In this article, we’re going to discuss the definition of depression and Seasonal Affective Disorder. Are they considered the same condition? Are Major Depressive Disorder symptoms the same as SAD? And how can you lift yourself out of this negative mental space? While feeling blue every so often is fairly common,  prolonged feelings of sadness and finding things boring that once brought you joy could be the early signs of these conditions. Since knowledge is power, let’s take a look into the different types of depression and how they’re identified.

Different Types Of Depression

There are many different types of depression, but not all have the same symptoms. Some people may experience sadness or irritability with no other changes in mood while others might feel like they can't get out of bed because life is so difficult. From procrastination to avoiding social situations, here are three different types of depression.

Major Depressive Disorder Symptoms

This form of depression can involve multiple episodes of depression and anxiety. Major Depressive Disorder symptoms can often involve feelings of hopelessness, irritability, aggression, insomnia, and a loss of interest in activities. You may start to gain weight or significantly lose weight during an episode. Major Depressive Disorder symptoms can also include overthinking or experiencing suicidal thoughts. It’s considered clinical depression and impacts quality of life. It is one of the most common mental health conditions in the US, with approximately 7.8 percent of Americans living with MDD. With no single cause for this condition, it can be brought on during very stressful events such as a divorce, illness, job loss, or bereavement. 

Seasonal Affective Disorder

Seasonal Affective Disorder is depression triggered by the changing seasons. Often called winter depression, since the symptoms are more obvious during very cold and dark weather, its cause is still not fully understood. However, many argue that Seasonal Affective Disorder is connected to the production of melatonin, a hormone that makes you feel sleepy, which for those with SAD is produced in higher levels. It is also said to be connected to the production of serotonin, the hormone that controls mood, appetite, and sleep. A lack of sunlight during the winter can lead to lower serotonin levels, making you feel depressed and sleepy. Symptoms may involve feeling sad, having difficulty concentrating, feeling agitated, or having no interest in activities that you used to enjoy. Usually, a warm sunny day can ease symptoms and help you feel much better.

Persistent Depressive Disorder

Persistent Depressive Disorder, known as dysthymia, is a long-term form of depression. The feelings you are experiencing can last for months if not years which can take a serious toll on your mental and physical health. Symptoms are very similar to the above mental health conditions, but a medical professional will assess whether you’re struggling persistently or experiencing episodes. Typically patients are unaware that they have this condition and often put their low mood down to being a pessimistic person. Yet, with the right help and support, you can combat your low mood and move towards a happier and healthier lifestyle. Treatment will need to be on a long-term basis and usually involves psychotherapy. 

Effects On The Mind 

Depression can be a controlling and draining condition that can hold you back from enjoying your life. Feeling sad, anxious, and tired all the time may stop you from pursuing your dreams and life goals. Not to mention the impact it can have on relationships. But, the good news is, there are ways to treat Major Depressive Disorder symptoms and Seasonal Affective Disorder. 

Seasonal Affective Disorder can be treated via light therapy, exercising on a regular basis, and getting as much natural sunlight as possible. For Major Depressive Disorder symptoms, you can go to counseling, try psychotherapy or take antidepressants to lift your mood. If you’re suffering from depression of any kind, it’s important to seek professional help as soon as possible.

Have you felt that jittery, worried, or afraid feeling called anxiety lately?  Well, lean on, my friend. You are not alone! According to stats, around 40 million people in the USA suffer from an anxiety disorder, and guess what? These are pre-COVID stats. And as you might find obvious, these numbers would undoubtedly have increased by now. 

Although anxiety can be helpful at times, making you work to your best potential. But prolonged anxiety is a disorder. Think of feeling worried or jittery for months on end. Indeed, nobody would want that. Thus, everybody needs to understand anxiety- Its definition, symptoms, causes, prevention, and treatment.

So, let's start!

What Is Anxiety?

Anxiety is pervasive. Almost all of us have either experienced or seen somebody deal with it. So, the big question is, what exactly do we call anxiety, and do you need to see a doctor?

Whenever you feel worried, tense, or afraid about anything that is about to happen or will happen in the future, it is anxiety. It is the feeling of apprehension, something like what will happen and what will not. 

Situations like a presentation at work, or your first date, or even happy events like marriage can make you anxious. This does not mean that you need to see a doctor. But, when you have anxiety for days in the end, and it is impacting your regular life, it is time you visit your doc. Some signs that warn you of the danger level are:

1. You have been feeling anxious for a long time, and the feelings are intense.

2. Your feelings of anxiety are blown out of proportion.

3. You are avoiding situations that you suspect will cause you anxiety

4. Or you find it hard to tame your feelings

5. You notice symptoms like panic attacks

6. And even if you do not enjoy your 'fun things'

If any of the above signs strikes you, you should take things seriously and find help.

What Are The Various Anxiety Disorders?

Anxiety is a very broad term. No two people feel it the same way. Therefore anxiety disorders have been categorized under a few heads to make things a bit more organized. Let's see them one by one:

#1: Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD):

With so much stress and ups and downs in our everyday life, we can grow anxious about many things. Since the causes and symptoms of GAD are so diverse, the way you feel it can vastly differ from how your friend feels it. You may be feeling anxious about your college project and your friend about his relationship with his parents.

#2: Social Anxiety Disorder:

Do you feel anxious about attending a party or even going to the office? This type of anxiety falls in the category of social anxiety disorder and is also called sociophobia.

#3: Panic Disorder:

Panic disorder is when you feel you have panic attacks but for no valid reason. This happens because you are so afraid of getting a panic attack that the fear itself triggers a panic attack.

#4: Situational Anxiety:

Quite similar to GAD, situational anxiety is anxiety triggered due to any specific situation. For example, let's take the school debate. Anxiety triggered due to this very situation in a person is termed situational anxiety.

#5: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD):

Many-a-times, life throws difficult situations at us that cause much stress and trauma. But the issue arises when this trauma causes nightmares and flashbacks even after the stressful situation has long gone. This kind of anxiety is called PSTD.

#6: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD):

OCD is a prevalent diagnosis and quite famous too. So, what is it? In a straightforward answer, when anxiety is coupled with thinking or doing something repetitively, it is called OCD.

So, these were some of the major anxiety disorders. There are lots more, but we hope these gave you a basic idea.

Can you name a thing we all have in common? Yes, it is not about eyes and nose, but stress. Thanks to our lifestyle and social pressures, stress seems like it’s all around! However, the level of stress varies, but every one of us has some stress. Some may be worrying about the never-ending bills, some about work pressures, others about personal problems, and some of us are already suffering from health issues and have a lot of stress about them. 

But do you know that these situations are not that out of control? We can still be in good emotional health by effective stress management. And this is what we will be discussing today.

But first, let us see what stress is.

What Is Stress?

Stress is not a medical diagnosis and has no definition. But in general, the feelings you get when you are under pressure like when you have a lot of work at the office or cannot control a personal problem or have to cope with unrealistic expectations. All those feelings are of stress. We hope that gives you an idea.

Some stress is OK. Everybody has it. It helps increase your productivity. But do not get overwhelmed by it and do not use it intentionally to get work done because stress works in a vicious circle. 

The first leg of this circle is when you are stressed, and then the next leg kicks in when prolonged stress causes you mental and physical problems. Next, you get stressed out about all these medical issues, and your stress levels increase further. Which again causes more stress. So, you see it yet? It is a circle!

And stress management is all about breaking this cycle. It would help if you learned to manage your external pressures and enhance emotional resilience. More on that later, though!

What Are The Symptoms Of Stress?

You may feel stress in all ranges—from so subtle that you cannot detect it or until when you find it hard to breathe. Since stress builds slowly and goes unnoticed until long, it is essential to be cautious about them yourself and be surrounded by friends and family who can detect when you are low. But for that, you must know the stress symptoms and keep them in the back of your mind. 

Whenever you notice a couple or more of these stress symptoms in yourself, you must kick start some counter mechanism.

Here is how you may feel:

1. Irritated, Impatient, and, Aggressive

2. Anxious, Afraid, or Nervous

3. Or like a hundred thoughts are racing in your mind, and you cannot stop them.

4. Depressed

5. Losing interest in life

6. Or you feel like you are losing your sense of humor

7. Your health might be worrying you

8. And lastly, experiencing a feeling of loneliness

These caution signs, if neglected, can become severe and may even lead to suicidal feelings.

Some behavioral changes can be like:

1. You are feeling worried

2. Or Indecision is prevailing

3. You may be procrastinating and avoiding troubling situations

4. Nail-biting

5. Picking your skin

6. Lack of concentration

7. Facing eating issues

8. Maybe turning towards alcohol

9. Restlessness

10. You may be crying

Apart from emotional changes, stress can bring about physical changes as well. Like:

1. Shallow or fast breathing

2. Panik attacks

3. Muscle tension

4. Blurred vision or sore eyes

5. Sleeping issues, like too much or too little sleep or nightmares

6. Sexual issues, like lost interest in sex or unable to enjoy sex

7. Having a tiring feeling always

8. Clenching your jaw

9. Headaches and chest pains

10. Having a high blood pressure

11. Indigestion / Heartburn

12. Stomach issues like constipation or diarrhea

13. Lastly, having a dizzy or sick feeling all the time

 If you can relate to any of the above situations, you may be stressed and need to take it seriously.

What Causes Stress?

So, our next chapter in stress management is about what causes stress. 

This question has a very abstract answer. Something that causes you stress may not cause stress to your friend and vice versa. The way each of us deals with stress is also different. Let’s take an easy example, if you are a student that hasn’t prepared well for exams, what would your take be?

Some might react positively and some negatively. Others will show resilience and ward off stress. Some of us have seen this situation more than others and have developed our way of dealing with the situation. 

How the situation impacts depend on how many other pressures like poor financial condition etc. are bugging you. And the last factor affecting you is the support you are getting from friends, family, etc.

So, coming back to the sources of stress, they can be:

1. Personal problems like illness, grief, chronic health issues, or even day-to-day tasks like commuting to work.

2. Stress from family or friends, like getting divorced or having complicated relationships with parents, children, siblings, etc. Even being a shoulder to cry on for a friend or family member can be stressful too.

3. Work problems like too much workload, unrealistic expectations, or losing your job altogether, etc.

4. And the king of all stress causes— money! You might be under debt or poverty-stricken or just less than what you want.

Apart from these too, there are a plethora of causes of stress. But good stress management is not about contemplating only on reasons but the cure of it!

How To Relieve Stress?

So, finally, our quest to stress management comes to its crux—How to relieve stress? Most of us turn to medicines when dealing with stress which is correct but not entirely. The right approach to relieve stress is a combination of developing resilience and medical treatment. They go hand-in-hand.

Here is how you can build resilience:

#1: Changing to a healthier lifestyle

Some subtle changes to your lifestyle can make a world of difference. It would help if you tried relaxation techniques like Yoga, breathing exercises, meditation, etc. Also, taking out time for hobbies like painting, reading, or any sports can help uplift your spirits.

Next is having a more straightforward approach with people at work and home. This technique will lift extra pressures and workload from your shoulders.

And not to forget, find time to chat with your friends and make a work-life balance. Having a balanced life can help you deal with pressures like magic and keep things light.

#2: Physical Health Is Important Too

Physical health and mental health are connected. If you are physically healthy, you automatically build a lot of resilience.

First and foremost, you need to get enough sleep and then be active during the day. An example of being active can be a short walk in the park. It can help alleviate your mood a lot. 

And, of course, no physical health care is complete without good eating habits. Eat nutritious food in the right amount and at the right time. 

All these might feel obvious, but they make a lot of difference in helping you deal with stress. Fighting stress is all taking these small steps and making the big stride happen!

#3: Take A Break!

You need to take it easy on yourself. Nothing good has ever been achieved by going too hard on yourself. 

Celebrate small achievements. They will give you confidence. Like if you have a big project, finish the first leg and take a coffee break or after you make a decision, take a walk.

You can also take smaller breaks like going to a friend’s place or bigger ones like a vacation. 

Lastly, resolve conflicts at home and work. It is not always possible, but there is nothing bad in trying. And if you are wrong somewhere, ask for forgiveness and forgive yourself too. There is no point in dragging stuff in the real world or your mind.

#4: Take refuge under your support system

Stress is the worst when dealt with alone. Thus, talk to your friends and family about your problems. They might help solve the issue and, if not, at least be a good listener.

You can also talk to your HR, manager, or union representative, etc. You may fear that they might not be trustworthy enough, but responsible seniors will take you empathetically. 

Similarly, at college or school, you can confide in your tutor or student union.

Lastly, support from peers that have gone through similar problems can help a ton.

And if nothing works, you can always consult a general physician or a psychiatrist. They can not only help with therapy but also medication.

Conclusion

Your health, whether mental or physical, is the utmost priority. If you cannot have peace of mind, you cannot enjoy this gift of life from God. Thus, take care and do not let stress build up. After all, we get life only once. So, why not live it to the fullest.

We at Coastal Carolina Psychiatry understand the importance of good physical and mental health and thus provide the best care possible!