*also known as SAD
Mood Disorder: a mental disorder of being manic or depressive.
(1)
Definition : A type of depression that occurs during certain seasons.
Description : Some people get the depression starting from fall to spring. Symptoms appear in winter and go away in spring.
For some people, symptoms appear oppositely. The depression comes in spring and goes away in winter.
People mistakenly consider the symptoms as "winter blues."
Who gets it? SAD symptoms can be observed from adults and children for both genders.
(1)
Description : Some people get the depression starting from fall to spring. Symptoms appear in winter and go away in spring.
For some people, symptoms appear oppositely. The depression comes in spring and goes away in winter.
People mistakenly consider the symptoms as "winter blues."
Who gets it? SAD symptoms can be observed from adults and children for both genders.
(1)
Winter depression:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Oversleeping
- Difficulty in concentrating and getting work done
- Appetite changes / weight gain
- Lethargy
Summer depression:
- Anxiety
- Insomnia
- Agitation
- Weight loss
- Poor appetite
- Increased sex drive
Specific causes of the disorder are unknown.
However, people believe that it is caused by biochemical changes due to the the shortening of sunlight/daylight hours in winter.
The shortening of the hours and amount of light = imbalance of serotonin and melatonin levels
(2)
Light therapy (Photo therapy):
The patient sits gets exposed to bright light by sitting close to a light therapy box.
The light therapy plays the role of outdoor sunlight. It will change one's brain chemicals that are linked to mood.
Effects of the treatment usually occur within three or four days.
Anti-depressant medication:
Prozac
Zoloft
Citalopram
Sertraline hydrochloride
Psychotherapy:
Counseling therapy which helps the patients to relax. It can help them to change their negative and cynical thoughts.
By talking to psychiatrists, patients may feel better and learn how to deal with depression in a better way.
(3)
Change your life styles:
Go outside! Exercise a lot! Make your house brighter!
"Melanie Johnson is a 32-year-old accountant who moved to Green Bay, Wisconsin, two years ago from her hometown of Sarasota, Florida.
Beginning this past November, for the first time in her life, Melanie began experiencing periods of depression, lethargy, and excessive sleeping. In addition, she noticed that she was eating more than she had previously, and as a result, had gained 10 pounds. Melanie made an appointment with her physician, who after ruling out all potential medical causes of the symptoms she displayed, and after she was examined by a psychiatrist to rule out other causes of her depression, diagnosed her as having seasonal affective disorder (SAD)."
(direct quote)
(4)
Bipolar Disorder
Depression
(5)
Sites with additional information:
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(6) Staff, M.C. (2009, June). Seasonal affective disorder (sad). Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/seasonal-affective-disorder/DS00195
(2) What is Seasonal affective disorder (sad)?. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.medicinenet.com/seasonal_affective_disorder_sad/article.htm
(3) Treatments for sad. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.sada.org.uk/SAD-treatment.html
(4) Dean, D.F. (2004 , October 29). A Case of seasonal affective disorder. Retrieved from http://www.sciencecases.org/seasonal/seasonal.asp
(5) Seasonal affective disorder. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.cmha.ca/BINS/content_page.asp?cid=3-86-93
(6) Sad - seasonal affective disorder. (2007). [Web]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_xsLOpPaY4
(7) How to Deal with seasonal affective disorder. (2009). [Web]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SU756vUoGB4
(8) Townsend, A. (Photographer). (2009). Light therapy can relieve symptoms of seasonal depression. [Web]. Retrieved from http://www.cleveland.com/healthfit/index.ssf/2009/12/light_therapy_can_relieve_symp.html
* 4 seasons . (2008). [Web]. Retrieved from http://vxside.deviantart.com/art/4-seasons-81436429