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As we end the summer season and enter fall season, seasonal affective disorder is common among young teens. Seasonal Affective Disorder also known as SAD is a type of depression that happens during a certain time each year.
Those that have seasonal affective disorder tend to have reduced brain activity of the serotonin. You are likely to get seasonal affective disorder if you don’t get that much sun. The sun helps bring up serotonin levels. Another theory is that seasonal affective disorder increased the production of melatonin which can mess with their sleep and wake cycle. Seasonal Affective Disorder occurs often more in women than in men and tends to develop at youth.
Symptoms of SAD can differ depending on the season of the year. During fall and winter three main symptoms are oversleeping, weight gain, and the loss of energy. Although spring and summer SAD is less common some of the symptoms are, insomnia, weight loss and anxiety.
To diagnose someone with seasonal affective disorder you must be depressed during a certain season for at least two years. The times the person was depressed they must experience sadness like they’ve never experienced before.
There are four different ways you can treat SAD.
Light therapy
Medications
Psychotherapy
Mind-body connection
Light therapy uses a special light that you sit in front of for an hour and it causes change in your brain chemicals to boost your mood.
If people severely suffer from SAD they rely on medications such as antidepressants to help. You start taking these medications weeks before you start showing symptoms and it may take a few weeks to start working. You may also keep taking medication after your symptoms would start to go away.
Psychotherapy helps you with talking to someone to identify and change your behavior and help to manage stress.
An example of mind-body connection is music/art therapy to help your mind and body connect with something that makes you happy and feel good about yourself.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/seasonal-affective-disorder/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20364722
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