Seasonal depression: know the signs and overcome it

As winter approaches, you look grim. You are stuck in your home and are in low spirits. Is it a passing blues stroke or a seasonal depression? We take stock.

Every year in the fall you get sadder. Should we see it as a simple blow of the blues at the approach of winter or the sign of a real depression? " Seasonal depression is a sometimes misleading concept. If it is an isolated and not very intense episode that occurs in autumn or winter and is accompanied by fatigue , withdrawal into oneself, a tendency to overeating is more of a drop in morale,

"explains Professor Antoine Pelissolo, psychiatrist at Albert-Cheever hospital in Creteil and author of You are your best shrink! (Ed. Flammarion). Thus, with the reduction of days and the decrease in luminosity, we can become more amorphous, less playful. " It's a bit like going into hibernation", continues the Professor. In the event of a winter blues stroke due to a lack of light, it is recommended to expose yourself to natural daylight or to resort to light therapy , a white artificial light imitating the effects. positive effects of the sun, which in turn helps to alleviate disturbances in the internal biological clock and to improve your mood.

A real depression

However, if this sadness occurs systematically from year to year, in the fall or in the spring, and in a more severe way, it may be a true depression. " All depression is cyclical. There are times with it and times without. The onset occurs mostly in the offseason in some people. It is not simply due to the decrease in brightness as it also happens in the spring when the days are getting longer, ”explains Dr Alain Meunier, psychiatrist and founder of the Center for Depression in Paris. There are also no symptoms specific to seasonal depression. They are the same as for a classic depression: disturbed sleep, sadness, fatigue, cognitive disorders ...

As with any depression, there are several possible factors. This can be caused by interseasonality, a hormonal problem, a trauma, a hereditary nature ... It is up to the specialist, psychologist or psychiatrist, to make a diagnosis between a seasonal depression and a psychological suffering occasionally caused by a difficulty in life . According to the National Institute for Health and Medical Research (Inserm), one in five people has suffered or will suffer during their lifetime from depression.

Appropriate treatment

The psychiatrist can offer tailor-made treatment to combat this seasonal depression. " There are two ways to repair: either by administering antidepressants or, for patients resistant to them, by offering transcranial magnetic stimulation sessions. The neurons are then stimulated by waves to modify their activity. It is without side effects." , specifies Dr Meunier. Ten painless sessions of 20 to 30 minutes are then necessary.

Light therapy in prevention

These treatments can be advantageously supplemented by behavioral and cognitive therapy (CBT) which will combat the consequences of depression. Light therapy is also a good additional aid. It will, in fact, act on certain factors to prevent this depression from occurring. Its preventive role should help you limit your morale drops.

Source(s):

Interview with Prof. Antoine Pelissolo, psychiatrist at Albert-Chenevier hospital in Créteil (94)