The topic of how great fall often comes up, but you rarely see people talk about seasonal depression. While memes on social media about October weather, pumpkin lattes, and more stereotypes may please many, for others, it’s just a painful reminder that they are coming up on the time of year when their seasonal depression surfaces.
Montare Behavioral Health in Tucson understands the complexities that seasonal affective disorder (SAD) causes. We created a program to help people who find their moods are drastically impacted during certain seasons of the year. We provide comfortable and homelike accommodations in our residential facility. During a person’s stay with us, they will receive confidential and compassionate care from our staff of therapists. We also offer medical support and access to prescription medications.
Seasonal depression, also known as seasonal affective disorder, is a form of depression that occurs at the same time each year. For the majority of people, it happens during late fall and winter. When the temperatures drop and the days get shorter, they begin to feel the walls close in on them. It’s only when spring arrives that they begin to feel like themselves again.
A minority of people with SAD develop their symptoms during the late spring and summer. The heat and long days trigger them to feel depressed, and they cannot get relief until the season is over. Boston University reports that approximately 10 million Americans suffer from seasonal depression. While women are four times more likely to develop it than men, it can happen to any gender, ethnicity, or location in the country.
During the time of year when there is less sunlight, a chemical change can happen in a person’s brain. When this happens, it can bring on feelings of sadness and sorrow that cannot be controlled. Melatonin, an over-the-counter medication many people use to sleep better, is also naturally produced by the body. The brain produces a higher level of melatonin when there are more hours of darkness in a 24-hour cycle. This can create a feeling of sleepiness and lack of motivation and energy that contributes to SAD.
Signs that someone has seasonal depression may be hard to pinpoint or may be attributed to another cause. Common signs and symptoms of SAD include:
If you want a simple way to determine if you may have seasonal depression, take our quiz. Answer yes or no to the following questions:
If you answered yes to one or more of the questions in the quiz above, it is possible that you do experience seasonal depression. It’s important to get an official diagnosis of seasonal depression. Discuss the symptoms you experience with your doctor or a mental health counselor.
The good news is that seasonal depression responds well to effective treatment provided by licensed therapists. People can also engage in habits at home that help boost their moods.
While seeking professional treatment offers the best ability to reduce a person’s symptoms of seasonal depression, they can also do things at home that contribute to feeling better. Many people get good results using light therapy. This requires a lamp specifically designed to reproduce the effects of natural sunshine. The person sits by the lamp for a certain amount of time each day.
Getting exposure to real sunlight several days per week can help, too. Taking a walk, sitting outside a person’s home, or even near a window can help reduce their symptoms. As well, sticking to a sleep schedule that includes going to bed early can help because it limits the number of hours a person is exposed to darkness.
A qualified treatment program will offer different types of therapy for people with seasonal disorder. Individual therapy provides a safe place for the person to talk about their symptoms without worrying about being judged. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can be used to help identify negative thought patterns and how symptoms are exacerbated. From there, they learn to develop healthier ways of thinking.
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) helps people with treatment-resistant depression. This non-invasive procedure stimulates the brain with the use of magnetic pulses. Attending TMS sessions can help reduce the severity of depressive symptoms and how often they occur. Finally, holistic therapy has shown to positively impact the life of a person with SAD. This therapy embraces the concept of healing the mind, body, and spirit at the same time. The individual often finds their moods improve, and they can do some of the holistic experiential activities at home after completing treatment.
Living with seasonal depression causes a person to feel trepidatious as the time of the year that bothers them approaches. Then, they live through several weeks or a few months feeling depressed, anxious, and unable to soothe themselves. Montare Behavioral Health in Tucson provides comforting care in a warm environment that feels more like a home than a facility. We offer several therapy modalities and access to prescription medications that help ease the symptoms of seasonal depression.
Contact us for more information about how we treat SAD. It’s time to feel like you’re back in the driver’s seat no matter what time of year.
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