Treatment of seasonal affective disorder may include phototherapy, medications, and psychotherapy.
Don't ignore this feeling you get every year as a simple case of the winter blues or a seasonal slump that 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 who show the opposite pattern have symptoms that begin in the 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 much of the day, almost every day
- Losing interest in activities you once enjoyed
- Have little energy
- Having difficulty falling asleep
- Have changes in your weight or appetite
- Feeling lazy or restless
- Have difficulty concentrating
- Feeling hopeless, worthless, or having feelings of guilt
- Having recurring thoughts of death or suicide
Fall and Winter Seasonal Affective Disorder
Specific symptoms of winter-onset seasonal affective disorder, sometimes called winter depression, include:
- Excess sleep
- Changes in appetite, especially a craving for carbohydrate-rich foods
- Weight gain
- Tiredness or lack of energy
Spring and summer seasonal affective disorder
Specific symptoms of summer-onset seasonal affective disorder, sometimes called summer depression, include:
- Sleep disorders (insomnia)
- Lack of appetite
- Slimming
- Nervousness or anxiety
When to see the doctor
- It is normal to feel sad some days. But if you feel sad for days and nothing motivates you to do activities you normally enjoy, see your doctor. This is especially important if your sleep and appetite patterns have changed, if you turn to alcohol to feel comfortable or relaxed, or if you feel hopeless or suicidal.
Causes
- The reduced level of sunlight in autumn and winter can lead to the onset of winter seasonal affective disorder. This decrease in sunlight can disrupt the body's internal clock and lead to depressive feelings.
- Serotonin levels. A drop in serotonin, a brain chemical (neurotransmitter) that affects mood, could play a role in seasonal affective disorder. Reduction in sunlight can cause a drop in serotonin, which can cause depression.
- Melatonin levels. The change in season can alter the balance of melatonin levels in the body, which affects sleep patterns and mood.
Some factors that can increase the risks of seasonal affective disorder are:
- Family background. People with seasonal affective disorder are more likely to have blood relatives with this disorder or another form of depression.
- Have major depression or bipolar disorder. If you have any of these disorders, the symptoms of depression may worsen depending on the season.
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 resort 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, with the aim of improving psychological or physical well-being, for which we can help you. recommend:
Stress Relief Blend
- Artizen Stress Relief Blend essential oil is a calming blend that helps reduce anxiety, depression and stress. Reduce anxiety and stress instantly by inhaling the calming and relaxing aroma.
- Stress Relief Blend essential oil is a proprietary blend of the following therapeutic grade essential oils: Cananga, Geranium, Lemongrass, and 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 relaxation, calms anxiety and helps you rest at night, and on the other hand, its penetrating and sweet aroma improves mood and helps stimulate positive sensations.
Geranium Benefits
- Massages are given with its oil to relieve muscle pain and circulatory problems.
- Fight fluid retention thanks to massages on the legs and ankles with geranium essence.
- In aromatherapy it is used to reduce stress, anxiety and nerves.
- It is used to meditate and induce relaxation.
- Improves mycosis in the nails.
Benefits of lemongrass
- Fungicide (kills fungi).
- Antiseptic (prevents the development of microorganisms).
- Diuretic (removes excess fluids from 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.
- Fights free radicals, since it has 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 calmness in times of stress and depression. This same reason makes it ideal for repairing injured tissues and, therefore, taking care of the health of our skin.
- It has purifying properties that help eliminate substances that have not been metabolized correctly. It also benefits the digestive system due to its magnesium and mineral content.
- Furthermore, as we have 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. In turn, it facilitates the absorption of iron, improving the effectiveness of the treatment of iron deficiency anemia.
If you are interested in purchasing the aromatherapy set, click on the following link Artizen Aromatherapy Set (14 Pack)
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