...You S.A.D.? The Truth behind Seasonal Affective Disorder Are you S.A.D.? The truth behind Seasonal Affective Disorder Seasonal affective disorder, also known as Seasonal Depression, winter or summer depression, winter or summer blues, or seasonal mood disorder, is a type of depression that occurs at the same time every year (Lee, S.A.D.). Although the exact cause for the depression has yet to be found, there are many theories that point to the exact same thing. Most of them, have much to do with the factor of the sun. The symptoms of seasonal affective disorder vary from mild depression to suicidal thoughts, with almost everything imaginable in between (Stein, page 2). Although it hasn’t been established what the exact cause of seasonal affective disorder, there is a wide range of theories that exist. Although Seasonal Affective Disorder has roots going all the way back to 1845, it was not officially classified until the psychiatrist Norman E. Rosenthal noticed that a lot of his cases for depression had occurred only during the months of winter(Waltz, page 1). When he published his articles in The Washington Post, he received thousands of letters from people all over the country who had the exact same symptoms that he found with his own patients in his private study. He went on to release the book Winter Blues: Seasonal Affective Disorder: What it is and How to Overcome...
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...Christine M. Muller Abnormal Psychology Jeffrey Geibel, PhD. Seasonal Affective Disorder It's wintertime, and you feel stressed, lethargic and disconnected from everything and everyone around you. "Maybe it is just the winter blues," you tell yourself. However, the depression and other symptoms continue to persist from the beginning of winter until the springtime, every year. Although you may believe that you, like many other people, are bothered with a case of the winter blues, you are most likely suffering from a more severe form of seasonal depression known as Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD. This form of depression has been described as a form of a mood disorder that, unlike other forms of depression, follows a strictly seasonal pattern. In general, many people suffer from some form of sporadic depression during the wintertime. We may feel more tired and sad at times. We may even gain some weight or have trouble getting out of bed. Over 10 million people in America, however, may feel a more extreme form of these symptoms. They may constantly feel lethargic and depressed to an extent that social and work related activities are negatively affected. Typical SAD symptoms include sugar cravings, lethargy, depression, an increase in body weight, and a greater need for sleep. Onset of these symptoms usually occurs in October or November, and the symptoms disappear in early spring. Frequently, people who suffer from SAD react strongly to variations in the amount of light...
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...Depression is a common mental disorder. At times people may feel desperation and hopelessness. If this is one of the moods you are experiencing, then you may be depressed. Depression is a continuing and persistent mood that can interfere with your life. It’s represented by feelings of guilt, sadness, and self-doubt. Most people will get affected by depression at one point in their lives through a close friend or a family member. Whatever the cause, events in your life causes chemical changes in your brain. There are many types of depression Such as; persistent depressive disorder, seasonal affective disorder, and psychotic depression. First, persistent depressive disorder is an ongoing depression that last for two years or longer, also known...
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...SEASONAL AFFECTIVE DISORDER (SAD) Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a mood disorder in which people who have normal mental health throughout most of the year experience depression related symptoms in the winter months on a recurring yearly cycle. CAUSES OF SEASONAL AFFECTIVE DISORDER The specific cause of seasonal affective disorder remains unknown but most research shows that (SAD) is caused by a lack of sunlight which has an effect on the chemical levels in the brain. A few specific factors that may come into play include: * Circadian rhythm. Reduced levels of sunlight in fall and winter may disrupt your body's internal clock, which determines when you should sleep or be awake. This disruption of your circadian rhythm may lead to feelings of depression. * Serotonin levels. A drop in neurotransmitter levels such as serotonin, which affects mood, may play a role in (SAD). Reduced sunlight can cause a drop in serotonin that may trigger depression. * Melatonin levels. The change in seasons can disrupt the balance of the natural hormone melatonin, which plays a role in sleep patterns and mood. * Vitamin D deficiency. Low vitamin D levels in the blood have recently been linked with a higher occurrence of (SAD) along with other depression related disorders. * Gene Mutation. A new study indicates that (SAD) may be linked to a mutation of melanopsin, a pigment gene in the eye. The melanopsin gene encodes a light-sensitive protein that is found in a class of photoreceptors...
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...An Analysis on Seasonal Affective Disorder and the effects of Climate and Lighting on Emotion Brain, Mind & Behavior "Seasonal affective disorder also known as winter depression, winter blues, summer depression, summer blues, or seasonal depression, is a mood disorder in which people who have normal health throughout most of the year experience depressive symptoms in the winter or summer, spring or autumn year after year." In the DSM-IV, it is not characterized as a unique mood disorder but considered a 'specifier of major depression'. (Stephen, 2007) Is it not more than a convenience that the year’s most joyous holidays occur on the onset of the winter solstice? The impact of light on emotion has been shown and linked by numerous surveys and tests in the past. Low or dark lighting has been shown to cause eye fatigue and headaches. Absence of natural daylight triggers depression and poor immune defenses. Insufficient lighting is linked to emotional stress and to physical ailments. Bright light stimulates emotions, while low levels of illumination quiet the senses. On the other hand, an excess of unnatural light does not replace the calming effects of natural daylight. Too much artificial light and overly-bright rooms hurt the eyes and make one feel jittery. (Fisher E. , 2004) The impact of lighting on mood and cognition has been difficult to demonstrate because people in industrialized countries, on average, spend 93 percent of their time indoors, making them largely...
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...Mood Disorders: Causes, Effects and Treatment Robert Baker Psychology GE1116 Dr. Angela Isom November 30, 2009 Mood Disorders: Causes, Effects and Treatments In today’s society, people seem to have a lot of problems that are classified as mental disorders. These disorders include: depression, schizophrenia, bipolar, and even seasonal affective disorder (SAD). The immediate stigma that is placed on most if not all mood disorders is that they are sicknesses. In the case of depression, this is not to confuse depression, a normal emotion with biological depression, an illness. Further along this line of irrational thought is the belief that they are not treatable and the person affected is in some way, shape or form disconnected from civilization as we know it. In this research paper, we will attempt to destroy these unfair stereotypes on this subject, attempt to rationalize the behaviors, and shed light on treatments for the various disorders. The research gathered will attempt to understand and answer these questions: 1. What are mood disorders and their symptoms? 2. What are the causes? 3. How can the stigma of mood disorders be removed? 4. What forms of treatment are the most successful? What Are Mood Disorders And Their Symptoms? In order to get a good idea of what causes mood disorders, we first must attempt to categorize what various classes of disorders...
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...reasons as to why my topic could be proven factual. The first disorder I found was Seasonal Affective Disorder which is primarily individuals whose moods are determined by the weather. Another topic I discover was that “normal” health individuals are affected by the weather as well. The topic that stood out the most to me is SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). I chose to accept this topic because rarely so I hear anything about SAD let alone someone talking about it. WHAT IS SAD? Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that tends to occur (and recur) as the days grow shorter in the fall and winter. It is believed that affected people react adversely to the decreasing amounts of sunlight and the colder temperatures as the fall and winter progress. It is important to note that although seasonal affective disorder usually presents in the fall and winter there are those who suffer from this condition during the summer instead of, or in addition to, during the fall or winter. Seasonal affective disorder has not been long recognized as an official diagnosis. The term first appeared in print in 1985. Seasonal affective disorder is also sometimes called winter depression, winter blues, or the hibernation reaction. The incidence of seasonal affective disorder increases in people who are living farther away from the equator. Statistics on seasonal affective disorder in the United States include that this disorder occurs in about 5% of adults, with up to 20% of people having...
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...Psychological Disorder Paper Amanda Greco University of Phoenix Psychological Disorder Paper According to The SAGE Glossary of Social and Behavioral Sciences a psychological disorder is defined as “a condition in which a person's thoughts, feelings, or behavior are thought to be in some way dysfunctional.” Psychological disorders are sometimes complex and must meet a certain criteria before being official categorized as a psychological disorder. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, also known as the DSM-IV, includes over 300 manifestations of mental illness also called psychological disorders. Seasonal Affective Disorder According to Medilexicon's medical dictionary, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is: "A depressive mood disorder that occurs at approximately the same time year after year and spontaneously remits at the same time each year." Seasonal Affective Disorder is more prevalent in areas farther away from the equator where there is a lack of sunlight. Individuals who live where seasonal variations of sunlight intensity occur are more likely to develop SAD. Approximately six percent of the U.S. population is affected by SAD and another 14 percent suffer from a milder form of SAD called winter blues. Individuals with a family history of depression or who have family members who suffer from SAD are more likely to suffer from SAD themselves. Some symptoms of SAD include craving starchy food, weight gain, drop in energy...
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...Seasonal affective disorder, likewise abbreviated as SAD, is a type mood disorder that is annual consistent with the seasons. The most common SAD depressive symptoms starts late in the fall, continues throughout the winter (most crucial stage), and the symptoms lessen in the spring. However, it is possible for someone to have SAD during the summer season. For example, during the summer time a person may suffer from summer depression and or summer blues, then less depressed in the winter time when it gets colder. It is a type of depression generated by shorter days and longer nights. This form of depression can prevent the sufferer's ability to cope with their daily life activities, but the symptoms usually fade when there is a change in the season. According to the handbook Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR) fourth edition text revised, SAD is considered a pattern “a specifier of major depression”, or subtype, of another mood disorder diagnosis. For example, an individual may be diagnosed as having a major depressive episode with a seasonal pattern. SAD was introduced and named in 1984 by Norman E. Rosenthal as well as his colleagues at the National Institute of Mental Health. Rosenthal is a psychiatrist and a scientist who was born and educated in South Africa and moved to the United States to finish his medical training. In all, he has written a total of seven books, and published two-hundred scholarly papers. In the following you will learn about...
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...Depression (major depressive disorder or clinical depression) is a common but serious mood disorder. It causes severe symptoms that affect how you feel, think, and handle daily activities, such as sleeping, eating, or working. To be diagnosed with depression, the symptoms must be present for at least two weeks. Some forms of depression are slightly different, or they may develop under unique circumstances, such as: Persistent depressive disorder (also called dysthymia) is a depressed mood that lasts for at least two years. A person diagnosed with persistent depressive disorder may have episodes of major depression along with periods of less severe symptoms, but symptoms must last for two years to be considered persistent depressive disorder....
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...illnesses in the Ireland today Depression, it’s something all of us have experienced in some point and time in our lives, whether it was for a day or for years. Most of the people that it affects aren’t even aware of the serious complications depression creates and if they are they don’t admit to themselves they would be clinically diagnosed with depression. One in fourteen workers, or 300,000 Irish People are currently suffering from Depression. (7.7% of the population) And 10,000 people are hospitalised with Depression each year. One in four men and one in two women will experience depression in their lives. Three out of four people hide their depression from their employers, supervisors and work colleagues. The economic cost for this disorder is high, but the cost in human suffering cannot be estimated. However, once depression is diagnosed, 80% of these people benefit very quickly from treatment. However, a really sad fact is that up to 500 people a year commit suicide due to depression. Depression is known as the common cold of mental illness. There are many causes for depression. They consist of psychological, genetic, hereditary, or environmental. The brain is the control centre for...
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...Weather and Mood Bad weather affects some people negatively. “The ancient Greeks linked the four seasons with each of the vital moods (black bile, yellow bile, blood, phlegm)” (Freeman & Stansfeld, 2008, p.266). The Impact of the Environment on Psychiatric Disorder, relating this to mood and temperament has been the question for many scientists and thinkers. Some people suffer from SAD, (Seasonal Affective Disorder), which manifests itself in many ways. Freeman @ Stansfeld (2008, p.271) states that SAD as “a condition whereby there is a pattern of depression occurring in winter, with the episode remitting in the following spring or summer” The Impact of the Environment on Psychiatric Disorder, and a tendency to have both increased appetite (hyperphagia) and increased sleep (hypersomnia), these people become sad and irritable. Others suffer physical pain such as headaches, arthritis and other symptoms, or they become inactive, despondent, and isolated. Both men and women are affected by gloomy weather; however, Dr. Peter C. Whybrow suggests that, “Women are four times more affected than men” (Whybrow, 1997, p.157) A Mood Apart. Depression happens particularly on grey days when the sun doesn’t shine and the atmospheric environment is dark and heavy. People’s spirits also mirror the dark and heavy weather around them as they internalize the environment. The effects of SAD are felt more by those people who live in the frigid zones of the world, such as Canada, Alaska, Russia...
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...the individual and those who care about him or her. The Anxiety and Depression Association of America (2015) identifies the symptoms that are typically associated with depression and they include feelings of being “discouraged, sad, hopeless, unmotivated, or disinterested in life in general.” Depression presents itself in a similar fashion across the board with varying degrees of intensity in which it is then classified according to its different forms. For example the two major forms include 1) major and 2) persistent. If an individual is experiencing major depressive disorder it can occur either once or multiple times in their lifetime in which all five previously listed symptoms have interfered with daily life (NIMH, 2011) for at least 2 weeks. Conversely, when an individual’s depressive episode continues for at least 2 years, it has transformed into persistent depressive disorder (NIMH, 2011). Persistent disorder is also known as dysthymia and it consists of the same major depression symptoms and may occur with symptoms that are low in severity. Other forms of depression may be classified as occasional or situational and may include the following: - Psychotic Depression: an individual has been clinically diagnosed with depression due to a psychotic break in their cognitive awareness in which delusional behavior may occur such as hallucinations. - Postpartum Depression: a new mother that has recently given birth to her...
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...Depressive Disorders ------------------------------------------------- Abnormal Psychology 440C “Depression, second leading cause of disability worldwide”-MNT The Anxiety and Depression Association of America states that major depressive disorder is the leading cause of disability in the US. A depressive disorder is an illness that involves the body, mood, and thoughts. It interferes with daily life, normal functioning, and causes pain for both the person with the disorder and those who care about him or her. According to Nemade, Depression was initially called "melancholia". The earliest accounts of melancholia appeared in ancient Mesopotamian texts in the second millennium B.C. At this time, all mental illnesses were attributed to demonic possession, and were attended to by priests. In contrast, a separate class of "physicians" treated physical injuries (but not conditions like depression). The first historical understanding of depression was thus that depression was a spiritual (or mental) illness rather than a physical one (GBC 2013). Depressive disorder was first formally introduced in the fourth version of DSM and was included in Appendix B among omer diagnostic in need of further study (Orstavik 2007). It also addresses other disorders (2-7) such as premenstrual dysphonic disorder, major depressive disorder, persistent depressive disorder (dysthymia), seasonal affective disorder (SAD), and bipolar disorder also called manic-depressive illness...
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...Psychology Mood Disorders: Causes, Effects and Treatment Mood Disorders: Causes, Effects and Treatment Robert Baker Psychology GE1116 Dr. Angela Isom November 30, 2009 Mood Disorders: Causes, Effects and Treatments In today’s society, people seem to have a lot of problems that are classified as mental disorders. These disorders include: depression, schizophrenia, bipolar, and even seasonal affective disorder (SAD). The immediate stigma that is placed on most if not all mood disorders is that they are sicknesses. In the case of depression, this is not to confuse depression, a normal emotion with biological depression, an illness. Further along this line of irrational thought is the belief that they are not treatable and the person affected is in some way, shape or form disconnected from civilization as we know it. In this research paper, we will attempt to destroy these unfair stereotypes on this subject, attempt to rationalize the behaviors, and shed light on treatments for the various disorders. The research gathered will attempt to understand and answer these questions: 1. What are mood disorders and their symptoms? 2. What are the causes? 3. How can the stigma of mood disorders be removed? 4. What forms of treatment are the most successful? What Are Mood Disorders And Their Symptoms? In order to get a good idea of what causes mood disorders, we first must...
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