signs of agitation, insomnia, restlessness, loss of appetite and have episodes of violence. In winter-onset SAD the machine works slower as parts of it do not function properly, so the person has low energy, oversleeps, withdraw themselves from society and gain weight due to overeating.
The overall symptoms for Seasonal Affective Disorder are :
. Depression most of the day, nearly every day
. Losing interest in activities you once enjoyed
. Low energy
. Sleeping problems
. Sudden change in appetite or weight
. Sluggish or agitated behaviour
. Difficulty in concentrating
. Feeling hopeless, worthless or guilty
. Frequent thoughts of death or suicide
When you feel that your Winter Blues last too long for it be considered healthy or normal, visit a doctor to get the appropriate treatment, same as you would do if you show signs of the flu because ignoring these symptoms can have a really negative impact on your life.
Methods of treatment usually are:
. Natural Solutions: Simple things like regular exercise of some kind release endorphins in your body which helps you feel happier and allows you to concentrate more. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle and diet also aid in alleviating stress and help in avoiding symptoms such as overeating.
. Light Therapy: A person literally just needs to have natural light fall on their body which you can do by going outside and walking in the sunshine, or by installing artificial therapy lamps. Some people also plan vacations to tropical places to avoid gloomy weather and alleviate their stress.
. Therapy: In most disorders, people feel very lonely and disconnected from the world because they feel no one can understand what they are going through. Having a therapist ensures that your do not feel as alone and gives you the chance to open up about your problems. Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) is when you make yourself feel better through certain actions, and especially helps in treatment of SAD.
. Anti-depressants: Medication prescribed by your doctor to suit your symptoms do help in the speed of the treatment, and since they are not recommended for long-term use, they work well for this temporary depressive disorder. However, solely the use of medication will not be as effective of a method, and so needs to be used with non-medicated treatment methods. There is always a chance of getting addicted so it is never the first step.
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