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Seasonal Depression Symptoms SAD is characterised by sadness or a lack in the enjoyment of everyday activities. They may lose interest with family members and friends, sleep more, or have difficulty waking up. They also have a craving for carbohydrates, which gives the body an instant boost of energy. Less sunlight in fall and winter can alter brain pathways that regulate mood. Some people may experience mild symptoms, while others have symptoms serious enough to interfere with relationships and work. Treatment There are a variety of treatment options available. People with SAD can benefit from psychotherapy, light therapy and medication. Simple changes can help to relieve symptoms and improve mood. SAD can be mild, moderate or severe. It can trigger changes in an individual's energy levels, appetite and concentration. Some people who have SAD may experience irritability or angry more frequently. They may also have trouble concentrating or making decisions. Some people suffering from SAD have trouble sleeping well and this can cause an inability to focus throughout the daytime. Symptoms of SAD can be caused by the changing seasons. The shorter daylight in the winter and autumn seasons could affect a person’s biological rhythms. This can reduce serotonin levels and increase melatonin. This can cause insomnia or cause depression. People suffering from SAD typically complain of feeling sad or depressed at a specific time of year. These symptoms typically occur in winter or the fall and they are more comfortable in spring. They can also experience episodes of elation, or feeling high in the summertime. People suffering from SAD might experience more depression episodes than other people. SAD is often confused with other mood disorders. It is essential to get an evaluation from a health professional. CBT (Cognitive behavioral therapy) is an effective treatment option for SAD. CBT is a type of psychotherapy that helps people to challenge and change negative thoughts. CBT for SAD focuses on changing negative thoughts related to the season and replacing them with more positive ones. It assists people to find enjoyable activities to offset their lack of interest in the summer or winter. It's unclear what the effectiveness of herbal remedies or supplements can be for SAD. Many herbs and dietary supplements aren't controlled in the same way as drugs are. They can interact with prescription drugs and cause serious health issues. Talk to your healthcare professional prior to taking any dietary or herbal supplements. Medication The symptoms of seasonal depression are much more serious than the occasional “winter blues.” If you experience these mood swings every year, at the same time you GP can help you identify and manage your symptoms. Treatment options include light therapy, psychotherapy, and medications. Many people with winter-pattern SAD experience depression-like episodes that come and go every year during the fall and winter. These episodes are often accompanied by a lack energy and a greater appetite, a preference for starchy foods, sleep disruption, and weight growth. These symptoms can lead to feelings of despair, hopelessness and even suicidal thoughts in the most severe instances. In addition to antidepressants some people with SAD benefit from taking a dopamine inhibitor like bupropion. This medication can help balance your serotonin and dopamine levels, reducing the tendency to feel lethargic and angry. This is a relatively new type of antidepressant which has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to be used in treating SAD. Your physician will prescribe the best medication for you based on your particular symptoms and severity of illness. They might suggest that you start antidepressants in the fall, before the symptoms of seasonal depression typically begin every year and continue taking them until spring. They might also suggest using an artificial light source or a light box to simulate sunlight, which can encourage the release serotonin. It's crucial to understand that, although many people with SAD suffer from a deficiency of vitamin D, there's no evidence to support this as the cause of the condition. However, ensuring that your diet is a source of healthy foods and spend enough time outdoors to get exposed to sunlight can aid in reducing. SAD is a challenging condition to deal with and the symptoms can last for for a long time. It is essential to understand that there are many treatments for this condition. With the help of your GP you can overcome symptoms and resume a normal lifestyle. 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 type of depression that manifests in winter and fall and improves during spring and summer. It is caused by changes in the amount of sunlight exposure and biological rhythms that alter sleep, eating habits mood and behavior. The treatment for seasonal depression is by taking antidepressants, cognitive behavior therapy and light therapy. Researchers don't know what causes SAD. They believe that a lack of sunlight causes brain chemicals to change that can lead to depression. postpartum depression symptoms www.iampsychiatry.com are more likely than others to be suffering from mental conditions, such as bipolar disorder or major depression. They could be also at risk due to an ancestral history of mental health conditions such as depression or schizophrenia. Serotonin, the brain chemical that regulates mood, is usually lower in people with SAD winter-pattern. Insufficient levels of this chemical can cause sleep problems and thinking clearly, as well as feeling sad. People with summer-related SAD might have lower melatonin levels, which can alter sleeping patterns and trigger depression-related symptoms. SAD symptoms include low energy, sadness as well as difficulty concentrating and a loss of enthusiasm for the activities you usually like. It is possible to be unable to connect with your family and friends during winter months, or lose weight to cope with the negative emotions. You might also begin to feel suicidal. This is a serious medical problem that requires immediate attention. Talk therapy can help SAD sufferers recover from depression through the modification of bad habits of thinking and behavior. In psychotherapy sessions, your therapist will ask questions and encourage you to be attentive to your reactions to difficult situations. Then, you will work together to discover new ways to handle these situations. Psychotherapy is most effective when it is tailored to a specific issue such as SAD. One of the most promising treatments for SAD is known as cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT. It was created by Aaron Beck, a psychiatrist at the University of Pennsylvania in the 1960s, CBT is based on Albert Ellis' rational emotive behavior therapy. It is focused on reversing the harmful patterns of “emotional reasoning” that lead to depression. Light therapy With the changing of the seasons, many people feel sluggish exhausted, fatigued and depressed. These feelings could be more serious than the “winter's blues” and can lead to depression, which is also known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD). If you're suffering from this condition, a few lifestyle changes can help relieve symptoms and help restore your normal mood. Bright light therapy, or phototherapy, has been shown to reduce symptoms of SAD and other conditions that affect your mood. The early morning use of a full spectrum light or light box can help alleviate symptoms. Light therapy increases your serotonin production, which is a natural chemical that improves your mood. It also helps prevent the decline in your circadian clock, which is the internal clock of your body that regulates sleep cycles. The best results for SAD are achieved through an instrument that emits 10,000 lux of bright white light, about the same brightness as outside on an uncloudy day in July. Your doctor may recommend that you sit or stand in front of the device for 30 minutes per day, beginning in the morning. You might experience headaches or eye strain while using the light, but these effects typically disappear if you adjust the intensity of the light and the distance between you and the light source. Make sure you use a light box that has a filter that blocks harmful ultraviolet radiation. These radiations can cause damage to your skin and eyes. You can purchase the lightbox from your healthcare provider, or you can find one online. Be sure to ensure that it's medically endorsed to treat SAD. You should tell your doctor if you have bipolar disorder or any other mental health issue, as for some people treatment with bright light therapy or antidepressants can cause a manic episode. These risks can be mitigated by utilizing these treatments under the supervision of a psychiatrist.