Wednesday, 10 October 2012

How do you cope with reverse SAD? Know its symptoms and cures

Mood disorders have become quite a regular feature for the past few summers and you feel it could probably be reverse SAD. But you require that little confirmation before you visit your doc. The next segments will help you in deciding whether it is Reverse SAD that is the cause of your mood polarity. They not only tell you about its symptoms but also give an outline of the varied measures that can help you to curb it.

Does reverse S.A.D actually exist?

In rare cases, some people with SAD exhibit symptoms of hypomania and mania, but have no depression-like symptoms at all. This has been referred to as reverse SAD.Symptoms of reverse seasonal affective disorder include a persistently elevated or expansive mood, hyperactivity, pressured speech, a flight of ideas, increased social activity and unbridled enthusiasm that is out of proportion to the situation.

Ref:http://www.livestrong.com/article/15172-feeling-sad-this-winter-could/

Summer SAD is thought to be related to increases in temperature and decreases in melatonin. Severe fluctuations in barometric pressure and rainfall also seem to exacerbate mood changes associated with summer SADS.

Ref: http://www.yourmindyourbody.org/seasonal-affective-disorder-in-the-summer/

How does one cope with reverse SAD? What are the treatments for it?

The primary symptoms of summer SAD are the following:
  • Poor appetite
  • Insomnia
  • Increased anxiety
  • Increased irritability and/or agitation
  • Weight loss
  • Increased sex drive
  • Loss of interest in your usual activities
  • Hopelessness
  • Feelings of Depression
  • Suicidal thoughts

 So, what can you do if you think you might suffer from summer seasonal affective disorder? Here are some recommendations.

 Tips for coping with summer seasonal affective disorder

  • Recognize that there is help! If you are struggling for more than two weeks with the symptoms listed above, get help from a psychologist or other licensed mental health professional. In rare cases, the symptoms of summer SAD can be the beginnings of a manic episode, or they can turn into a major depression, if you do not get some help.

A psychologist can help you by using certain therapy techniques, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, which have been proven to be very effective in treating seasonal affective disorders.

Medication may be useful too.
  • Limit your exposure to heat. Stay indoors in air conditioning on extremely hot days.   
  • Keep up a regular exercise schedule (stay indoors on hot days).
  • Get enough sleep. Try to get at least 7-8 hrs a day. This will definitely make you feel better.
  • Don’t overdo dieting and fitness. Don’t kick off the summer with a frenzy of dieting and exercise in order to fit into last year’s bathing suit. It’s bound to make you unhappy and anxious. Instead, exercise sensibly and eat moderately.

  • Talk to your doctor about adjusting your medication. If you’re on medicine for depression, and you find that summer – year after year – makes your depression worse, talk to your doctor about changing your dosage. Maybe he or she could up your dose in the late spring and taper it back down in the fall. It could really help head off summer depression problems, Cook says.

  • Plan your vacation carefully. Before you book your plane tickets or load up your car’s roof rack for your annual summer vacation, ask yourself this: Is this what you really want? Or is it an obligation you’re fulfilling to a relative? Will it make you happy? Or will it stretch your finances, stress you out, and make you fall behind at work? Consider alternatives. Instead of taking a whole week off at once, might it be better to take off several long weekends spread out through the summer? Would taking time off but staying at home – a “staycation” – be more relaxing? Don’t get locked into a vacation that won’t feel like a vacation.
  • Finally, recognize that you are not alone in feeling sad and uncomfortable. This time of year is particularly hard on single, divorced or widowed people, especially those who have lost loved ones in the summer months.

Ref:http://www.yourmindyourbody.org/seasonal-affective-disorder-in-the-summer/

Reverse SAD, also known as summer SAD can be quite a dampener. It definitely worsens when you see your near and dear ones enjoying the warmth of the summer months. But, don’t worry! You will soon be enjoying summer also, albeit your own special way.


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