Get to Know the Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments of Seasonal Affective Disorder in India
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a form of depression that can be triggered during the fall and winter months. People who suffer from SAD tend to experience symptoms such as fatigue, and loss of interest in activities they usually enjoy. Also feeling moody or irritable and have difficulty concentrating. Let us understand every detail about it in this article.
What Is Seasonal Affective Disorder?
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that happens when there are changes in seasons. It occurs most commonly during autumn and winter when there is less natural sunlight available for us to absorb. Symptoms of SAD include feelings of sadness, fatigue, irritability, social withdrawal, and an overall decrease in energy levels.
How Does Day Length Play a Role?
The decrease in daylight within certain seasons can trigger depressive symptoms. A person’s biological clock relies on information gathered by the eyes – light being a particularly important cue – to adjust how it regulates your sleep-wake cycle as well as other daily rhythms such as hormone production The result of shortened daylight hours can cause disruptions to this process which can lead directly to symptoms related to SAD.
Understand the Factors Behind Seasonal Affective Disorder
The primary cause behind the seasonal affective disorder is believed to be related to reduced sunlight exposure. Lack of sunlight causes disruptions in our body’s internal clock. This can in turn lead to changes in other hormones like melatonin and serotonin. Both of which regulate mood.
Another possible factor is having a family history of psychological problems such as depression. Those with a genetic predisposition might be more likely to develop issues like seasonal affective disorder.
What Causes Seasonal Affective Disorder?
Low levels of serotonin — a neurotransmitter linked to mood — and an overabundance of melatonin — a hormone that regulates sleep patterns — can contribute to SAD. Environmental factors such as stress or major life events may also increase one’s risk of experiencing seasonal affective disorder and depression.
Understanding Seasonal Affective Disorder Symptoms
Symptoms of SAD typically appear during late fall or early winter, peak in January and February, and subside during springtime. Common symptoms include oversleeping, overeating, loss of interest in normally pleasurable activities, social withdrawal, and fatigue.
In some cases, people may experience incredible sadness or hopelessness that often leads to episodes of crying. Other physical symptoms are weight gain atypical to one’s normal diet habits, increased sensitivity to cold temperatures, impulsivity, difficulty concentrating, or indecisiveness when making decisions
Diagnosing & Treating Seasonal Affective Disorder
If you suspect you have SAD consult your doctor immediately for diagnosis and treatment options. Your physician will likely talk with you in-depth about your symptoms and any life stressful event or significant changes have recently undergone that could potentially lead to depression.
Treatment options vary from person-to-person depending on their individual needs but could include medication (antidepressants), light therapy which involves exposing oneself regularly to bright white light for 20 minutes each day using a special lightbox prescribed by a doctor as well as psychological support such as counseling/therapy sessions with a mental health care provider.
For milder forms of seasonal affective disorder lifestyle changes such as building an exercise routine into your daily schedule may be sufficient enough for managing depressive symptoms throughout the colder winter months
Make Lifestyle Changes to Manage Symptoms
Making lifestyle changes can help you reduce or manage your SAD symptoms. You should aim to maintain healthy eating habits and make sure you’re getting enough exercise; this helps boost mental health and well-being by increasing energy levels and improving recovery time if you experience periods of low energy or mood shifts. It’s important to manage stress levels too – get adequate sleep, take breaks when necessary, do deep breathing exercises, and practice relaxation techniques whenever possible.
Schedule Regular Light Therapy Sessions
Light therapy utilizes exposure to artificial light sources – typically special light boxes – at specific intervals in order to provide relief from seasonal affective disorder symptoms such as sadness, fear, irritability, and changes in appetite or sleep patterns.
Consider Professional Help
If lifestyle changes aren’t enough, talk therapy with a professional may be beneficial for those suffering from SAD due to its ability to address underlying issues such as negative thinking patterns, interpersonal problems, or coping mechanisms that may trigger depressive episodes during certain times of year each year. In some cases it may require medication management for symptom relief; always consult with your doctor about what forms of treatment are right for you before making any decisions about medication usage.
How Does SAD Present Differently in India?
In India, the winter season begins around mid-November and continues until early March. Indians experience lesser sunshine hours during this time than other countries due to geographical location and they tend to suffer from decreased energy levels during this season easily. With temperatures varying greatly by region, some states in India have warmer averages than other places like Europe. This makes it harder for Indians to readjust when returning home after an extended stay abroad – leading them to feel even more exhausted than usual.
Additionally, most Indians spend their working days indoors, limiting their access to daylight even further – making it difficult for their circadian cycles to self-regulate.
Coping Strategies for Sufferers in India
Although Seasonal Affective Disorder does present different challenges based on individuals’ cultural backgrounds and lifestyles, there are ways sufferers can cope:
- Take Vitamin D supplements: Predominantly sourced from sunlight Vitamin D helps reduce symptoms associated with SAD and boosts your mood significantly. Taking these supplements daily is especially important during winters when you haven’t been exposed to enough natural sunlight / Vitamin D sources such as fortified milk products or cereals containing Vitamin D3 should be incorporated into one’s diet as well.
- Make sure you get plenty of sleep: Our body clocks run on routines; if we don’t regulate our sleeping schedule accordingly our bodies might struggle to adapt back into healthy routine patterns making us feel more fatigued and groggy throughout the day – To prevent this try going bed at similar times each night preferably before 10 pm so you can ensure at least 8 hours of sleep each night. Additionally taking short power naps between 1-2 pm, will help alleviate fatigue too without disturbing the main sleeping schedule much.
- Exercise regularly: Exercise has been shown effective in increasing serotonin levels in the brain naturally which vastly benefits Mood stability (A process called endorphin rush ) Also light exercising between 20-30 mins thrice a week should be adequate enough – any intense workout regimes should only be done post medical advice & clearance only.
Overall while Seasonal Affective disorder may prove hard to manage initially, there are solutions available anybody willing & determined enough can certainly lead healthier life dealing with the disorder.
