Despite the fact that many prefer warm sunny days, they can adapt to seasonal changes. However, some season changes can cause depression.

First described by Dr. Norman Rosenthal in 1984, seasonal affective disorder (SAD), also known as seasonal adaptation disorder, is a form of depression that occurs at a particular time of the year.

The British organization Mind, providing advice and support to people with mental problems, notes that most people with ATS symptoms appear precisely during the winter. Some people may experience depression in the summer, but such cases are very rare.

Beth Murphy, head of the information department at Mind, says that the condition often remains without a diagnosis, complicating attempts to collect statistics on the number of patients. People with SAD symptoms sometimes experience 2-3 years of depression before being diagnosed.

According to preliminary estimates, about 10% of the population of northern Europe suffers from moderate symptoms and only 2% experience more severe symptoms.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, about 500,000 people in the US suffer from seasonal affective disorders, and about 10-20% of the country's population suffers from mild forms of frustration.

But, despite the number of SAR patients around the world, experts believe that doctors often ignore the symptoms of the disorder.

Helen Hanson, chairman of the Association of SAR in the UK, also suffering from ATS, said: "I think that members of the medical profession still underestimate the disease and its complexity. For the diagnosis to be made, depression and general practitioners should be taken into account, they often simply do not notice the symptoms of the disorder ".

How do the symptoms of seasonal affective disorder look like that you should pay attention to?.

Symptoms of ATS.

Seasonal affective disorder can begin at any age. However, in most cases, symptoms develop until the age of 21, and the likelihood of a disorder in women is twice as high.

Many symptoms of ATS are similar to those of "normal" depression, among them anxiety, mood changes and panic attacks.

Other symptoms include:.

- Lack of energy for daily activities;.

- Weakening of the immune system;.

- Irritability;.

- Lack of concentration;.

Overeating and weight gain;.

- Abuse of alcohol;.

- Feeling of guilt and anxiety;.

- Problems with sleeping;.

- Decreased libido;.

- Problems in relations.

Potential causes of ATS.

So far, no specific causes of the appearance of the disorder. However, past researchers have suggested that once a condition occurs during a seasonal change, the disorder may be caused by a change in light.

According to Murphy, when light reaches the retina inside the eye, information is sent to the hypothalamus - the part of the brain responsible for sleep, appetite, sex drive, temperature, mood and activity. Thus, if there is a lack of light, these functions can slow down and gradually stop.

In addition, some people need a lot more light for normal functioning of the body than others and therefore they are more likely to develop symptoms of ATS at low levels of sunlight.

It is also believed that the level of serotonin, a brain neurotransmitter, can cause ATS.

Low levels of serotonin have been found in people suffering from depression, especially in the winter months. This suggests that people with ATS may have a disorder in the head system that releases and absorbs serotonin.

The study also found that people with ATS, in comparison with a healthy person, in winter produce higher levels of melatonin. It is produced by the epiphysis, when a person is in the dark, thereby immersing him in sleep. When light turns around, the production of melatonin stops, which causes people to wake up.

However, Murphy says that researchers believe melatonin is not the only cause of ATS: "We know that if a person with a high melatonin level is exposed to bright light, the hormone level will drop to normal. But even after returning the melatonin level back to normal, most continue to experience depressive symptoms of ATS ».

Previous studies have also shown that ATS can be caused by a violation of biorhythm. It has been suggested that people with ATS may have strayed biological clocks that can not establish a daily rhythm of the body at daylight, which causes fatigue and depressive symptoms.

The last presumed cause of ATS, as well as other forms of depression, are traumatic life events, physical illnesses, a change in diet or medication, and a withdrawal from alcohol use.

Treatment of the symptom of seasonal affective disorder.

Helen Hanson now manages to cope with ATS using a combination of antidepressants and phototherapy. According to the results obtained by the Association of ATS, phototherapy helps in 85% of cases.

The procedure uses a daily two-hour irradiation with artificial light. Artificial light simulates natural external light and is 10 times higher than the intensity of standard indoor lighting. Experts believe that therapy works by regulating brain chemicals that affect mood, thereby facilitating ATS syndromes.

Light boxes used in phototherapy can be purchased for home use, but Mind experts note that more structured phototherapy courses under the supervision of medical professionals can be more productive.

Beth Murphy also says that phototherapy is not the only way to treat ATS: "Conversational treatment techniques such as counseling, psychotherapy or cognitive-behavioral therapy can be extremely helpful in coping with symptoms. In addition, for people with severe ATS symptoms, antidepressants may be prescribed for combination with phototherapy for maximum effect ".

It is not necessary to use external intervention for treatment. Mind specialists note that many SAR patients successfully use the self-treatment option. The organization recommends avoiding stressful situations, accustoming to healthy nutrition and exercise, and also as often as possible to be under the sunlight.

Nevertheless, if the symptoms of ATS affect a person's life, and he can not cope with them, it is better to consult a doctor.

medbe. en.