Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

There are several types of treatment and therapy that can be used for seasonal affective disorder (SAD), including:

1. Light therapy: This involves sitting in front of a light box that emits bright light that mimics natural sunlight. Light therapy can help regulate melatonin and serotonin levels in the body, which can improve mood and alleviate symptoms of SAD.

2. Psychotherapy: Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and other forms of therapy can help individuals identify negative thought patterns and develop coping strategies to manage symptoms of SAD.

3. Medication: Antidepressant medications, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or bupropion, may be prescribed to help alleviate symptoms of SAD.

4. Vitamin D supplements: Some research suggests that low levels of vitamin D may be linked to symptoms of SAD, so taking vitamin D supplements may help improve symptoms.

5. Lifestyle changes: Engaging in regular exercise, maintaining a healthy diet, getting enough sleep, and spending time outdoors in natural light can also help alleviate symptoms of SAD.

It's important to work with a healthcare provider or mental health professional to determine the most appropriate treatment plan for you based on your individual symptoms and needs.

Thanks

From Blue Cross of Idaho:

The following ICD-9 code ranges may be used to describe seasonal affective disorder:

296.2 Major Depressive Disorder, Single Episode

296.3 Major Depressive Disorder, Recurrent

311 Depression, NOS

300.4 Neurotic Depression

301.1 Affective Personality Disorder

I have seen 301.13 recommended for SAD. That is for "cyclothymic disorder.

Well, every part of the world still has their seasons, whether that is divided by the southern and northern hemisphere, or even in the arctic regions. It then means that maybe someone living in the US with seasonal depression, might find themselves experiencing their episodes at the opposite times of the year than someone from Australia.

.The four different classes of drugs used for mood disorders are: heterocyclic antidepressants (HCAs).selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAO inhibitors). Lithium salts.

By smiling and tricking yourself into thinking that you're happy. It actually works.

___________________________________________________________ Extreme sadness or depression can have serious underlaying causes. There are mental illnesses that present with depression as a symptom. If the sadness is persistent and you have thoughts of suicide, then regardless of why you have this symptom, you should seek help and not be alone no matter how much you want to be. Many people will tell you to just get over it or find something happy to remember. "Look for the silver lining." However, with clinical depression, such as with bi-polar condition, this often seems impossible and can even lead to deeper bouts of depression. As a husband of a diagnosed bi-polar wife, I have found all you can do is have people near you that love you and you love. Not everything can be fixed with words and there are many prescription medications on the market for depression. My wife calls them her happy pills.

something that happens to a character and changes everything

Florida is a great state to live in if you're looking to avoid the seasons. This is why many older people retire to Florida and why so many people live here during the winter months. Florida pretty much stays hot from April to October. Then colder but not freezing from October to March. It never snows here, it rains everyday for a few hours in the summer. No seasons, just one day in October you notice that the temperature is less hot and that's how it is till spring.

Florida is hot. I said I was looking for some place with with a milder climate not to specifically avoid seasons. What I want is to avoid temps below about 38 degrees and above 82 degrees without tons of humidity which makes the heat unbearable.

it was in tents lol

Affective flattening-- A loss or lack of emotional expressiveness. It is sometimes called blunted or restricted affect

seasonal affective disorder.

Good question. I guess it depends on what definition of 'affective behavior' is being used. Affective to me implies something that is related to emotion/mood/feelings. Behavior implies an action that is observable. So, I would conclude, 'affective behavior' as something that someone does, which is emotionally-relevant. e.g. saying 'I love you', punching someone through anger, hugging, praising someone, insulting someone, kissing someone, etc. etc.

I have heard 'affective behavior' being used in education settings as something completely different. It is defined here in the first paragraph:

http://enpub.fulton.asu.edu/mcneill/word_documents/papers/affective_assessment_v5.0.doc