The changing of the seasons is usually met with anticipation and excitement for the new weather, upcoming holidays, and the change of pace. However, not everyone reacts to the seasons changing the same way. While some simply do not like the elements of certain seasons, there is actually a medically diagnosed disorder that affects certain people much differently than others. The change of the seasons actually affects their mood and their brain chemistry. This is called Seasonal Affective Disorder.
Seasonal Affective Disorder is a type of depression that affects people usually during the fall and winter seasons. It is a yearly occurrence, usually starting at the middle of fall and does not end until often the beginning of spring or summer. Signs and symptoms of SAD often mimic other types of depression, but they tend to occur at the same time every year. Treatment for SAD often includes light therapy, or phototherapy, which exposes the sufferer to artificial UV light to decrease the symptoms. It can also include the use of medication or traditional psychotherapy. Here are the top ten signs that you may suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder.
1. Anxiety
Anxiety often manifests in physical ways as well as emotional and mental ways. Anxiety often involves a racing heartbeat, chest pains, sweating, trembling, numbness in the fingers or limbs, nausea, the feeling that you are choking, and the feeling of being detached form the world around you and from reality.. Mentally, anxiety can cause racing thoughts and feelings of going far too fast when you actually are not. Overwhelming fear can also cloud the mind. Anxiety, if left untreated, can result in panic attacks. Panic attacks can feel very similar to a heart attack, and if one gets too out of control, immediate medical attention would be recommended.
2. Apathy
Apathy can manifest itself in many forms. You begin to lose interest in some of your favorite things, or you do not find them as stimulating as you did before. News stories that would elicit some sort of emotional response from most people cause you to react with a total lack of concern. You have no reaction or opinion about things that happen around you or to your friends and family. You find as though you feel like you are constantly lethargic, seemingly moving in slow motion. It also might feel pleasant to be experiencing such inertia, and results in a general care-free attitude.
3. General discontent
If you are affected by SAD, it could often feel like nothing around you is good enough anymore. Your house is too small or ugly, your car is not stylish enough, and your job is just not enough anymore. You may even look at yourself and deem your looks to be gross or in need of change. Your friends are not good enough for you, and your family is just the worst. General discontent can have the potential to lead to positive changes, but for the most part it leads you to change things that do not need changing, often for the worse. Seeing a friend or loved one making relatively drastic life changes despite not really needing to make them might be a sign something is wrong.
4. Loneliness
You could be around your friends often, or with co-workers, or just with your partner, but regardless of who is around you, you still feel alone. You feel as if you are the only person in the world and everyone else are simply phantoms moving around you. This often leads to you turning your thoughts inward, causing you to overthink things and make decisions that may or may not be good. It can also cause your friends and loved ones to drift from you, thinking you do not care about them anymore, or at least do not need them anymore. Loved ones of people experiencing SAD should make regular, but not invasive, check ups on their friend to show that you still care despite their withdrawal.
5. Loss of interest
General interest in life is what motivates people to do what they need and desire to do. Everyone has things that they are passionate about, but sometimes SAD causes you to gradually stray away from those things. Hobbies get left untouched. TV shows and movies go unwatched. Books are left unread. Also, a loss of interest can lead you to ignore the needs and desires of your friends and family. Taking care of your own needs might also end up on the back burner, leading to you getting sick, which can compound the situation. Suggesting someone with SAD to eat very small meals or snacks may help them regain their appetite, while those who are overeating may need to be curbed.
6. Mood swings
SAD often mimics typical depression symptoms, and depending on how severe your case might be, it can lead to frequent and powerful mood swings. Going from motivated and happy to lethargic and sad, to angry and apathetic can happen in moments, or over the course of days or weeks. You my not even have an exterior reason to have your mood change. It simply occurs without much warning. This can be scary and confusing for both you an your loved ones. Talking to them and warning them of the mood swings might help them prepare for when your mood drastically changes.
7. Sadness
The most prevalent symptom can possibly be an overall feeling of sadness. This can lead to periods of crying or another type of emotional reaction or outburst at the slightest provocation. Sadness can often cause you to not feel like getting out of bed most days. You may feel like nothing you can ever do can lead you to happiness, causing you to stop doing anything. Sadness can lead to lethargy and the want to constantly sleep. Some may feel motivated to battle the sadness with drugs or alcohol, which could lead to an even deeper depression. Self medication is not recommended.
8. Appetite changes
Having such strong emotional reactions can lead your body to ignore other bodily necessities, or cause them to go into hyperdrive. People with SAD generally either lose their appetite or use food to combat their feelings. Eating can be a cathartic activity that helps the brain to get the dopamine it needs to feel better. Others will completely skip eating because food has lost its pleasure and taste, or eating seems too difficult due to lethargy or nausea caused by anxiety. Appetite changes can be dangerous in the long term and lead to more health problems.
9. Irritability
With your emotions in turmoil, it is common that people affected by SAD will eventually snap and get angry with someone who does not deserve it. They could say something remotely irritating that could lead to a rage filled episode. Also, attempting to do something that does not go as right as you may think can set you off. Irritability can lead to hurting someone around you, or cause you to break or destroy your own or someone else’s property. If you find yourself in public and have a burst of anger, it could lead to legal issues.
10. Social isolation
The last bastion of anyone with SAD or depression in general is the feeling that no one can help them, and therefore it would be best that they simply disconnect form society and stop interacting with friends and family. This can lead to feelings of loneliness and hopelessness, neither of which aids in getting over SAD. Social isolation should be a big indicator to your loved ones that something is wrong, and despite your insistence that you be left alone, should do anything they can to help you. It can be difficult to get someone isolating themselves to agree to treatment, but it is imperative that help be sought.
