Something strange happens during the winter. You feel blue, gloomy and empty inside. Life looses its meaningfulness and charm uphill spring arrives, when the sun is brightly shining. You might be suffering with Seasonal Affective Disorder or more popularly known as SAD.
SAD is internationally recognized phenomenon that affects people all over the globe. It is a type of depression; the individual suffering from it may exhibit one or all of the following symptoms
• Pessimism
• Increase in sleep and appetite
• Weight gain
• Feeling tired or fatigued all the time
• Lack of interest in daily activities and social life
A research shows that usually people already going through some form of depression usually suffer from SAD.
SAD can also have a reverse seasonal pattern i.e. some people show these symptoms during summers. It is known to be caused when time and amount of two mood influencing chemicals, serotonin or melatonin, produced by our brains is somehow altered. Other than moods these chemicals also influence our sleep duration and wake up timings. The production of these two chemicals is also a direct function of the amount of sunlight.
Vigorous research is put into why some people are prone to SAD while others are not. The results indicate that as with all other forms of depression and other illnesses, the sensitive people are more likely to fall prey to SAD. Also if both or one of the parents have a SAD history, the child is more likely to catch SAD compared to children with parents who don’t have a SAD history.
A good thing is that SAD typically lasts for 1 or 2 months only. Nevertheless it needs treatment. Leaving it unchecked can lead to severe form of SAD or even some other form of depression, disturbing your life further.
Though there are many “natural” and “home remedies” which might be possibly good solutions. it is highly recommended that you consult a certified medical specialist in order to insure that you don’t wind up doing some form of harm to yourself. Remember that the doctor is the best person to help you in the battle against any form of the menace known as depression.
Fighting with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
Are you always down and out in winter? You might be suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder or more commonly known as SAD. Thanks to vigorous research put into the reasons and forms of depression, these “winter blues” have been internationally recognized as a form of depression.
If you are still confused if you’ve got SAD or not, don’t worry I’ve listed some of the most common symptoms which are found in SAD.
Mood swings
This is the first and the most common symptom of any form of depression. One may experience feelings of worthlessness and hopelessness for all the time and the condition may persist for 3 weeks or longer. One becomes extremely sensitive to any praise or criticism and may burst into tears for no apparent reason.
Tiredness or fatigue
A person suffering from SAD may always feel low on energy. One may feel tired after spending leisure time or even after having a full night’s sleep.
Increase in Sleep
SAD is marked with an increased need to sleep. However in SAD, taking more sleep than usual is good, as it will combat the other symptoms of SAD.
Lack of social activity
When suffering from this depression, people tend to withdraw from social events and activities. They feel low and melancholic and want to remain aloof and alone.
Changes in eating habits
People with SAD display variant eating habits. Sometimes they start eating too much and sometime they just start cutting off their meals. Some sufferers complain of a continuous craving for carbohydrates and thus put on a lot of weight in just some months.
Low concentration levels
All the fatigue, melancholy and changes in eating/sleeping habits lead to lower concentration levels in SAD patients. This can lead to further depression because lack of concentration may affect ones performance in school or at work.
All of these can be rather fatal for a person if one doesn’t know that why these changes are taking place. That’s why it is very important to recognize and identify the type of depression one is going through.
Heal your depressions. Stay happy; live healthy.
