Depression?

Sunday ushered in the dreaded Standard Time. That means shorter days, longer nights and, for some, the start of seasonal depression.

Twitter was quick to mourn the onset of the wintertime mood disorder the moment daylight saving time ended.

“Anyone who says ‘but you get an extra hour of sleep!’ should never be allowed to negotiate anything,” posted writer Yashar Ali. “You just accepted an extra hour of sleep for one night in exchange for over 100 days [of] seasonal depression.”

“The sun is starting to set at 4 and my seasonal depression begins rising by 5,” wrote @mariahlleonard.

“Hello darkness my old friend why are you here itsWorried you have the winter blues? Twitter might have you more alarmed than you should be. Only about 5 percent of Americans are believed to be affected by it, Dr. James W. Murrough, the director of the Depression and Anxiety Center for Discovery and Treatment at Mount Sinai, tells The Post. “Seasonality in mood,” however, “is quite common.”

As we lose more sunlight every day, here’s a guide to seasonal depression.

What is seasonal depression?

Formally known as seasonal affective disorder (or, appropriately, SAD), seasonal depression is a type of depression that is spurred by the change of the season, most commonly during the fall and winter months, “when there is less daylight,” says Murrough.

How is it different from regular depression?

Seasonal depression is considered a subset under the umbrella of major depressive disorder, says Murrough. It can take many forms.

A person can suffer from SAD and not have any other mental health issues. “Often people who have a purely seasonal form of depression, it may be on the mild side,” says Murrough. “It does resolve spontaneously, again, with the change in season.”

However, Murrough most commonly sees patients who suffer from depression that intensifies during the winter months. “They know that’s when their depression is going to get worse,” he says.

What are the symptoms?

For a person to be clinically diagnosed with depression of any kind, they need to experience at least one major depressive episode — a period of abnormal depressed mood or lack of pleasure — that lasts at least two weeks, says Murrough.

Additionally, he says, a person will have at least four co-occurring symptoms:

• Disturbed sleep
• A lack of appetite or weight loss
• Impaired concentration or feeling of indecision
• Suicidal thinking or thoughts of death
• Physical fatigue
• Proneness to isolation

Doctors discern if a person is experiencing seasonal depression by noticing patterns: When did the depression come on? When did it go away? How did they feel last year at this time? If season change becomes a common theme, doctors will consider that person to have SAD, according to Murrough.

Why does it happen?

No one is entirely sure why seasonal depression happens. However, Murrough says there are two leading theories.

The first is the lack of sunlight in the winter months. When light passes through your retina in your eyes, it can go to places in the brain that deal with things other than sight, like bodily functions and mood. If there is less light going to the brain, that can cause a change in mood, he explains.

The second theory focuses on disruption in circadian rhythms, the 24-hour internal sleep-wake cycle that all living things experience. The lack of light disrupts the development and deployment of the chemical melatonin, which can cause changes to the internal cycle and therefore a change in mood.

Does it only happen in the winter?

No. According to Murrough, a small number of people experience seasonal depression during the spring and summer months.

What treatment options are there?

If someone notices a severe change in their mood, they should seek help. Murrough suggests starting with a primary care physician, who can point the patient in the direction of further care.

The most powerful ways to treat seasonal depression are talk therapy and bright light therapy.

In severe cases, especially when a patient is suicidal, doctors will prescribe antidepressants.

Patients prone to developing depression should do daily aerobic exercise to help offset their mood, and keep to a structured schedule. “Just when they feel like not getting out of bed or leaving the house is exactly when they should do it,” says Murrough.

Can a lamp really fix my mood?

Possibly.

SAD lights, made famous by Ilana Glazer in an episode of “Broad City,” “mimic natural light,” Murrough says. This can bring more light to your brain and help to retrain your circadian rhythms, which should have a positive effect on your mood.

“There are no side effects, it’s not a drug, and it’s cheap — you can order one off the internet,” he says. “You have to do it at the same time of day, early in the morning.” Murrough says that there is data that shows light has been effective in improving seasonal and non-seasonal depression.

PACKERS AND MOVERS
Call or whatsapp for your shifting: 7011032940
https://anki-group-packers-and-movers-newdelhi.business.site/