Treatment for seasonal affective disorder may include light therapy, medication, and psychotherapy.
Don't ignore this feeling you get every year, dismissing it as just the winter blues or a seasonal slump you have to deal with on your own. Take steps to keep your mood and motivation stable throughout the year.
Symptoms
- In most cases, symptoms of seasonal affective disorder appear in late fall or early winter and disappear during the sunnier days of spring and summer. Less commonly, people with the opposite pattern have symptoms that begin in spring or summer. In either case, symptoms may be mild at first and worsen as the season progresses.
Signs and symptoms of seasonal affective disorder may include:
- Feeling depressed most of the day, almost every day
- Losing interest in activities you once enjoyed
- Having little energy
- Having difficulty falling asleep
- Suffer changes in your weight or appetite
- Feeling lazy or restless
- Having difficulty concentrating
- Feeling hopeless, worthless, or having feelings of guilt
- Having recurring thoughts of death or suicide
Fall-winter seasonal affective disorder
Specific symptoms of seasonal affective disorder that occurs in winter, sometimes called winter depression, include:
- Excessive sleep
- Changes in appetite, especially cravings for carbohydrate-rich foods
- Weight gain
- Tiredness or lack of energy
Spring and Summer Seasonal Affective Disorder
Specific symptoms of seasonal affective disorder that occurs in the summer, sometimes called summer depression, include:
- Sleep disorders (insomnia)
- Lack of appetite
- Weight loss
- Nervousness or anxiety
When to see a doctor
- It's normal to feel sad some days. But if you feel sad for days and nothing motivates you to do activities you normally enjoy, consult your doctor. This is especially important if your sleep and appetite patterns have changed, if you turn to alcohol to feel comfort or relaxation, or if you feel hopeless or suicidal.
Causes
- The reduced level of sunlight in fall and winter can trigger the onset of winter seasonal affective disorder. This decrease in sunlight can disrupt the body's internal clock and cause feelings of depression.
- Serotonin levels. A drop in serotonin, a brain chemical (neurotransmitter) that affects mood, may be involved in seasonal affective disorder. Reduced sunlight can cause a drop in serotonin, which can lead to depression.
- Melatonin levels. The change in season can alter the body's melatonin balance, which affects sleep patterns and mood.
Some factors that may increase the risk of developing seasonal affective disorder include:
- Family history. People with seasonal affective disorder are more likely to have blood relatives with this disorder or another form of depression.
- Having major depression or bipolar disorder. If you have either of these disorders, your depression symptoms may worsen seasonally.
Complications
- Social withdrawal
- Problems at school or work
- Substance abuse
- Other mental health disorders, such as anxiety or eating disorders
- Suicidal thoughts or behaviors
You can also turn to alternative methods such as aromatherapy, which is a form of alternative medicine based on the use of aromatic materials, including essential oils and other aromatic compounds, to improve psychological or physical well-being. For this, we recommend:
Stress Relief Blend
- Artizen Stress Relief Blend essential oil is a calming blend that helps reduce anxiety, depression, and stress. Instantly reduce anxiety and stress by inhaling the soothing and relaxing aroma.
- Stress Relief Blend essential oil is a proprietary blend of the following therapeutic grade essential oils: Cananga (Cananga), Geranium (Geranium), Lemongrass (Lemongrass), and Sweet Orange (Sweet Orange).
Benefits of Cananga
- Its relaxing and stimulating properties make this oil widely used to treat cases of depression or sadness. On the one hand, it helps promote relaxation, calms anxiety, and helps you rest at night. On the other hand, its penetrating, sweet aroma improves mood and helps stimulate positive feelings.
Benefits of Geranium
- Its oil is used for massages to relieve muscle pain and circulatory problems.
- Combat fluid retention with leg and ankle massages using geranium essence.
- In aromatherapy it is used to reduce stress, anxiety and nerves.
- It is used to meditate and induce relaxation.
- Improves nail fungus.
Benefits of lemongrass
- Fungicide (kills fungi).
- Antiseptic (prevents the development of microorganisms).
- Diuretic (eliminates excess fluids in the body).
- Anti-inflammatory.
- Analgesic (reduces or relieves pain).
- Antibiotic (fights microbial infections).
- It helps eliminate heavy metals from our body.
- Regulates insulin levels in the blood.
- Helps reduce anxiety.
- It helps combat insomnia, as it has a relaxing effect.
- It improves digestion and helps fight ulcers due to its antibiotic effect.
- It fights free radicals, as it contains polyphenols that act as antioxidants.
- Strengthens the immune system.
- Reduces fever.
Benefits of sweet orange
- Due to its vitamin and mineral content, it contributes to calming during times of stress and depression. This same reason makes it ideal for repairing damaged tissue and, therefore, protecting the health of our skin.
- It has purifying properties that help eliminate substances that haven't been properly metabolized. It also benefits the digestive system due to its magnesium and mineral content.
- Furthermore, as we mentioned, it contains a high content of vitamin C, which plays a very important role in the body as it promotes the formation of collagen, bones, and red blood cells. It also facilitates iron absorption, improving the effectiveness of iron deficiency anemia treatment.
If you are interested in purchasing the aromatherapy set, click on the following link : Artizen Aromatherapy Set (14 Pack)
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PRONAPRESA
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