Spring Depression
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Spring Depression
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a kind of recurring significant depression with a seasonal rhythm. It is a sort of seasonal depression that worsens at specific times of the year. While SAD is most often associated with the gloomy winter months, roughly 10% of persons with SAD suffer seasonal sadness in the spring.
What Exactly Is Spring Depression?
Spring depression is a kind of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) that occurs in the spring and/or summer, as opposed to the more frequent type of SAD that occurs in the autumn and winter months.
Spring Depression Symptoms
The symptoms of spring SAD vary from those of winter SAD.
Typical SAD symptoms in the spring and/or summer include:
- Sadness
- Feeling tense, nervous, or restless
- Reduced appetite, which often results in weight loss
- Weight gain
- Insomnia and other sleep disorders
- Occurrences of aggressive behavior
- Trouble concentrating
- Fatigue
- More desire to be alone
- Thoughts of suicide
The degree of symptoms varies, but it is possible for them to become severe enough to cause major anguish and suicidal thoughts, as well as impede everyday functioning.
Symptoms emerge in the spring or early summer and subside in the autumn or winter.
Spring depression is caused by what?
Spring depression isn’t known for sure, but researchers have come up with a few possible reasons for it. These are:
- High heat in the summer
- A longer day
- The more sunlight, heat, and other spring and summer discomforts make it hard for people to sleep at night.
- Everyone else having fun and making you feel bad or pressured to feel better.
- Due to concerns about their health or appearance, some people avoid summer activities.
- People who have allergies during the winter have them all year long (associated with increased symptoms of depression and mood disorders, possibly due to inflammation)
- Spring Depression is diagnosed by how it is shown on the body.
Diagnosis
You may have SAD if, for the past 2 years, you:
- Had depression or mania that starts as well as ends during a specific season.
- You didn’t feel these symptoms during your “normal” seasons.
- Over your lifetime, you’ve had more seasons with than without depression or mania.
It sometimes might take a while to diagnose SAD because it can mimic other conditions, like chronic fatigue syndrome, underactive thyroid, low blood sugar, viral illnesses, or other mood disorders.
SAD is different from depression that doesn’t have a specific time of year because it has a different pattern of symptoms. Symptoms must be present or get worse at a certain time of the year (such as spring to fall). For the most part, these symptoms last for about four to five months out of the year.
If you have SAD, you might not have symptoms every year. For a diagnosis, this pattern of symptoms must happen for at least two years.
Episodes during this time of year must happen more often than depressive episodes that the person may have or have had at other times of the year.
The diagnostic process usually starts with a primary care doctor, who may:
Then, ask about your symptoms and how you sleep. Also, ask about your lifestyle, medical and family history, your mood, and any other relevant information.
- Check your body and do tests to see if there is a physical reason for your symptoms.
- You should see a mental health professional.
- If the depression doesn’t go away, it could be changed to major depressive disorder or bipolar disorder, which would make the person more likely to have it.
In what ways can you be at risk for Spring Depression?
Researchers have found some possible risk factors for SAD, such as:
Age: SAD usually starts between the ages of 18 and 30, but it can start at any age.
Sex: People who have SAD are more likely to be women.
About 15% of people with SAD have a close family member who has or had the condition. 25 percent to 67 percent of people who have SAD have relatives who have other mood or psychological disorders, like major depressive disorder or schizophrenia, but they don’t know it.
People with major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder: SAD affects 10% to 20% of people with major depressive disorder, and about 25% of people with bipolar disorder.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), an eating disorder, an anxiety disorder, or a panic disorder are some of the other mental health disorders that people with SAD often have as well, as well as SAD itself. 3
Treatment
Seasonal depression can be treated with these steps:
- The type of antidepressant called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors can help people with SAD (SSRIs).
- Using cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), you can learn how to think better, manage symptoms, and deal with stress in a more healthy way, among other things.
- Using bright lights, or a phototherapy is a form of light therapy. People who use it spend 20-60 minutes each day in front of a lightbox that looks like a window. Look for a lightbox with a built-in UV filter because ultraviolet (UV) rays from some lightboxes can be bad for your health.
When to go to the doctor?
It is important to get help if you are experiencing any symptoms of depression. You should see your doctor or mental health professional. You don’t have to wait two years to get help for your symptoms if you have Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). You can get help for your symptoms right away.
Summary
Spring depression is a type of seasonal affective disorder in which depression symptoms start or get worse in the spring and summer. The exact reason isn’t known, but it’s thought to be caused by things like more daylight, allergies, heat, and changes in your circadian rhythm. Spring depression may get better with medication, talk therapy, light therapy, or changes to your sleep habits.
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