For many people, dark and rainy days Winter makes them feel completely depressed. This is something completely normal. However, there are others who take it to the extreme and experience typical symptoms of depression in the fall and winter. While it’s not that common, it’s thought to happen to 1-10% of the population, so it’s no small thing either. He is known as seasonal affective disorder and it is important to know how to spot it, as there are measures available to help those suffering from it cope much better.
Some people need psychological therapy, other drugs and many other varieties light therapy which gives very good results. In fact, it is because of the effectiveness of this therapy that it is suggested that reduced daylight hours and its effect on circadian rhythms must be one of the main causes of seasonal affective disorder.
The problem is that this occurs both in the darkest countries and in those that actually have darker countries. number of hours of light, even in winter. Therefore, it is suspected that although light is the determining factor, there may be other factors that have not yet been discovered. Be that as it may, the diagnostic criteria are quite clear, and this is the most important thing in order to be able to treat it.
What is Seasonal Affective Disorder?
Seasonal affective disorder, also known as SAD According to its English acronym, it is characterized by symptoms such as feeling depressed most of the day, loss of interest in tasks that are usually enjoyable, insomnia, loss of appetite, and lack of concentration and energy. All these symptoms are observed only at one time of the year and are always the same. Usually in autumn and winter.
It is recognized as such in Diagnostic and Clinical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V), with some additions compared to previous editions, so this is where the criteria for its diagnosis are found. They are very specific as they can be confused with other disorders.
To begin with, these symptoms should always appear during the same period and end at approximately the same time, after which another long asymptomatic period ensues. This rule should be followed for several years. And, of course, it is necessary to exclude physical causes.
In fact, when a person goes to the doctor with these symptoms, testing may be required to rule out problems with, for example, thyroid hormone or vitamin D deficiency.
What is this for?
The causes of seasonal affective disorder are not entirely clear. However, it is believed that the decrease hours of light may be associated with the onset of symptoms.
This has to do with how light affects Heart rhythms. These are the ones that control many of our physiological functions. 24 hour cycles. For example, one of these functions is sleep. Every day under normal conditions we sleep and wake up at more or less the same time, following these cycles in which the main driver is light. When light reaches our retina, melatonin secretion is suppressed, the hormone that makes us sleep. On the other hand, when there is not enough light, more of this hormone is produced and our body interprets that it is time to sleep. Other mood-related hormones such as serotoninare also partly regulated by these rhythms.
Therefore, changes in daylight hours can also affect our rhythms. For some people this may cause very tired and very altered state of mind. However, as we have already seen, there may be other causes of seasonal affective disorder that remain undescribed.
Treatment for Seasonal Affective Disorder
If a person is diagnosed with seasonal affective disorder, they may receive three types of treatment.
The first is light therapy, which uses lamps that simulate sunlight so that the patient is exposed to them during the first hours of darkness. Logically, you shouldn’t do this when it’s already very late at night, as it will also be very counterproductive.
These therapies provide very good results in patients with mild seasonal depressive disorder and seasonal affective disorder. But this is not the only option.
You can also use psychological therapy, which is very effective if you follow the cognitive behavioral tendency. Finally, for people for whom psychological therapy does not work, it can be supplemented psychotropic drugslike some antidepressants, which should be taken during periods of depressive symptoms.
Choosing the best treatment will largely depend on each individual. Therefore, if you suspect that you have this disorder, you should see a specialist as soon as possible to evaluate the situation. Only then will you receive the ideal treatment for your situation.
Source: Hiper Textual
