Seasonal Depression Research Papers

North Dakota is far from the equator, creating long cold winters. Besides making people cold, the decreasing temperatures also have a significant effect on mental illness. Seasonal affective disorder, also known as (SAD) is a psychological condition identified in the 1980s. Seasonal affective disorder effects 4-6 percent of people in the united states. (SAD) affects women 4 times as much as men.

Seasonal Affective disorder is a type of depression that happens when the seasons change. According to the Mayo Clinic, seasonal affective disorder starts at the same time each year normally in the fall and continuing through winter. Those who suffer from Seasonal affective disorder feel like their energy is being sapped out of them and becoming more moody. (Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)) People who have SAD will often have light depression in the spring and early summer. This will mostly impact people who do things for the holidays. This time of year is already stressful for most but for those who have seasonal affective disorder it will be ten times harder for them to get things

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 a SAD patient this does not occur until about two hours later. In order to

The most common techniques used and discussed are exposure to a feared social situation, cognitive restructuring, relaxation training, social and skills training (Hambrick, Weeks, Harb, & Heimberg, 2003). These techniques all show positive results when used on patients. Pharmacotherapy as a treatment used for SAD showed faster results in studies, but a greater chance of relapse.

Seasonal depression occurs only at a certain time of the year, usually winter, because the number of daylight hours is lower. Another form of depression is psychotic depression, which is when depression and hallucinations are experienced at the same time. They all have different symptoms and should be approached differently to receive the correct treatment.

Have you ever met someone who is depressed? I have; last year my mom was diagnosed with a mild case of depression. The first thing the doctor did when she went in for her doctor's appointment was prescribed her antidepressants. Before doing this research, I never knew depression was such a big problem in the United States. According to All About Depression, “Depression affects approximately 19 million Americans, or 9.5% of the population in any given one-year period” (“All About Depression: Overview”). Most people are asking these two major questions: What kind of treatments are available to help treat depression and how do these treatments work? Depression can be treated using several different methods such as antidepressants, talk therapy, exercise, and electroconvulsive therapy. Finding a treatment that is successful for you is very important because depression can do a lot of

It is most likely due to a decrease in sunlight, and can be treated with light therapy. Some symptoms include anxiety, increased irritability, daytime fatigue, and weight gain. Atypical depression commonly includes a sense of heaviness in the arms and legs, like a form of paralysis, in addition to oversleeping and overeating. People with this condition may also gain weight, become very irritable, and may even experience relationship issues. Psychotic depression is a mental state characterized by delusions and hallucinations. About twenty percent of people with depression have episodes so severe that they see or hear things that are not there. Bipolar Disorder, also called manic depressive disorder, consists of periods of extreme lows followed by periods of extreme highs. Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) is a type of depression that affects women during the second half of their menstrual cycles and is more severe than PMS. Symptoms include depression, anxiety, and extreme mood swings. Situational depression is usually triggered by a stressful or life-changing event, such as job loss, the death of a loved one, severe trauma or even a bad breakup. Situational depression tends to clear up over time on its own, but can turn into major

Seasonal Affective Disorder is just like its abbreviation spells out…SAD. Seasonal Affective Disorder is a very common type of depression. It is a depression that is related to changes in the seasons. Seasonal Affective Disorder is mostly associated with late fall and winter when it is cold outside and less with spring and early summer when it is hot outside. The definition makes you wonder what causes this type of disorder, does it not?

Self-help exercises are one of the most important ways of managing depression. There are many options to go about this technique, including: relaxation techniques, avoiding the use of alcohol, drugs, or tobacco, exercise, yoga, soaking in the sunlight outdoors, a strong support system, good sleeping habits and nutrition, and consistent use of coping skills. However, this method doesn’t work everytime. In some cases, medication or seeing a doctor is the way to go. Seeing a physician can be beneficial. The first step is to see a primary care doctor, and they can typically decide where to go from there. They may decide on any of the following options: psychiatrist, psychiatric nurse practitioner, psychologist, mental health therapist or counselor, social worker, or mental health case manager (Gegg 1). In the medication route, a psychiatrist would be the one to prescribe antidepressants which boost the serotonin levels in the brain. Serotonin is a natural chemical in the brain responsible for mood stability. However, “Not one medication will work the same way for two different people. You just have to be a guinea pig with these kinds of things” (Gegg

Depression can affect anyone at any stage of his or her lives. Mild depression is also termed “the blues’ and is described as feeling sad from lives normal ups and downs, and can also be brought on by a bouts of stress. People are able to bounce back to normal quickly, usually a few days to a week. Medication and alcohol can mimic the symptoms of depression, as well as brought on by major illnesses. When mild depression lingers and takes a hold on one’s life it can become major depressive disorder. This disorder can affect the body from being able to heal properly, and can lead to chronic depressive episodes.

The most common treatment for SAD is light therapy. Light therapy is a safe and effective treatment for those who have Seasonal affective disorder. It is an extremely bright light that is brighter than any light in your home. Light therapy can be done in the home with what it is called the light box. Light therapy is recommended to be used for thirty minutes to two hours a day depending on both the light intensity and how long you have been using the light box. It is also recommended to use this in the morning to be fully effective, but studies still vary weather it is less effective if used during a different period of the day. The light box is easy to use and can be taken anywhere, just place it on a table or desk and sit a distance from

There is various ways SAD can be treated. SAD is a common disorder that makes researchers believe that there is no set treatment established for it. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is known to be very successful when treating SAD (Richards, 2017). CBT is a type of psychotherapy where negative patterns of thoughts about the self and the world are challenged in order to change the unwanted behavior patterns. Thousands of research studies have indicated that after the completion of CBT, people with SAD are changed (Richards, 2017). This therapy is very successful in changing one’s thought process, beliefs, feelings, and behavior. It is important that people with SAD are compliant and do what is necessary to overcome their disorder.

For many centuries, doctors have recognised an association between illness and seasons. Since ancient times, people have known about the seasonal changes in mood and behaviour. The concept

SAD is generally triggered by the reduced number of daylight hours during winter, although cold temperatures and weak daylight also play a part in overall feelings of malaise. During this time, people can experience a feeling of general unhappiness, fatigue, anxiety or depression as the days get shorter and colder, which can also be accompanied by increased eating, trouble sleeping as well as feelings of confusion, forgetfulness and lack of concentration. While this condition is quite common in the UK and countries with varying seasons, employers should not overlook it as it can have a serious effect on staff productivity, motivation, morale and even their physical and mental wellbeing.