How to deal with autumn depression

Autumn depression is the most common type of seasonal depressive conditions associated with the change of seasons, in this case, with the onset of the autumn period.

It should be noted that the human body, like nature itself, has a certain physiological cycle.

All living things on Earth have their own period of blossoming and withering - in the spring the animal and plant world blossoms, blossoms and actively reproduces, and in autumn falls into hibernation. The same thing happens in the human body.

Causes and symptoms of autumnal depression ^

Currently, the mechanism of occurrence of seasonal depressive disorders is not fully understood. However, certain regularities in their development could be identified. Scientists put forward three basic theories of the emergence of autumn depression:

• Violation of chronobiological rhythms. The so-called "internal clock" in the human body regulates its daily cycle and determines the time when it is time to sleep, stay awake, eat, act actively. In autumn the biological clock "gets lost", which is directly associated with the shortening of the light day and the decrease in the intensity of sunlight. Failures of natural rhythm in the body lead to the fact that a person starts to do everything at an inopportune time, which promotes the development of depressive states;

• Heredity. It is established that the decrease in the emotional state of people is largely due to genetics. This is due to the weakness or imbalance of the human psyche and is its individual characteristic. Such emotional lability is more characteristic of women, therefore they are subject to autumn depression more often than men;

• The serotonin substance is responsible for a person's mental state. Lack of this hormone in the body inevitably leads to the development of depressive disorders. Change of seasons, failure of biological clocks, lack of sunlight significantly change the hormonal background of a person, as a result of which the production of serotonin is carried out in insufficient quantities.

Some psychological and social aspects contribute to the development of autumnal depressive disorders. Autumn, as usual, symbolizes the beginning of the end of the year - both calendar and reporting. With the coming of the new year, each person involuntarily tries to rethink the events that have happened to him in recent months.

And if everything that had been conceived earlier did not work out, he has a painful feeling of unrealization and disappointment. Such an analysis, as a rule, occurs involuntarily, without special concentration of the person's attention on his life. An additional social aspect of the emergence of the autumn depression is the reporting periods at work and the appearance in this connection of a certain tension in the service relations.

However, some scientists consider the problem to be an autumnal depression, either contrived and artificially inflated to the global or destiny of initially depressive individuals, whose signs of depressive states against the background of lack of sun and bad weather are most pronounced.

Symptoms of autumn depression can manifest as follows:

• the appearance of persistent drowsiness or, on the contrary, excruciating insomnia;
• loss of strength, reduced efficiency;
• craving for food, leading to overeating, especially in the evening;
• abuse of coffee, nicotine and alcohol;
• apathy, suicidal thoughts;
• deterioration of sexual life;
• aspiration for loneliness;
• irritability, touchiness, conflict;
• reduced self-esteem and the manifestation of the negative to oneself.

All these symptoms are similar to those of classical clinical depressive disorders, but the distinctive feature of autumn depression is that it manifests itself strictly in a certain period of the year, that is, in the fall. These or other signs of depression and the power of their manifestation are the individual characteristics of each person.

Besides this, against the background of autumnal depressive conditions, such diseases as asthma, migraine, osteochondrosis, etc. can often develop. Often a person can not even guess that uncomfortable painful symptoms are not associated with bodily ailments, but with depressive disorders - so they prefer to seek advicenot to a psychiatrist, but to a district therapist.

This is the manifestation of the insidiousness of seasonal depression, when only the appearance of extra pounds, skin problems, the development of nicotine or alcohol dependence testify to its presence.

Autumn depression: diagnosis, treatment and prevention ^

The diagnosis of "autumn depression" can only be made by a psychiatrist or psychotherapist, as this depressive disorder is often confused with the usual human exposure to natural seasonal fluctuations.

It is possible to determine for yourself the signs of the disease yourself, if you carefully read the special articles and go through a questionnaire that determines the level of depression - for this, for example, a scale of self-evaluation of depression Tsung or Beck was developed. But, unfortunately, the accuracy of self-diagnosis of a depressive disorder is 100% can not be.

Therefore, only a specialist with a medical education in psychiatry can determine the significance of all the factors of the disease and make a correct diagnosis. In addition, the diagnosis of "seasonal depression" can be made to the patient only when the main symptoms of it appear in the autumn-winter period for several consecutive years.

What do you do if you have an autumn depression?

• If the diagnosis was made by a specialist of his profile, then most often the treatment of a depressive disorder begins with the appointment of antidepressants - drugs that stimulate the production of neurotransmitters and neurohormones( serotonin and norepinephrine) and mood regulators.
• Antidepressants are a very effective method for treating autumn depression, and if the onset of seasonal disorders is expected, it is recommended that they be started well in advance.
• In case of mild illness, treatment of mood disorders can be limited to a special diet, phytotherapy, light therapy and moderate physical activity. Sometimes a trip to a warm country helps to cope with this condition.
• Very often moving to a permanent residence from regions with low insolation in regions with high decreases or completely eliminates the manifestations of autumn depression.

To achieve the greatest effect, a psychotherapist usually combines the prescription of medications with psychotherapy. In most cases, the specialist can just adjust certain moments in the life of the patient, causing his dissatisfaction with life.

Depression can be associated with internal conflicts or relationships with surrounding people. It is very important at the same time to seek help from professional specialists and avoid meeting with scammers - pseudo-psychotherapists.

In the case when the autumn depression is most severe, it may not end with the onset of winter, but gradually turn into a protracted form. Such depressive disorders are called autumn - winter.

The disease thus acquires chronic features and leads to deeper personality changes, as a result of which mental deviations and suicidal moods can develop. Therefore, it is very important to consult a doctor in time to start treatment of the autumn depression as early as possible and to regularly prevent this condition.

Prevention of autumn depression can be reduced to the following actions:

• the body must accumulate by the autumn all the useful substances that unrestrictedly filled with the fruits and vegetables maturing for this period - be sure to use them as much as possible;
• do not forget about meat - before the onset of winter, pure vegetarianism is simply unacceptable;
• forget about low-calorie diets - no food restrictions are allowed. To normalize weight and well-being, you can try the most physiological diet according to the blood group;
• for the preservation of the figure is useful to do sports - physical activities and training excellently drive away the autumn melancholy.

In case the depressive disorder does not have pronounced severe symptoms, most likely, it will be enough for you to simply follow the advice of psychologists offering their program of actions how to survive the autumn depression.

How to get rid of autumn depression: advice of psychologists ^

Let's look at what psychologists advise us, what method they suggest to adhere to in order to cope with the autumn depression:

• Lengthen your light day. This can be achieved through the correct organization of artificial lighting, while using ordinary yellow lamps.
• Decorate your wardrobe with bright details - at least with a scarf, at the worst. Psychologists also recommend wearing during this period bright underwear, which feeds our body with positive energy.
• It is useful to have houses of bright colors - for example, oranges or red, rich color apples. If you look at them regularly, they can become an excellent natural antidepressant.
• It is also useful to sing more - singing harmonizes human energy centers, because depression is just characterized by a decrease in vital energy.
• Distractions from depressed states are your favorite hobbies and hobbies - certainly not contrived, but those that cause genuine interest and steady positive emotions. For women, such enthusiasm often become shopping, or forays into the movies, theaters or to concerts with friends.
• Pay attention to your appearance - indulge yourself with natural masks or procedures in beauty salons - that's enough for that.
• Never muffle your bad mood with alcohol or cigarettes - they only give temporary relief, and then contribute to the manifestation of protracted forms of depression.

And remember, the best cure for depressive conditions is your good positive mood. Love yourself, live for today, and the autumn melancholy will bypass you.

We also recommend you to watch a video of the famous psychotherapist Elman Osmanov about symptoms and modern methods of depression treatment: