Symptoms

Seasonal Affective Disorder symptoms include fatigue, depression, a decrease in activity, overeating and a lack of desire to engage in social events.

Time Frame

The depression symptoms typically begin in October and begin to lift around March to April.

Demographics

SAD affects women more often than it affects men, but the symptoms in men are stronger.

Region

The disorder is most common in areas of the world farther from the equator. The days are shorter and therefore, less sunlight is available during the day.

Therapy

Because the cause of the disorder is a lack of daylight, therapy for SAD includes using a special light box 30 minutes a day to increase daylight exposure. Other therapy includes medications, moving to a warmer climate during the winter, learning stress-reduction techniques and eating a healthy diet.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/22523-seasonal-diffective-disorder/#ixzz0wskyQOw7

When symptoms of SAD first develop, it’s not uncommon for parents to attribute low motivation, energy, and interest to an intentional poor attitude. Learning about SAD can help them understand another possible reason for the changes, easing feelings of blame or impatience with their child or teen.

Parents sometimes are unsure about how to discuss their concerns and observations. The best approach is usually one that’s supportive and nonjudgmental. Try opening the discussion saying something like, “You haven’t seemed yourself lately — you’ve been so sad and grouchy and tired, and you don’t seem to be having much fun. It seems like you’ve been feeling kind of worn out and exhausted — like you just can’t get enough sleep. So, I’ve made an appointment for you to get a checkup. I want to help you to feel better and get back to doing your best and enjoying yourself again.”

Here are a few things you can do if your child or teen has been diagnosed with SAD:

• Participate in your child’s treatment. Ask the doctor how you can best help your child.
• Help your child understand SAD. Learn about the disorder and provide simple explanations. Remember, concentration might be difficult, so it’s unlikely your child will want to read or study much about SAD — if so, just recap the main points.
• Encourage your child to get plenty of exercise and to spend time outdoors. Take a daily walk together.
• Find quality time. Spend a little extra time with your child — nothing special, just something low-key that doesn’t require much energy. Bring home a movie you might enjoy or share a snack together. Your company and caring are important and provide personal contact and a sense of connection.
• Be patient. Don’t expect symptoms to go away immediately. Remember that low motivation, low energy, and low mood are part of SAD — it’s unlikely that your child will respond cheerfully to your efforts to help.
• Help with homework. You may have to temporarily provide hands-on assistance to help your child organize assignments or complete work. Explain that concentration problems are part of SAD and that things will get better again. Kids and teens with SAD may not realize this and worry that they’re incapable of doing the schoolwork. You may also want to talk to the teachers and ask for extensions on assignments until things get better with treatment.
• Help your child to eat right. Encourage your child to avoid loading up on simple carbohydrates and sugary snacks. Provide plenty of whole grains, vegetables, and fruits.
• Establish a sleep routine. Encourage your child to stick to a regular bedtime every day to reap the mental health benefits of daytime light.
• Take it seriously. Don’t put off evaluation if you suspect your child has SAD. If diagnosed, your child should learn about the seasonal pattern of the depression. Talk often about what’s happening, and offer reassurance that things will get better, even though that may seem impossible right now.

Major Depression

Major depression is one type of depression that occurs in both children and adults, though it is more prevalent in women, according to the NIH. To be diagnosed with major depression, the patient must have five or more symptoms of depression that last for at least two weeks. Like other psychiatric disorders, these symptoms must be a change in the person’s normal mood and behavior, and must interfere in her ability to function. Examples of major depression symptoms include agitation, problems concentrating, sleeping difficulties, changes in appetite and weight, feeling hopeless or worthless, fatigue, withdrawal from once enjoyed activities, and suicidal thoughts. If, however, the patient has only two to four symptoms, she is diagnosed with minor depression.

Atypical Depression

The NIH states that one-third of patients with depression are diagnosed with atypical depression. The main diagnostic criteria of atypical depression is mood reactivity, where the patient’s mood either improves or deteriorates in response to an event; a patient with major depression, on the other hand, only has a depressed mood. In addition to the mood reactivity, the patient must have two or more of the following symptoms: a strong reaction to rejection, overeating, oversleeping and a heavy feeling in the limbs.

Dysthymia

Dysthymia is a chronic form of depression that affects five percent of the population, according to the NIH. A patient can have just dysthymia, or dysthymia combined with another form of depression, like major depression, or a psychiatric disorder. To be diagnosed with dysthymia, the patient must have a low mood for at least two years and two other symptoms, like poor concentration, feeling hopeless, low self-esteem, fatigue, changes in appetite and sleeping problems.

Seasonal Affective Disorder

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that occurs during the winter, though a rare form of SAD occurs during the summer, according to the NIH. For a patient to have SAD, symptoms must be present for at least two years, and he cannot have depressive episodes at other points of the year. Symptoms that distinguish SAD from other depressive disorders include decreased energy and concentration in the afternoon, lethargic movement, excessive daytime sleepiness, and carbohydrate cravings.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/89356-diagnostics-depression/#ixzz0vT7PCMyT

Winter Blues, Revised Edition: Everything You Need to Know to Beat Seasonal Affective Disorder by Norman E. Rosenthal

Snooze… or Lose!: 10 “No-War” Ways to Improve Your Teen’s Sleep Habits by M.D. Dr. Helene A. Emsellem

Seasonal Affective Disorder and Beyond: Light Treatment for Sad and Non-Sad Conditions by Raymond W. Lam

A Clinician’s Guide to Using Light Therapy (Cambridge Clinical Guides) by Raymond W. Lam and Edwin M. Tam

The Bipolar Child: The Definitive and Reassuring Guide to Childhood’s Most Misunderstood Disorder by Demitri Papolos M.D. and Janice Papolos

Winter Blues: Seasonal Affective Disorder: What It Is and How to Overcome It by Norman E. Rosenthal

Seasonal Affective Disorder For Dummies by Laura L. Smith and Charles H. Elliott

Do some gardening, take the bike out for a spin, go for a walk with your family or pets, go for a swim, have lunch at a restaurant with an outdoor patio, get a hammock or swing, play some games outside, or have friends over and grill. Celebrate that it is summertime and enjoy the sunlight.

Daylight brought indoors has been shown to improve productivity, enhance health and wellness, and reduce overall energy costs. Pure natural daylight makes colors more vivid, reduces eye strain, and, according to studies, the variation in solar light levels throughout the course of a day helps cure Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

Vitamins B6 and B12 affect and help regulate your mood, and might help alleviate SAD. A Finnish study reports vitamin B12 helps reduce depression.

Vitamins B6 and B12

Vitamins B6 and B12 promote healthy blood cells, and help regulate the nervous system.  They affect mood and brain functioning.

The B Vitamins and SAD

Vitamins B6 and B12 promote dopamine production, one of the body’s neurotransmitters responsible for pleasure.  If a person does not have adequate amounts of these vitamins, he might experience lethargy, a lack of concentration, anxiety and other symptoms similar to SAD.

Food Sources of Vitamins B6 and B12

Food sources include fish, meat, chicken, cheese, milk, eggs and fortified cereals. Vegetarians should consider a supplement.

Daily Requirements

Eat 1.3 to 1.7 mg of vitamin B6 per day. Eat 2.4 mcg of vitamin B12 per day.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/32354-b-vitamin-seasonal-affective/#ixzz0r8XdhwsA

The Seasonal Affective Disorder Association:

http://www.sada.org.uk/

Daily Strength – Seasonal Affective Disorder Support Group:

http://www.dailystrength.org/c/Seasonal-Affective-Disorder/support-group

Mental Health America:

http://www.nmha.org/go/sad

Facebook group for Seasonal Affective Disorder:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Seasonal-affective-disorder/106176212746152

• Get more light in a safe way. You can:

• Use your light box regularly

• Keep our curtains open in the bedroom

• Get outdoors whenever the sun is out

• Take a drive in your car when the sun is out

• Brighten up your home

• Spend time in the brightest room in your house

• Minimize your stress:

• Don’t undertake unnecessary duties or chores

• Delay what can be delayed

• Don’t allow guilt to prevent you from saying no

• Explain to others what is going on and tell them what they can do to make your life easier
• Exercise as much as you can
• If you are not on medications and are still laboring under the burden of winter, discuss with your doctor the possibility of starting them
• If you are on medications and they do not seem to be helping, talk to your doctor about other possibilities
• Keep a journal
• Find out what brings you enjoyment and do more of it
• Find out what brings you discontentment and do less of it
• Accept the down time
• Accept that winter may never feel as good as the other seasons
• Busy some forced bulbs and watch them grow and bloom in the dark months.
• Wait for spring, because sooner or later it will come

The top 5 things to do:

1. Understand the problem – You need to recognize that SAD is a real problem and affliction.  Someone who suffers from SAD may look okay but can be having major difficulties in functioning.  Your relative or friend with SAD needs more light and can benefit from your support and understanding. Once you understand the mood and energy problems of SAD, you will be able to handle them better.

2. Just be there – Just your presence and company can do a SAD sufferer good.  Even though they may seem withdrawn and unfriendly, they appreciate the company. Many like the people being around, but you need to remember that you will probably not get a lot out of them.

3. Encourage the seasonal person – Remind them that this phase will pass, and they will feel better again.  Remind them of some good times you have had, they may simply have forgotten.  Because you understand that it is a seasonal problem, it can help just to remind them that it will pass.

4. Help with simple things – Just getting out of bed can be huge step.  But asking them what you can do to help is greatly appreciated.  It can be getting the kids ready and off to school, making breakfast or lunch or even dinner, getting groceries, household chores, doing the laundry or even paying the bills.  Some things are simple and will take a couple of minutes, but it can make a huge difference.

5. Try to understand the seasonal person when they are in the other phase –  It may come as a shock when the sufferer all of a sudden is  happy and successful.  But you need to understand that you need to be supportive either way.  Sufferers can become a bit wired from the sudden abundance of sunlight.  Many can  show  poor judgment or impulsiveness.  If you see this happening you may want to speak with your doctor.

The circadian rhythm is usually disturbed by pregnancy, time zone changes, medications, shift work, depression, or changes in your routine.

Depressives are notorious for being circadian out of sync – feeling sleepy or alert, warm or cold, hungry or without appetite, at the wrong times of day or night – as if they were jet lagged several hours.

Research suggests that for many depressives, the timing of bright light therapy is key, as if it were pushing or pulling their circadian clocks into sync. Indeed, for other conditions, tweaking the circadian clock is the express purpose of light therapy.

Seasonal Affective Disorder is also a symptom of a disrupted circadian rhythm.  Doctors fear that if a person’s biological clock is disrupted for too long, it could lead to cardiovascular disease, and a depreciation of melatonin could increase a patient’s risk of cancer.