We all feel unhappy sometimes, but depression is more than a feeling of unhappiness. It is a mental disorder that makes someone feel persistently sad for several weeks or months. Depression can be hereditary, triggered by another mental disorder such as a “low” in bi-polar disorder, a side-effect of drug abuse, but it can also be triggered by external forces, like the season. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that occurs at a certain time of the year, usually in the winter.
SAD manifests itself similarly to other types of depression. There is no way of accurately diagnosing depression without knowing a patient’s history and state-of-mind, as there is no “test” for SAD. Your health care provider can make a diagnosis by asking about your symptoms. There are two main ways SAD can affect your life, mentally and physically.
The mental effect of SAD can be as follows. As with all types of depression, sufferers will tend to experience a feeling of hopelessness in all facets of life and catastrophize events past and present. Due to this, sufferers of SAD will be unhappy and irritable, and may begin to withdraw themselves socially. The disorder may begin to make the patient feel the need to eat more (as weight loss is more common with other forms of depression).
SAD manifests itself physically as a need for more sleep, a loss of energy and ability to concentrate.
There is a loss of interest to the sufferer’s work, his partner and friends, and other activities (especially social activities). Their movements may become sluggish and, they will more likely than not become socially reclusive.
These symptoms are not mutually exclusive, and they usually feed into each other which make the disorder more difficult to cope with. The mental facets of SAD will reinforce the social behaviour and vice-versa.
If you, or someone you know, is suffering from a handful of these symptoms then it is worth visiting your physician. Your health care provider can make a diagnosis by asking a series of questions about your symptoms and history. They can also perform physical exam and blood tests to rules out other disorders that are similar to SAD such as chronic fatigue.
If you are struggling to make an appointment, or are unable to see a physician for whatever reason, we have some tips that will help manage your depression at home. Remember, it is always better to see your physician.
Some tips on dealing with SAD
Firstly, make sure you are getting enough sleep. A fully-grown adult should get between seven to eight hours a night – although some people may need as few as five, and some as much as ten. Know how much sleep you need, and make sure you are getting it. Oversleeping is never advised.
Make sure you are eating healthy foods. This doesn’t mean you need to eat bland food, it means you need to have a balanced diet. For example: make sure you are getting a healthy dose of vitamins and minerals every day and avoid binging on sugar and hydrogenated fats.
Do not use alcohol or illegal drugs, these often make depression worse – and have been correlated to suicidal thoughts during episodes of SAD.
Try to exercise often. Proven time and time again, exercise is a fantastic way of battling depression. Force yourself to start a social sport or activity, but most importantly – do activities that make you happy.
Learn to watch your symptoms and understand that you are dealing with a disorder. This is especially effective in the early days of SAD, it will allow you to take control of your disorder, change your routine, and book in to see your health care provider.
Finally, if you have seen your health care provider, make sure you take your medicines right away, and ensure you ask your provider how to manage any side effects. There is a multitude of ways of dealing with SAD that your health care provider can offer. Symptoms tend to get better on their own, but there is no “cure” for SAD. Tackling SAD is a matter of managing symptoms and learning to with the disorder.
Get medical attention immediately if you have thoughts of hurting yourself or anyone else.
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