Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) – Winter Depression
With the change of seasons, many people experience mood changes. They tend to feel lethargic and lazy, have a sad mood or irritability, get easily agitated, and crave sugary foods. This set of symptoms characterizes a type of depression called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) or Winter Depression.
What Happens During Winter Depression?
At the start of autumn, when sunlight decreases, some people experience changes in mood:
- Feeling sluggish and not wanting to leave the house
- Sleeping for long hours
- Feeling sad or easily irritated
- Craving sweets, especially chocolate more than usual
These symptoms occur with seasonal changes, but not all the time.
What Is Seasonal Affective Disorder?
It is a type of depression linked to seasonal changes and happens in many people. We consider it a disorder when a group of symptoms appear together, such as:
- The symptoms appear in autumn and last through winter, not throughout the whole year.
- The symptoms recur every year regularly.
- The symptoms disrupt the patient’s life: they avoid meeting people, going out, working, playing with their children, or doing any activities they previously enjoyed.
- The patient feels constant distress and boredom, has sleep disturbances, and sometimes suicidal thoughts.
How to Manage Winter Depression?
Generally, depression is treated with medication and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). For winter depression, besides these treatments, exposure to sunlight is very important because the cause is the lack of sunlight. Sunlight exposure helps the body produce serotonin, the hormone responsible for happiness.
Other helpful tips include:
- Exercising regularly and avoiding giving in to lethargy
- Maintaining a healthy, regular diet rich in fruits and vegetables, while avoiding chocolate and sugary foods
- Practicing relaxing breathing exercises to help reduce mental stress
- Going outside and meeting friends to maintain social interaction
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