If you feel depressed during the dark months of fall and winter, it’s not just your imagination. Weather can have a big impact on our mood.
In fact, there’s a diagnosis for this: Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). SAD is a type of depression that recurs in a seasonal pattern. Symptoms are usually so pronounced and severe during the dark months of the year that they are sometimes referred to as “winter depression” or “winter blues.”
Latest statistics show that one in three people are affected by the disorder, and most people tend to develop symptoms in their 20s or 30s. But that doesn’t mean children aren’t affected, either. Women are about four times more likely to suffer from SAD than men.
What are the symptoms of SAD?
Symptoms of SAD vary from person to person, but according to the WHO, people who suffer from the disorder have the following common symptoms:
- Persistent low or depressed mood
- Feelings of worthlessness, guilt, and hopelessness
- Feeling sleepy during the day and lacking energy
- I sleep longer than usual and find it difficult to wake up in the morning.
- irritation
- Loss of interest in normal daily activities
- Craving carbohydrates and gaining weight
- feeling indecisive
- loss of sexual desire
- feel anxious
- I feel that my sociability has decreased
What causes Seasonal Affective Disorder?
This disorder is thought to be related to reduced sunlight exposure during the short autumn and winter months. According to the WHO, the main theory behind this is that lack of sunlight causes a part of the brain called the hypothalamus to not function to its full potential.
This can affect three things:
- Production of melatonin, a hormone that makes you feel sleepy. For people who suffer from SAD, the body may produce higher than normal levels of melatonin
- Serotonin production – Serotonin affects mood, appetite, and sleep.Lack of sunlight can lead to decreased serotonin levels, leading to feelings of depression
- Internal clock – The body uses sunlight to time various factors. This includes waking up. Therefore, lower light levels in the fall and winter can disrupt your natural body clock and cause symptoms of SAD.
How can I treat SAD?
There are a variety of treatments that can help combat SAD symptoms, including phototherapy (some exposure to sunlight), lifestyle changes (such as getting as much natural light as possible), adding regular exercise to your daily routine, and improving symptoms. such as managing. your stress level. Acupuncture is also effective.
How does acupuncture help with SAD?
Acupuncture is a procedure in which needles are inserted into pressure points on the body. SAD he is often used to treat depression and anxiety, two symptoms. Acupuncture helps restore the body’s mental and physical health and eliminate imbalances. In the case of SAD, acupuncture can help increase the deficient serotonin levels in the body. This helps regulate mood and restore overall balance.
And there is evidence to support its effectiveness. According to the British Acupuncture Council, research shows that acupuncture may be “particularly effective for anxiety disorders and anxiety symptoms.” This is done in several ways:
- It promotes relaxation and deactivates the “analytical” brain that causes anxiety and worry (Hui 2010).
- To change the brain’s mood, it balances various feel-good hormones such as serotonin and dopamine (Lee 2009; Samuels 2008; Zhou 2008; Yuan 2007).
- Reversing stress-induced behavioral and biochemical changes (Kim 2009).
Studies have also shown the effectiveness of acupuncture for depression.
According to the British Acupuncture Council, two reviews highlighted that the effectiveness of acupuncture is similar to that of antidepressants (Zhang 2010) and (Smith 2010).
Additionally, a further study titled: Acupuncture may have “depression-specific positive effects” by altering the brain’s mood chemistry and increasing production of serotonin (Sprott 1998) and endorphins (Wang 2010). It shows that there is a gender.
Other researchers have suggested that acupuncture may fight depression by acting through other neurochemical pathways, including dopamine (Scott 1997), noradrenaline (Han 1986), cortisol (Han 2004) and neuropeptide Y (Pohl 2002). concluded that it may also be effective.
History of acupuncture
Acupuncture originated in China over 300 years ago. At that time, Chinese practitioners discovered that there were channels within the body known as meridians through which energy, or chi, flowed. Disruption of these pathways has been proven to cause physical and emotional imbalances. When acupuncture needles are inserted, specific pressure points on the body are stimulated. This insertion releases feel-good endorphins that stimulate the brain’s production of serotonin, an essential chemical that regulates mood, and continues the free flow of energy.
Dr. Raman Kapur has been practicing medical acupuncture in New Delhi for the past 41 years and is currently the director of the medical acupuncture department at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital. He is ably assisted by Dr. Sunita Kapur, a qualified allopathic physician herself, and Dr. Sahil Kapur, an anesthetist with a special interest in pain management through acupuncture.
