Major Depression

I have diagnosed myself with seasonal depression, which I can assure you is a very real disease. The technical name for this disorder is Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD, which is defined as a mood disorder characterized by depression that occurs at the same time every year. Causes may be genetic, as I am sure that my dad also has seasonal depression. So many winters of my life have been spent shivering while walking around school, playing in the snow until I thought my hands would fall off, and fearing going back outside to feel the gust of cold wind take over my body. The condition gets worse during daylight savings when the sun sets at 5pm, and the cold night takes over. Thus, when applying to colleges, the coldest school I applied to was in Washington D.C. I refused to

In an attempt to better understand depression in today’s youth, I have chosen to explore the depths of Major Depressive Disorder and how it affects the young people in our society. Depression amongst school age children and adolescents are the primary focus. The prevalence, adversities, and treatment of the depression are discussed as well. After exploring these few facets of the disorder, I will talk briefly about the Ecological Model developed by Urie Bronfenbrenner and Morris in 1998 that is used by counselors to help evaluate and assess the children who are referred by teachers or medical

The topic that I chose to research is Seasonal Affective Disorder, also abbreviated as SAD. This topic is very relevant to me since I am one of those that suffer. It is very common, and most people who have it, don’t even realize it. An astounding 1 in 3 people suffer with SAD (Molloy, 2014). Seasonal Affective Disorder is a type of depression that is observed within a certain period of time. This time frame is from fall to spring, and usually it is around the same time length for everyone. While often misunderstood as just “those gloomy winter days”, Seasonal Affective Disorder is very serious and if not handled correctly, can result in continued depression throughout the year. Another very important misconception, is that Seasonal Affective Disorder only affects people in the winter. Although less common, some deal with SAD in the summer months as well. Seasonal Affective Disorder affects many people nationwide and can seriously deteriorate

function at its best. If we are affected by SAD our production of melatonin may be increased which

Although “Summer-SAD” is not nearly as commonly studied as “Winter-SAD”, it is studied and treated as a separate condition (Goldman). This decreased mood results from a combination of factors. As the days lengthen in the spring, the result of mismatched circadian rhythms previously discussed can steer the imbalanced releases of melatonin in a different direction, resulting in feelings of anxiety and depression. The environmental toxins and allergens present in our modern and industrialized world can also irritate and inflame the brain and trigger depressive moods in those who are sensitive to it (Borchard). According to Alvaro Guzman for the Journal of Affective Disorders, when the amount of tree pollen in the air peaks in the spring, so do patterns of increased suicide rates (Guzman). External and social cues affect “reversed SAD” as well. Memories of past spring festivities or disappointed expectations of future ones can lower one’s mood (Borchard). Change that comes from the shifting of the seasons provide stressors to those who are sensitive to it, creating a more anxious or depressed mood as the weather warms. This can include exams, graduation preparations, or planning for a new year for high school and college

Another great post, great detailed writing that offers explanation for Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Because your post combined with mine, more or less covered the majority of information, I am taking the discussion in an entirely different direction to present my hypothesis regarding a factor that might have played into the SAD diagnosis of the case study.

These risks can cause them to get depressed. For example, poor lighting conditions at work can lead to depression for people who have seasonal anxiety disorder (Jong-Min, W., & Teodor T., P, 2008). Individuals, who are sensitive to seasons changing or spend a lot of time inside the workplaces, are affected by the poor lighting conditions. An effective treatment for them is a bright light therapy; it can improve the mood disorders of the workers, including depression, especially major depression (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). Light prevents the melatonin to secrete and regulates the serotonin. Exposure to more light (especially during cloudy days, such as winter) and going outside are beneficial for patients who have depression and seasonal anxiety

Symptoms can differ depending on the season and person: "The timing of SAD symptoms can vary by months or weeks. As someone may begin to feel SAD symptoms in September, another person can feel well until after Christmas" (E. Rosenthal, 2013). During the colder months of the year it is no surprise that gaining weight, oversleeping or having low energy occurs in 10- 20 percent of people. These symptoms increase through the months of keeping warm in our houses and holidays with family. Sufferers may crave comfort foods such as pastas, breads and sugar which would lead to weight gain and negative body image. In the spring and summer months a person with SAD is more likely to have weight loss, insomnia or anxiety. Those symptoms bear resemblance to mania than depression. The symptoms for the seasons seem to be opposite of each other, and show that SAD is a depression to take seriously. Sometime the location of where a person is living can change how they are affected: "The timing of the appearance of symptoms also depends on where a person lives" (E. Rosenthal, 2013). People who live further from the equator are more likely to suffer from more severe symptoms. These symptoms include thoughts of suicide or death, low-self esteem and loss of interest in daily activities. These sufferers will feel down for days at a time and may even turn to alcohol or drugs to cope. These symptoms should drive a person to want to see their doctor. The symptoms of SAD have the ability to change based on the risk

Seasonal depression is a mild form of depression that recurs every year at the change of season, especially with the shortening of the light day. The Seasonal Depression is often also characterized by decreased energy levels, from excessive, from hypersomnia and hyperphagia, or an increase of desire of sleep and food, causing decrease of activity and weight gain.

(SAD) is sometimes referred to as "winter depression” this is because the symptoms an individual will exhibit are more apparent and tend to be more severe during the winter months. The symptoms often begin to occur in the autumn as the days start begin to get shorter. They are most commonly at their peak during the months of December, January and February. (SAD) can often often fluctuate during the spring and summer, although it is like to return each autumn and winter forming a repetitive

When looking at seasonal affective disorder, the environment where someone lives greatly affects their depressive symptoms. As stated earlier, distance from the equator has proven to add to the significance of people with depression in the winter months. A study was conducted to see the difference in the rate of depression searches using the internet based on global location. The study compared the United States with Australia, given that the U.S. lies in the northern hemisphere, and Australia in the southern hemisphere. The two countries have greatly different climates, with Australia remaining warm and sunny through most of the year. The results took into account the

Baron, Branscombe, and Byrne (2009) explain the attribution theory as not wanting to just know how ourselves and others act, but why we and others act that way. People assign attributes or reasons to why something happens to better perceive, justify, and understand why people act the way they do. The Attribution Theory can be applied to many different areas of peoples’ lives. In recent years the attribution theory has been applied to different areas including Depression (Baron, Branscombe, & Byrne, 2009).

Although many studies have focused on individual factors relating to Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), this study sought to extend such research by determining whether cognitive, behavioral and psychophysiological factors that associate to individuals with nonseasonal depression would correlate to those of SAD (Rohan, Sigmon & Dorhofer, 2003).

Known as a subset disorder of depression, seasonal affective disorder can only be identified as the recurrence of major depressive periods, typically during the autumnal months, which supress during the summer months of the year. Light therapy is known as the most effective treatment with minimal adverse effects, and successful administration is most common if conducted during the morning.

Although men and women experience same symptoms, women may show some other signs like atypical depression in which they tend to eat more, sleep excessively and gain weight. Seasonal affective disorder (low sunlight in winters makes females depressed) is another symptom. Various biological, psychological and social factors are associated with the experience of melancholy in women, such as infertility, pregnancy, premenstrual problems, postpartum depression, menopause, focus on negative feelings, marital problems, discrimination at workplace etc.