Maybe the change of seasons for you are the sports, or the warm beverages, or the thought of all the family get-togethers that are on their way. But for some people, the change to cold weather and less sun doesn’t bring them as much joy as others, and it actually brings about Seasonal Affective Disorder.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that’s related to changes in seasons — SAD begins and ends at about the same time every year. If you’re like most people with SAD, your symptoms start in the fall and continue into the winter months, sapping your energy and making you feel moody. Less often, SAD causes depression in the spring or early summer.
Do those who suffer just have to wait until the cold weather is over to feel better? The answer is NO! With the help of treatments like Ketamine therapy, you can greatly reduce your symptoms of SAD.
But what causes it? We have the 3 most common causes of Seasonal Affective Disorder, how you can recognize the symptoms, and how to get through this season change.
Causes of SAD
While there is no clearly defined cause of Seasonal Affective Disorder, there are three main things that are thought to be linked to a chemical change in the brain which are:
- Your biological clock (circadian rhythm). The reduced level of sunlight in fall and winter may cause winter-onset SAD. This decrease in sunlight may disrupt your body’s internal clock and lead to feelings of depression.
- Serotonin levels. A decrease in serotonin, a brain chemical that affects mood, might play a role in SAD. Reduced sunlight can cause a decrease in serotonin that may trigger depression.
- Melatonin levels. The change in season can disrupt the balance of the body’s level of melatonin, which plays a role in sleep patterns and mood.
Symptoms of Seasonal Depression
Many people brush off the symptoms of seasonal depression thinking that everyone starts to feel a little down once we get less sunlight throughout the day. However, it is important to pay attention to your symptoms to make sure that you aren’t truly suffering from seasonal depression. Here are some common symptoms:
- Difficulty concentrating
- A tendency to oversleep
- Difficulty concentrating
- Having low energy
- Change in appetite or weight
- irritability or anxiety
- No desire to go out to be social
How Ketamine Therapy Can Treat SAD
Ketamine therapy is known to improve various psychiatric disorders like bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, PTSD, major depressive disorder, and many more. If you have been suffering from depression or seasonal depression and have not found relief with traditional treatment options like medication, Ketamine infusions may be a great option for you.
Some researchers suggest that the symptoms experienced in mood disorders may be caused by a loss of synaptic connectivity. The functioning of the synaptic connectivity may be impaired, which is mostly mediated by glutamate. As glutamate synapses play a crucial role in these neuronal circuits, the use of ketamine may enhance synaptic connectivity in these circuits, ultimately reversing the effects.
Studies have also shown that Ketamine is an antagonizing NMDA that can serve to reverse some of the damage caused by chronic stress. Ketamine is an N–methyl-D aspartate receptor antagonist having rapid action on depressive symptoms.
Ketamine works quickly to help you find relief from symptoms of depression and other mental health disorders. Nearly 60% of our patients find relief from their infusions.
Call Us Today To Schedule Your Infusion
There is no reason to try to make it through the rest of the year without help. Seasonal depression is a real mental condition, that requires treatment. You don’t have to suffer alone.
There are treatment options, and we are here to help you find the one that works best for you specifically. At Progressive Pain and Interventional Psychiatry, we create a treatment plan that works best for your individual needs.
Call us today at, (214) 826-8000 or visit our contact page to learn more about our Ketamine Infusions.