Seasonal depression: what it is and how to best cope with it

The hours of light decrease. There temperature goes down (or at least it should). You leave the house less. And many are starting to feel strange, more melancholy and sad than usual. A sensation that usually passes after a short period of acclimatization, except for some. Someone for whom these symptoms last until spring arrives: in these cases – and second some estimates they even represent one in three people – they talk about seasonal affective disorderor Sad, a guy from depression which, in fact, affects only during certain seasons of the year (there is also a summer-spring version, although it is less common). In addition to those already mentioned, the symptoms also include a feeling of lethargy, i.e. tiredness, fatigue and lack of energy, and a higher-than-normal appetite, especially towards carbohydrates. Let’s see in more detail what it is and how it can be faced.

Seasonal Depression vs “Major” Depression: Signs and Symptoms

From a clinical point of view, the seasonal depression is a disorder that belongs (almost tautologically) to the large group of depressions and is characterized by a pattern recurrent, whose symptoms last about 4-5 months a year. Seasonal depression shares many symptoms with “major” depression, including a feeling of sadness, which lasts most of the day, loss of interest in activities that used to be fun, changes in appetite and body weight problems with insomnia, a persistent feeling of agitation and / or low energy, difficulty concentrating and even frequent suicidal thoughts. But there are others too more specific symptoms and characteristic of seasonal depression alone, including, for winter depression, thehypersomnia (ie an excessive need for sleep or a state of continuous sleepiness that interferes with everyday life) and the “social withdrawal” corresponding to the animal act of the lethargy; for the summer one, on the other hand, the specific syndromes can be the loss of appetite, a state of agitation and anxiety and the episodic appearance of violent behavior.

What causes seasonal depression?

As they explained on The Conversation two experts of the Rcsi University of Medicine and Health Sciencesseasonal depression (in its most common version, winter) could be triggered by a malfunction of our “internal clock”the so-called circadian rhythm, mainly linked to the light-dark cycle: this internal clock, in fact, is based on daylight to control many physiological processes, including the sensation of hunger as well as that of sleep and fatigue. But there is more: it is believed, in fact, that seasonal depression is a complex and multifactorial disorder, perhaps also linked to a malfunction ofhypothalamus (the area of ​​the brain that regulates mood, sleep and appetite) and / or a excessive production of melatonin (a hormone that controls the sleep-wake cycle, produced by pineal gland) and of serotonin (a hormone responsible for controllinghumor). The latter possibility is particularly suggestive, since the production of serotonin is linked to vitamin D, in turn secreted by the body when the skin is exposed to sunlight. Since in autumn and winter the sunlight is less intense and the irradiation lasts less, it is reasonable to expect a decrease in the production of vitamin D and therefore an alteration in the secretion of serotonin.

Are there people more at risk than others?

Apparently, seasonal depression it affects women more than men, and is more common among people living in high latitudes, where the hours of sunlight during autumn and winter are further reduced. In addition, the syndrome appears more frequently in people who already suffer from major depression or bipolar disorder, characterized to recurrent and alternating episodes of excitement and apathy. Again: Seasonal depression sufferers often also suffer from mental disorders, including attention deficit, food disorders, anxiety disorders or panic attacks. Finally, it appears to be more common in people whose family members suffer from major depression or depression schizophrenia.

What to do if you have seasonal depression

The first suggestion, and it could not be otherwise, is to recognize the symptoms and, if possible, try to anticipate them when they are about to begin. the winter months. There are several countermeasures you can try to take.

Walks in the sunlight: As already mentioned, exposure to sunlight seems to play a very important role in the onset of seasonal depression, so the first suggestion is to try to leave the house every day during daylight hours: first in the morning, for at least a few minutes, in order to “remind” your internal clock that it is time to wake up body and mind. And then at least one more time before the sun goes down. A study showed that people who go out once a day for a walk outdoors benefit from an improvement in all symptoms of seasonal depression compared to those who stay indoors. It is not clear, however, how much these beneficial effects are actually due to greater exposure to light and how much they are linked to the pleasure of being outdoors.

Light therapy: What if the sun is covered by clouds? In this case, you can try the so-called light therapy: it’s about sitting in front of one very intense light sourcea (about 10 thousand lux, obtained with a special lamp) for about 30 minutes a day, usually in the early hours of the morning. Light therapy lamps are about twenty times more intense than those used for home lighting and filter out ultraviolet light, which is potentially harmful to skin and tissues. However, we must remember to consult your doctor in advance: for some people, including for example those suffering from eye diseases or those who take certain drugs, light therapy is not recommended or even to be excluded. The efficacy of light therapy, however, has not yet been indisputably proven, if not in combination with taking antidepressant drugs.

Psychological therapy: Psychological therapy of choice to treat seasonal depression is cognitive-behavioral. It is a treatment that can also be undergone in groups, in weekly sessions for six weeks, focused on replacing negative thoughts related to the winter season with more positive ones. Specific cognitive-behavioral therapy for seasonal depression also includes a process called behavioral activationin which the psychotherapist helps the individual to choose and plan outdoor and indoor activities to counter the decline in interest and desire to do that arises during the winter.

Pharmacological therapy Of course, drugs are also available, more or less the same ones associated with major depression: these are, for example, the so-called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (Ssri), which have been shown to be effective in significantly improving patients’ mood. Obviously, they should only be taken after a consultation and prescription from a doctor.