Seasonal or weather changes can affect a person's health, including seasonal affective disorder. What is seasonal depression and can it go away on its own? Check out the following article.

What is seasonal depression?

Seasonal affective disorder is a type of depression that is associated with seasonal or weather changes. This type of depression usually occurs in four-season countries; this condition generally worsens during late fall or early winter. However, it does not rule out the possibility that this condition will affect countries with two seasons, such as Indonesia.

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Symptoms of seasonal depression

Seasonal depression is a type of depressive disorder that is associated with the changing patterns of the seasons. You can experience mood swings and symptoms of depression when certain seasons come around. Symptoms of depression can vary from mild to severe. Some symptoms of seasonal depression that can appear include:

• Feeling lethargic or sad most of the day and feeling it every day
• Loss of interest in activities that were once liked and enjoyed
• Feeling unenergized and lethargic
• Experiencing sleep disorders
• Binge eating and weight gain
• Trouble concentrating
• Feeling hopeless, worthless or guilty
• Lack of passion in life and suicidal thoughts

According to the Mayo Clinic, seasonal depression can be distinguished by season. There are symptoms specifically associated with fall and winter, and although rare, there is also seasonal depression associated with summer and spring.

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Causes of seasonal depression

There are no known causes of seasonal depression, but based on the Cleveland Clinic, there are several theories regarding the causes of seasonal depression, namely:

• Changes in biological clock

When there's a lack of sun exposure, your body's biological clock also changes. This can affect mood swings, sleep schedules and hormones. Changes in your biological clock can make it difficult to adjust to the changing seasons. This can be especially true in four-season countries.

• Changes in the brain's chemical compounds

Brain chemicals called neurotransmitters regulate communication signals between nerves, including serotonin. This compound has a role in mood, among other things. Sunlight can help regulate the release of serotonin so the lack of sun in winter is thought to affect your mood.

• Vitamin D deficiency

Since sunlight plays a role in the production of vitamin D, generally, less sunlight in winter can cause people to be deficient in vitamin D. Vitamin D is related to serotonin in the synthesis or formation of serotonin. A decrease in vitamin D levels can affect your serotonin levels and mood.

How to overcome seasonal depression

When the seasons change and you experience seasonal depression, you may want to stay home and avoid interacting with others.However, this can actually worsen your seasonal depression.

Most cases of seasonal depression can be overcome by making lifestyle changes, such as moving actively outdoors and getting some sun.Some methods that can be used to overcome seasonal depression include:

• Light therapy (phototherapy)

This therapy aims to mimic exposure to natural light to stimulate the brain to release serotonin.

• Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy or talk therapy, is a type of therapy that can help you explore the causes and change the negative thoughts and behaviors that cause depression. It can also train you to manage stress in an appropriate way.

• Drugs and medicines

Your doctor may give you SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) to regulate serotonin.

Seasonal depression is a mild form of depression triggered by weather changes. If you experience symptoms of depression when the weather changes, you should see a doctor immediately.

If you need medical advice or consultation, you can either visit a doctor or make use of the consultation features that are available in the Ai Care application by downloading the Ai Care application from the App Store or Play Store.

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