![]() ![]() What Causes Seasonal Affective Disorder?Ī combination of risk factors, causes, and triggers of seasonal affective disorder put some people at greater risk of the condition. They may feel the urge to stay in bed most of the day and hibernate through the season. Their relationships will struggle, and their disposition will be less desirable. During these depressive episodes, the people with the condition will barely resemble the other versions of themselves.ĭuring the colder months, the person may be unable to work, go to school, and maintain responsibilities at home. ![]() In the fall and winter, though, the effects of the spring and summer will give way to low mood, worthlessness, low energy, and other unwanted symptoms of depression. During warmer weather, these people will be more likely to display signs of mania, including increased energy, decreased need for sleep, and reckless behaviors. Someone who has bipolar disorder with seasonal patterns will have a different experience in the summer. Perhaps they will be more physically active, more social, more energetic, and display signs of happiness. People who have depression with seasonal patterns will often present as mentally healthy during the summer months. Most cases do not begin until adulthood, so children with the condition will be rare. Seasonal affective disorder may emerge at any age. A person with SAD will show predictable and consistent mood changes caused by a change in season. SAD creates a pattern where the weather and seasons dictate the person’s mental health, physical health, and overall well-being. Mania is marked by a distinct period of higher energy, elevated mood, and an increased focus on completing goals. The symptoms will present most of the day for more days than not over the last few weeks.įor people who have depression with seasonal patterns, the summer months will be a welcome relief from the symptoms, while people who have bipolar with seasonal patterns will risk periods of mania. Poor attention, concentration, and decision-making skills.Increased feelings of guilt and worthlessness.Feeling slowed down or sped up behaviorally.Low motivation to engage in pleasurable activities.The most common symptoms of depressive episodes include: 2 People from both groups will most likely endure depressive episodes during the winter. Some people will not fit into this pattern, though, and will note mania in the winter and depression in the summer. With SAD, the winter commonly means periods of depression with the summer months involving periods of no symptoms or manic episodes, depending on the individual and their condition. Although some people may try to dismiss these seasonal changes as normal “winter blues,” you need to recognize the point when the effects of SAD become problematic. It is important to take these symptoms seriously. People could still feel depressed in the summer and manic in the winter, but these episodes would be the exception, rather than the rule. SAD involves symptoms that almost always develop during the corresponding season. What separates SAD from standard depression or bipolar disorder is the time and season-focused presentation of symptoms. The APA does use the specifier “with seasonal pattern” that may be applied to depression and bipolar disorders. TV, movies, and other media sources often cite a condition called seasonal affective disorder, but in reality, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) does not officially acknowledge this diagnosis. Depending on the severity, the condition could be seriously debilitating to the person and their family. Commonly, their moods are more depressed in the fall and winter and less depressed or manic in the spring and fall, but they could display the opposite pattern. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), sometimes called seasonal depression, is a mental health condition where someone’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by the changing seasons. 1 Although the term “seasonal affective disorder” is not a recognized diagnosis, mental health professionals can identify these mood patterns connected to depression or bipolar disorder and offer medications and psychotherapy to effectively manage symptoms. Seasonal affective disorder is a mental health condition marked by mood symptoms that shift with seasonal changes. ![]()
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