Seasonal Affective Disorder

Seasonal Affective Disorder General Information

Most individuals are common to symptoms such as cabin fever, especially during the cold winter months. Others notice that they tend to sleep more and / or to eat more when it gets colder outside and when it darkens earlier than you were used to. While these clinical manifestations are normal reactions to the constant change of seasons, patients who are suffering from SAD ( a common abbreviation for Seasonal Affective Disorder) present much more severe clinical reactions when summer turns into autumn and when fall turns into winter. Patients who are suffering from this type of medical condition often find themselves experiencing fatigue, lethargy, depression, and other similar clinical manifestations due to the long nights and short days that appear along with autumn. This condition can sometimes be quite severe, and it should not be confused with a simple case of “winter blues”.

Scientists have agreed that Seasonal Affective Disorder is a special form of depression that can severely affect the individual’s daily routine and / or life. However, the good news is that with the help of various therapy options (among which, light box treatment) can aid almost all individuals successfully deal with their medical condition. In this way, the symptoms of their mental disorder will be eased. The main cause of this clinical condition is yet unknown. However, scientists believe that age, genetics and the human organism’s specific chemical makeup play a very important part in the development of this medical condition. Although the first symptoms of this medical disorder are known to generally develop during the patient’s young adulthood, this is not a common disorder for patients who are under 20 years of age. This disease affects more women than men.

Seasonal Affective Disorder Symptoms

This medical affective disease is a seasonal, cyclic clinical illness. In other words, the common symptoms and / or signs that are associated with the presence of this particular illness (Seasonal Affective Disorder) disappear and then reappear at the same time each and every single year. In some clinical cases, the clinical manifestations of this disease develop during late autumn and / or early winter months then go away when the sunnier and warmer days of spring start to appear. However, other individuals presented opposite patterns. For example, some patients who have been diagnosed with this medical disorder develop the symptoms of this medical condition in the beginning of summer and / or spring. However, the clinical manifestations of this medical condition are mild at the beginning and worsen in time.

Winter depression (winter Seasonal Affective Disorder) is known to trigger symptoms such as the following: hopelessness, depression, loss of energy, anxiety, social withdrawal, loss of interest in specific types of activities that used to make one feel comfortable, weight gain, appetite changes, difficulties in processing information and / or concentrating, and so on. The summer form of Seasonal Affective Disorder is known to make the patient develop increased sex drive, poor appetite, weight loss, agitation, irritability, insomnia, anxiety.

In rarer clinical cases, individuals who have been diagnosed with the presence of this clinical condition do not present symptoms that are commonly associated with depression. However, they develop hypomania and mania symptoms. This medical disorder is generally known as the reverse form of SAD and it is known to trigger hyperactivity, increased social activity, persistent high mood, enthusiasm, and so on.

Seasonal Affective Disorder Treatment

A lot of people from all over the world experience days when their mood is extremely low. However, if this mood persists for an abnormally long period of time and if you loose interest in performing your daily routine, you should contact your health care provider. This becomes imperative if you start to experience changes of your regular sleep pattern, of your usual appetite, and so on. Suicidal thoughts are also a sign of concern.

Most psychiatric health care professionals do not recognize this disorder as an official, distinct medical condition, but more as a subtype of bipolar disorder and / or depression. Through an adequate therapy, one can effectively manage his or her symptoms of this disease. In the mild cases of Seasonal Affective Disorder one can manage their clinical manifestations without any professional help. A set of simple measures are often more than effective. The most common include sitting closer to bright sources of light (such as windows), spending quality time outdoors, and so on.

The most common therapy options against this clinical condition include light therapy, medication treatment, psychotherapy, and so on. As increased sunlight is known to ease the individual’s unpleasant symptoms, such a treatment (that employs the beneficial effects of light) is generally the main therapy for most individuals who have been diagnosed with the presence of this clinical affection. However, this is not a therapy that has received the approval of the FDA as there is not sufficient evidence of its effectiveness. You should consult with your specialist before purchasing a light therapy box.

Medication therapy is also common among patients who are suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder. Individuals with the most severe forms of this clinical disease have benefited from such a therapy. The most common medicines that are prescribed in the fight against this disorder include antidepressants or other medical products that are employed in the therapy of various psychiatric medical conditions. The use of extended release tablets of Bupropion (commonly known under the brand name of Wellbutrin XL have been approved by the FDA for such clinical conditions, as they are effective in the prevention of depression in the case of patients who are suffering from this disorder. Other common antidepressants that may be employed in your therapy include: Paxil, Zoloft, Sarafem, Prozac, Effexor, and so on. You may have to start the intake of your medicines even before you develop the first symptoms of your Seasonal Affective Disorder. You should be aware that your therapy may show results after a couple of weeks. If you are unsatisfied with the results, you should contact your personal health care provider. Psychotherapy is another common way of dealing with one’s Seasonal Affective Disorder. It can help the patient change and / or identify the negative thoughts, improving one’s life style.