SAD in the coldest months of the year

For many Americans, shorter days of winter bring with them a different kind of darkness. Seasonal affective disorder, sad, a type of depression that strikes mostly during the colder months of the year

While the disease affects many types of people, doctors say he can be treated and reduced the severity of the disease by observing the symptoms and take quick action. Those affected begin to see the symptoms of SAD in the late autumn to early winter, said Dr. Peter Swanljung of Friends Hospital, a private psychiatric clinic in Philadelphia. To distinguish a person from seasonal affective disorder and major depression (such as clinical depression), it generally determined by the timing, “he said.

The causes of SAD is not fully known, but it seems to be a link between depression and sunlight, said Swanljung. Northerners are more susceptible to disease, he said, because of the dark days and shorter -. A person living in Florida is less likely to suffer as one of SAD in Maine, for example

It

are several theories on why this link exists, said Swanljung. The first change is that the exposure during the winter months effects of serotonin, the energy and mood, acts in the brain light. Another is that SAD to levels of melatonin, a natural hormone that is connected involved in the regulation of our sleep cycles. And thirdly, he says, is that changes affect the amount of light somehow our circadian rhythm, the 24 hours of our body.

A recent study by researchers at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto discovered that there is a higher serotonin transporter in the brain in winter than in summer, the first time such a difference was found. When there was less light, more serotonin transporters were found. Serotonin transporters remove serotonin, so the finding suggests that removal of more serotonin in the brain during the winter.

“This provides an explanation for why some healthy people from depression and energy in the winter, and why there is a regular recurrence of depressive episodes in fall and winter in some vulnerable individuals,” Dr. Jeffrey Meyer, a researcher in the study , said in a statement. “The next step is to understand the causes of this change and how to get involved.”

Winter is a stressful time of year for many North Americans, because of the holidays and spending increases, time travel and busy social schedules that often accompany. But will the symptoms of SAD during the winter blues or holiday stress simply said Swanljung. They are similar to those of clinical depression and fatigue, increased appetite and weight gain, loss of interest in usual activities and low energy consumption. Like symptoms should not be stopped, he said, and if they are self-harm and suicidal thoughts or attempts, they should be brought to the attention of a health care professional as soon as possible.


SAD may not

as profound as other forms of depression, experts say, but it still guarantees attention and treatment. “People need to understand that seasonal affective disorder is a real condition,” Robin Monson-Dupuis of Aurora Behavioral Health in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, said in an e-mail response. People in northern climates, where winters think particularly hard, perhaps, that negative feelings during this time of year, a mere consequence of the situation, Monson-Dupuis should, but when they investigated an impact on your operation in over night, then they need.


Fortunately, there are

treatments for SAD. Light therapy, where patients sit in front of a very bright lamp or light box is an option that many people have found useful Swanljung said. Even if a prescription is not necessary to buy equipment, it is worth talking to your doctor about this, he advised. Talk therapy can also be useful as easy to keep your contacts and avoiding social isolation. The exercise has been shown to alleviate depression, “he said. Medications can be prescribed for more serious cases.

not aware of your mood and the search for models is one way to prevent seasonal depression affect your life, “said Swanljung. If there was a problem for you in the past, the beginning of the light treatment or medication to help prevent or reduce the severity of the run.

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