Autumn depression: seasonal blues or dangerous disorder

They say that all the most beautiful and sad works of art were created in the fall and it’s all to blame for depression, which at this time covers quite a large part of the world’s population. What is autumn depression? Does such a diagnosis exist in medicine, or did people who like to mope come up with it themselves in order to somehow justify their tendency to pessimism?

What is autumn depression

A beautiful autumn day, amazing weather, sunny and still warm. People are taking advantage of the last warm days to enjoy the sun before the long winter. It would seem that everything is great, but nevertheless, something is wrong - your good mood has disappeared somewhere, and unreasonable irritability has appeared in its place. If such feelings are familiar to you, then it is likely that you have autumn depression.

Content:

• What is autumn depression
• What Causes Autumn Depression
• How to recognize seasonal blues
• Should autumn depression be treated?
• Diet against autumn sadness
• Foods that increase autumn depression
• How to prevent blues

People say different things about autumn depression. You can often hear that such a disorder does not exist and all mood swings have nothing to do with the change of seasons. Others mistakenly believe that depression is simply sadness or a personality trait. Meanwhile, experts have a slightly different opinion on this matter.

The term “autumn depression” is relatively new. It was invented in 2005 by therapist Gene Scully. In the literature you can find other names for this condition - seasonal affective disorder or seasonal affective syndrome. This condition is characterized by a number of psychosomatic disorders that occur in people as autumn approaches and usually persist until the first months of winter. Depression may have a social, psychological or biological origin. In addition, there is a so-called summer type of seasonal depression. It is not as common as autumn. This disorder begins in late spring and early summer and ends in the fall.

It is estimated that approximately 4-5% of the total population of the planet suffers from autumn depression, and in 10-20% of them the disorder is not accompanied by pronounced symptoms. Autumn depression is more common in women than in men. The peak manifestation of the disorder is at the age of 40-55 years. Autumn blues also happen in children. There is evidence that approximately 1.7% of children over 9 years of age also suffer from seasonal affective disorder.

Autumn depression cannot be underestimated. This is one of the most common causes of alcoholism and suicide. Statistics indicate that every two out of three suicides suffered from depression. It is also interesting that the autumn blues last longer and are more severe among residents of northern countries, that is, regions with less sunlight. And it extremely rarely affects residents of countries where the weather remains sunny all year round.

Some believe that autumn depression is the result of a lack of willpower. However, in 2007, American experts conducted an experiment with the participation of people suffering from depression. It turned out that the more the subjects tried to suppress their blues and anxiety, the more the so-called “fear center” was activated in their brains. This allowed experts to conclude that willpower has nothing to do with depression. And it’s hard to blame Abraham Lincoln or Winston Churchill for lack of willpower, but they, nevertheless, constantly suffered from the seasonal blues.

Another common misconception about depression is that it is not a real illness. Yes, blues cannot be diagnosed by a blood test, like diabetes, for example. However, this is a real disease that requires professional treatment. Therefore, depression and sad mood should not be confused. Sadness is fleeting and temporary, it appears regardless of the time of year and always has a specific reason. Seasonal depression appears regularly at the same time (in the fall) and for seemingly no apparent reason.

Treatment

To prevent autumn depression from leading to serious consequences, you need to take action when the first symptoms appear.

If a person feels that he is unable to cope with the problem on his own, it is advisable to contact a qualified psychologist who will recommend effective ways to combat the blues. There is no need to be shy to contact specialists. Good advice will help you quickly overcome a negative state.

In most cases, you can try to solve the problem yourself.

Do you need to treat autumn depression and can you die from it?

Psychologists believe that autumn depression can be treated quite well and is the cause of death in isolated cases. If a person treats his condition correctly, strives to get out of depression, and finds the strength to overcome a bad mood, then the problem will definitely be eliminated.

At this time, the support and help of relatives and friends who can replace a psychologist is important. In some cases, simply talking to someone suffering from the blues is enough to help them get through a difficult time. By speaking out and realizing your feelings, a person can quickly get better.

Drug and psychotherapeutic treatment

According to experts, autumn depression is not a reason to take antipsychotics and psychotropic substances, which are often prescribed for mental illness. Moreover, they cannot be taken without a doctor’s prescription. You can drink soothing herbal infusions, Valerian or Motherwort tablets, and vitamin complexes for several days.

In severe cases, when the depressive state lasts for a long time, you can consult a psychotherapist. The doctor will conduct diagnostics, make a diagnosis, prescribe treatment, and suggest the best ways to combat the autumn blues. Specialists have enough tools in their arsenal to help a person get out of this state and teach him how not to succumb to it again. These are simple methods of autogenic training, methods of self-regulation, psychological conversations, hypnosis, art therapy, and in severe cases - drug therapy and hospitalization.

What Causes Autumn Depression

It is difficult to answer with certainty what causes autumn depression. Different researchers put forward different theories, many of which have a rational grain. One of the most common theories explains the seasonal blues due to hormonal changes. But there are other assumptions.

Increase melatonin

As daylight hours shorten, the concentration of the hormone melatonin increases in the human body. The more of this substance in our bodies, the stronger and more often we want to sleep and the less interest our usual life causes.

In addition, excess melatonin leads to a decrease in body temperature, which activates another response - consuming more high-calorie foods, which serve as a source of energy.

These seasonal changes in the body explain why, for some people, fall and winter are all about sleeping and eating. The result of this lifestyle is rapid weight gain, which makes depression even worse.

Decreased serotonin levels

As for hormonal levels, in this regard, everything in the human body is interconnected. As a rule, an increase in the concentration of one hormone causes a decrease in another. This happens with the “duet” melatonin-serotonin. The higher the melatonin content, the less serotonin in our blood. The latter is also known as the hormone of good mood or happiness. A lack of this hormone is a direct path to deep depression.

Decreased dopamine

Dopamine is another hormone whose amount in our bodies directly depends on the intensity of sunlight. The shorter the day, the less dopamine we have and the more prone we are to blues. Dopamine is responsible for concentration and attention. When the body lacks a hormone, a person loses interest in many previously loved things, including life in general.

Vitamin D deficiency

Decreasing sunshine is one of the biggest reasons why people suffer from anxiety and depression in the fall or winter. At this time, the days become shorter, most of us spend less time outside, our skin is less exposed to the sun, which causes a deficiency of vitamin D. And according to the results of many studies, a lack of this vitamin leads to depression and irritability. Fortunately, during the fall and winter, vitamin D can be taken with food or in the form of pharmacy vitamins. So everyone can cope with this cause of autumn depression.

Seasonal allergies

A 2009 study showed that when a person is sick, their mental state also changes: they feel depressed and become prone to blues. In another experiment, experts found confirmation of the existence of a relationship between allergies and depressive mood. Scientists suggest that the culprits are substances that are produced in the body during allergies and affect the immune system. As a result, against the background of seasonal allergies, immunity deteriorates, and with it, mood.

Scientists say that timely treatment of allergies can help get rid of depression.

Low physical activity

This factor, according to scientists, also contributes to the development of autumn depression. According to American experts studying the nature of the blues, daily 10-minute walks are enough to improve your emotional state and prevent the development of seasonal sadness.

Genetics

Experts are confident that a person’s tendency to fall into depression can also be determined by genetics. If parents or other relatives suffer from prolonged depression, this does not mean that the descendant will necessarily have this disorder. But the family factor still increases the risk of seasonal blues. Therefore, it is very important for people with a family history of depression to avoid drugs and alcohol, which can serve as triggers for the disorder.

Return to school/work

Do you think schoolchildren and students don’t experience autumn depression? It happens, and what! Even if a child enjoys studying, returning to school after the summer holidays is always stressful (for some it’s mild, for others it’s more intense). It is not easy for everyone to switch to a new mode of life, and if this time happened during a period of cold weather and rains, then it is often not easy for children to survive the “perestroika” “painlessly”. Hence the blues. Something similar happens to adults whose vacation (especially if it was long) occurred in the summer, and in September it is time to return to work.

How to get rid of stress and autumn depression. Recommendations from famous experts.

1. To begin with, just accept the fact that everything in the world is cyclical and nothing lasts forever. After the bright summer and active movement there comes a lull, day gives way to night, joy turns to sadness. There is no such thing as endless positivity. A person changes in tune with nature, his skin changes, nails grow and are cut, blood cells are renewed, hormonal levels change, mood, goals, plans, desires change. Accept the fact that autumn outside the windows and in the soul is the norm. And since nothing lasts forever, the blues will not last forever.
2. Prepare your sleigh in the summer. This means, mentally prepare yourself for autumn calm, reduced activity, dullness and rain. This does not mean that you need to succumb to pessimism and fall into depression in advance. This means you need to help your body with vitamins, adaptogens and...thoughts. Is summer over? It was cool! Now there is a blank slate ahead for plans and, in the end, wishes for Santa Claus. 4 months...should definitely be enough for you.
3. Add bright colors to your diet and wardrobe. More light and warmth. A red scarf, orange shoes, a green bag, herbal tea with chocolate, an orange, a fluffy blanket and... a good movie are perfect. Maybe another cat. You have a feeling of velvety comfort running through your body right now? Nothing prevents this. Nothing and no one, just yourself. By the way, caring for someone and feeling responsible for this being perfectly helps to mobilize resources and drive away stress. So maybe a cat after all?
4. Food, varied, tasty, loved. Autumn is not a time of restrictions. Food is a source of not only energy, vitamins and microelements, but also a good mood. Learn from the Danes the art of home coziness called hygge. Are you hungry? Eat. If you want to sleep, sleep. If you don’t want to cook, don’t cook, if you want to lie down, lie down. Without blaming yourself for inaction and without restrictions. Historically, the body switches on energy saving mode in the fall. The harvest and procurement period was ending, people were preparing to while away the winter with quiet family evenings. So excessive activity in search of a good mood can play a cruel joke.
5. But it’s definitely worth moving. It could even be home workouts, a bicycle or exercise bike, jogging, yoga, or a swimming pool. It’s better to postpone heavy weights and slimming through “blood and sweat” until spring, when the swimming season is just around the corner. Hygge. Remember, right?
6. Load up on vegetables, fish, nuts and eggs. Antidepressant products.
7. Take care of yourself. In all senses. Protect yourself from negative emotions and don’t get drawn into them, read, watch, learn new things. Autumn is the time to finally find time for your favorite hobby. By the way, creativity is the best antidepressant. All over the world, art therapy has been bearing fruit for a long time. Moreover, it applies not only to brushes, paints, frescoes and embroidery. Cooking is also suitable. Treat yourself and your family. Try it, you will like it.
8. Chat with friends, close relatives, children. But if you don’t want to, don’t communicate, wrap yourself in a blanket and allow yourself to relax with a good book or movie. However, remember that going out can also bring a lot of impressions and good emotions, and sometimes become a source of real inspiration, fateful events and new ideas. But this is what you need now, right?
9. Clean your home. But don’t just do monotonous cleaning with rubber gloves, but do it while listening to your favorite music, for as long as you need. And give yourself the mindset at the beginning of the process that with every corner and shelf you clean, your mood is also cleansed.
10. Finally, take a salt bath or bath. Salt, especially if it comes from the shores of the Dead Sea, as in our pharmacy, can work wonders. In general, more often bring beauty not only outside, but also inside. After all, working on yourself is the most important thing on this entire list. The work is difficult, but the highest paid.

Be healthy!

How to recognize seasonal blues

The disorder, depending on its severity, can manifest itself with different symptoms. But there is always something in common - signs by which one can suspect seasonal depression in a person. Here they are:

• unmotivated sadness;
• lack of interest in the things that make up daily life;
• reluctance to do anything;
• insomnia or, conversely, the desire to constantly sleep;
• impaired concentration;
• irritability, moodiness;
• the desire to protect oneself from other people;
• decreased sex drive;
• loss of appetite (either complete absence or desire to constantly eat);
• thoughts about suicide.

These signs may appear to a greater or lesser extent, in different combinations. But they are always a warning sign.

Symptoms

Autumn depression has its classic signs: instability of emotional status, impaired cognitive functions and changes in habitual behavior. Moreover, for this seasonal disorder, various combinations of symptoms of varying intensity are possible. Among the main, most common symptoms of autumn depression:

• sad mood, depressing regardless of the time of day and activity;
• apathetic state, lack of desire to perform any actions, even those that were previously within the scope of interests;
• lack of need for social contacts, or, conversely, a desire to draw attention to one’s problems;
• a significant decline in performance, a decrease in the quality of work performed;
• inability to concentrate on one type of activity, fussiness and incompleteness of actions, which further leads to irritation;
• dissatisfaction with oneself and others, excessive demands, criticality;
• poor night sleep with frequent awakenings, difficulty falling asleep, early rising combined with daytime sleepiness;
• changes in eating behavior and taste preferences;
• irrational anxiety, the emergence of various fears, anticipation of an imminent catastrophe;
• “chewing mental cud”: a condition in which a person continuously analyzes his life and tries to find new evidence of his worthlessness, which often results in suicidal attempts.

Should autumn depression be treated?

The answer to this question depends on the state of the person who succumbs to autumn sadness. Some people experience mild blues for a few days or weeks, but even during this time the disorder does not manifest itself with life-threatening symptoms. In such cases, we can talk about a “bad mood,” from which a person often recovers on his own or with the support of friends. But there are times when it seems impossible to pull a person out of depression without qualified help from specialists. If he is not provided with the help of a psychologist, psychotherapist or psychiatrist in time, you can be sure that the blues will not end when the weather improves, but will only get worse.

Treatment of seasonal depression can be based on different approaches and techniques: from the use of antidepressants to increase the level of serotonin in the body, to phototherapy and psychotherapy methods.

Features of manifestation in men

Due to common misconceptions, as well as the way men are raised, they are not used to expressing and talking about emotions. The lack of adequate outlet for experiences, especially over a long period of time, leads to the appearance of depressive disorder.

If depressed women often experience tearfulness and sensitivity, then in men the opposite is usually true. They become more withdrawn, silent, and indifferent. Sometimes this is accompanied by irritability and aggression. Close people look for the problem within themselves when the person needs to be taken to the doctor.

Depressive disorder in men may not have characteristic signs of emotional pathology at all, but can be expressed only somatically: pain in the gastrointestinal tract, in the heart area, headaches. In this case, they talk about masked depression. No pathologies of internal organs were observed during the examination.

Diet against autumn sadness

Autumn depression can be avoided if you slightly adjust your diet. In particular, to prevent or eliminate the blues, it is important to include in your diet foods that contain substances that will be discussed below. Their task is to restore serotonin levels and improve the relationship between nerve cells in the brain, which is also important for effectively combating autumn depression.

Vitamin C. This vitamin has proven to be very useful in treating depression, including bipolar depression. It reduces the amount of vanadium in the body, which has been recognized as one of the culprits of the blues. Sources of vitamin C: citrus fruits (lemons, grapefruits, oranges), pineapple, strawberries, papaya, onions, garlic, almonds, walnuts, cashews.

Vitamin B9. This substance is one of the most effective for increasing serotonin. The most useful are cashews, asparagus, oats, cabbage, peppers, oranges, carrots, lettuce, tomatoes, apples, pears, almonds, and potatoes.

Vitamin B12. It is important for the proper functioning of the central nervous system. Best sources: shellfish, chicken liver, red meat, milk.

Tryptophan. This amino acid is considered the best natural relaxant, and it also serves as the “raw material” for the production of serotonin. You can restore tryptophan reserves from chicken and turkey meat, citrus fruits, tomatoes, mangoes, figs, chestnuts, oatmeal, cabbage, cashews, onions, and pumpkin.

Phenylalanine. This amino acid promotes the production of norepinephrine, which in turn prevents depression. This component can be found in all protein foods.

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Calcium. It, together with magnesium, potassium, selenium and lithium, can also serve as a good prevention of depressive disorders. It can be obtained from cabbage, chestnuts, walnuts, apples, mangoes, avocados, and almonds.

Omega-3. Referring to the results of various studies confirming the antidepressant properties of Omega-3, experts advise eating foods containing unsaturated fatty acids in the fall. First of all, we are talking about fatty sea fish and flaxseed oil.

Capsaicin. This substance is found in hot peppers (chili, cayenne). It has been proven that endorphins, known as “happiness hormones,” are more actively produced in the bodies of spicy food lovers. If there are enough of them in the body, there can be no talk of any depression.

Garlic. When talking about products against the autumn blues, it is impossible not to mention this vegetable separately. It contains almost all substances with antidepressant properties. Garlic is a source of vitamin C, magnesium, calcium, potassium, selenium, phenylalanine and tryptophan. In addition, it contains substances that have a beneficial effect on the entire nervous system: caffeic acid, apigenin, geraniol, linalool, stigmasterol.

Causes and risk factors

The main causes of autumn depression in women include:

• Decreased serotonin : Reduced levels of sunlight during the fall and winter months can affect an individual's serotonin, a neurotransmitter that affects mood. Scientists have found that lower levels of serotonin are associated with depression. Brain scans showed that people with seasonal depression in the fall and winter had higher levels of the serotonin transporter protein, which removes serotonin, than people who did not have seasonal depression.
• Melatonin , a sleep-related hormone secreted by the pineal gland in the brain, is associated with seasonal depression. This sleep hormone, which can influence sleep patterns and mood, is produced at elevated levels in the dark. Therefore, when the days are shorter and darker, the production of this hormone increases. Melatonin can also affect the circadian ri, causing the “internal clock” to become out of sync with the “external clock,” or normal sleep/wake rhythms. This can lead to some of the symptoms associated with fall depression.
• Decreased vitamin D production : Vitamin D is thought to play a role in serotonin activity. Vitamin D deficiency may be associated with clinically significant symptoms of depression.

Foods that increase autumn depression

It is widely believed that dark chocolate helps fight bad mood. However, this does not mean that you can “treat” autumn depression with any sweets.

On the contrary, scientists have found evidence that simple sugars, by affecting processes in the brain, only increase depression. Also in the fall, you should be careful when consuming coffee and other caffeine-containing products, as they can aggravate the blues.

Alcohol and other stimulants are strictly prohibited for people prone to seasonal depression. These products have pronounced depressant properties. Many people mistakenly believe that alcohol helps improve their mood. In fact, and this is scientifically proven, any alcohol affects the human brain as a depressant.