Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

The disorder in which depression occurred which is related with the changing season. SAD occur same time every year. Most commonly it occurs in fall and winters. There are many treatment options to treat this disorder.

Symptoms

Signs and symptoms of seasonal affective disorder include:Seasonal affective disorder  SYMPTOMS CAUSES TREATMENT

  • Suicidal thoughts
  • Sleep problems
  • Feeling tired
  • Frequent mood swings
  • Difficulty in concentration
  • Change in appetite
  • Feeling sluggish
  • Loss of interest
Causes

The main cause of this disorder is still unknown but following factors play the role in SAD:

  • Disrupt melatonin level in body
  • Decrease serotonin level in blood
  • Changing in circadian rhythm in winter due to decrease sun light exposure
Diagnosis

Just like other mental illness there is difficulty in diagnosis of SAD, after taking detailed history about signs and symptoms your doctor might recommend the following tests:

  • Physical examination to check any physical abnormality
  • Lab test to rule out the other causes
  • DSM-5
  • Psychological evaluation to exclude the other causes of depression
Treatment

Treatment options include:

  • Medications like antidepressant also help to reduce the signs and symptoms of SAD.
  • Light therapy is appeared to be most effective treatment option in SAD
  • Psychotherapy which is also called talk therapy also appeared to reduce the symptoms
Lifestyle and home remedies

Following tips will help you to reduce the severity of disorder:

  • Exercise daily
  • Eat healthy food
  • Do yoga
  • Stay hydrated
  • Walk outside in day time
  • Spend time with family
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