Seasonal affective disorder is commonly known as winter depression.
It gets it name because it usually occurs in the winter season.
It is also known to occur during winter change.
People suffering from seasonal affective disorder function normally throughout the year.
It is during the change of seasons or in one particular season mainly the winters that the symptoms began to show.
Many experience depression and lack of motivation because of seasonal affective disorder.
These symptoms recur every year as the season changes.
Seasonal affective disorder often makes a person feel restless.
He/she is unable to perform usual day-to-day activities properly.
Depression and lethargy are the most apparent symptoms.
In some cases, feelings of aggression might develop in a person or just an elevation in mood.
These symptoms occur at the same time and for the same period every year.
Some patients of seasonal affective disorder also display the feelings of hopelessness, loneliness, and anxiety.
These patients also tend to be socially withdrawn from the society and refuse to socialize with co-workers or family members.
In some cases patients tend to eat too much to relive depression and run a risk of becoming overweight and obese.
The exact reason why this disorder happens is still unknown.
Some experts link this disorder to light exposure.
It has also been observed that patient suffering from this disorder have an erratic circadian rhythm or an irregular biological clock.
The disturbance in the sleep-wake cycle is attributed to oversleeping and depression.
There are many treatments available to for seasonal affective disorder.
If you are diagnosed with this disorder, it is recommended that you start the treatment immediately.
Since this disorder is believed to be associated with light exposure, for treatment the patient is exposed to intensive light for a few minutes.
One more option of treatment is hormone replacements as this condition is also associated with hormones that are responsible for sleep and mood functions.
Patients suffering from this disorder need a lot of emotional support from their friends and family members.
A health lifestyle will help in relieving depression and improve the mood.
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