Lack of sunlight and seasonal depression. How to deal with winter depression

It just so happened historically that some people have to live where there is so little sun that it affects their health. Especially if nothing is done about it.

The most cloudy cities in Russia

In some cities of the Fatherland, the international sun delivers less light due to cloudy weather.

Number of cloudy days per year in some Russian cities:

Yakutsk - 223 days
Murmansk - 209 days
Yuzhno-Kurilsk - 194 days
Nizhny Novgorod - 182 days
St. Petersburg - 180 days
Moscow - 172 days
Ufa, Perm, Novosibirsk, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky - about 168 days
Kazan and Khatanga - 157 days
Kaliningrad and Saratov - about 140 days
Rostov-on-Don - 126 days.

Data: Russian State Hydrometeorological University / ngzt.ru

And here, by the way, on the contrary, are the sunniest cities in Russia, whose inhabitants, perhaps, may not read the article further from this place: Troitsk, Omsk, Khabarovsk, Vladivostok, Irkutsk, Krasnodar.

However, the closer to December 22 (the shortest day), the less sun becomes in the entire Northern Hemisphere, which sometimes entails serious consequences for good health.

The reason for seasonal changes in mood and well-being is a change in hormone production, directly related to the degree of illumination.

Sun deficiency affects: cardiovascular system, endocrine system, reproductive sphere, immune system, nervous system, mood and biorhythms, for renewal of skin, hair and nails. In addition, with a deficiency of the sun, the production of vitamin D, one of the most important in the body, is disrupted.

Vitamin D deficiency

Vitamin D is largely synthesized by our body under the influence of direct sunlight (ultraviolet). Accordingly, the closer December 22 (or if you suddenly moved from Krasnodar to St. Petersburg), the less vitamin D ends up in your body.

A lack of this important vitamin can have serious consequences.

Increased risk of cancer . In 1980, Cedric Garland and Frank Garland published their findings in the International Journal of Epidemiology.A sufficient amount of vitamin D in the body significantly reduces the risk of colon cancer.. The assumption that sunlight can protect against cancer was first formulated in 1937 by Sigismund Peller and Charles Stephenson. Then, in 1941, they found that cancer mortality depends on the latitude of residence: the closer to the equator (the more sun), the fewer people die from colon cancer.

Later, information appeared about the importance of vitamin D in the fight against other types of cancer. The numbers published in the review "Vitamin D for Cancer Prevention: A Global Perspective" by Garlands et al. are impressive. People who spent enough time in the sun or took calcium and vitamin D by mouth (1,100 IU of vitamin D and 1,450 mg/day of calcium) had a 50% or more reduced risk of prostate, breast, or colon cancer.

About a dozen mechanisms for the work of vitamin D on immunity have been proposed: sunshine vitamin"regulates growth, cell differentiation and apoptosis, inhibits the growth of blood vessels, has an anti-inflammatory effect, and some others.

Vitamin D deficiency and seasonal weight gain

Vitamin D deficiency is also suspected by scientists to be one of the reasons for weight gain (more precisely: one of the reasons for too many calories).

Vitamin D is essential for the production of leptin - special hormone, which is responsible for the feeling of fullness while eating. If it becomes smaller, it is more difficult to satisfy hunger, regular servings seem small, a person begins to consume more calories and inevitably gain weight.

Scientists from Sweden conducted an experiment: they examined more than 100 fat people, 70% of which had a lack of vitamin D in the body. All participants in the study were prescribed it in the form of supplements, and after 2 months most of them began to lose weight - despite the fact that no one limited them in food.

How much vitamin D do you need and how to get it

In principle, a person who eats a varied diet regularly and for a long time outdoors, should not be deficient in vitamin D. But that's the problem, that modern look life involves enclosed spaces and monotonous quick meals.

To get 400 IU of the vitamin, you need to eat 150 g of salmon or 900 g of cod daily.

However, we rarely eat oily fish every day and therefore without the sun can not do in any way. And the further north you live, the more important it is for you to eat oily fish, eggs, liver and catch the available sun rays.

Sunbathing is needed at the same time quite long. Here is one recommendation: 30 minutes in the sun every day. If you are sunbathing at a latitude corresponding to Spain or California, then 12 minutes sunbathing per day with 50% of the body open will give you 3000 IU per day.

Can a solarium help?

Yes, but not any. Many lamps give a different UV spectrum, not the same as that of the sun - ultraviolet with a wavelength of A (320-400 nm) makes a softer effect on the skin, gives a tan, but poorly corresponds to solar radiation. But the wavelength B (280-320 nm) is more in line with what is necessary for the production of vitamin D.

The proportion of emission of spectrum B waves by lamps is indicated in the characteristics of solarium lamps.
For example, the designation: UVB 1% means that of the total radiation of the lamp in the UV range, 1% is UVB. This value in different types lamps varies from 0.1% to 6%. Lamps with more than 4% UV-B radiation are used only in the USA and are not available for Europe.

Therefore, solariums are different for solariums and the amount of vitamin D obtained from a session depends on the characteristics of the lamps and does not directly correspond to the degree of tanning obtained.

In addition to tanning beds and oily fish, you can replenish some forms of vitamin D in the body with food additives, for example, in the editorial office of Zozhnik, such a jar is regularly used in the autumn-winter period:

Serotonin deficiency due to lack of sun

However, the lack of vitamin D is not the only disadvantage caused by the decrease in light in life.

The lack of light is associated with a depressed state of the psyche, with a tendency to depression. When light hits the retina, it sends to the brain nerve impulse: it's time to produce serotonin. This "hormone of happiness" has a calming effect, relieves nervous tension, relaxes and gives a feeling of pleasure.

You can stimulate the production of serotonin by eating turkey, bananas or chocolate.. These products contain the amino acid tryptophan, from which the hormone of happiness is produced. But in any case, the lack of light contributes to a serious decrease in serotonin levels.

In Moscow, the duration of the sunshine on an average December day is no more than 2 hours. In the room in the autumn-winter period, the light is 300 times less than outside on a bright sunny day.

Actually, the most effective method fight for serotonin - more light. In the Nordic countries (and in the days of the USSR for the inhabitants of the north), the use of special lamps is strongly recommended to make up for the lack of light in autumn and winter.

Light therapy is considered natural method getting rid of depression, with which you can significantly improve the condition. Moreover, for the inhabitants of the north back in the days of the USSR, health prevention with the help of light therapy was mandatory. And there are even special lamps for this:

The illumination of light therapy lamps is between 2,500 and 10,000 lux, which equates to solar lighting on a summer day. For therapeutic effect 2 weeks are enough, and the result of the session is felt after a few days of treatment.

The lamps can be used even during work, setting them at the right distance from the computer screen (during a treatment session, the lamps are usually placed at a distance of 30-40 cm from the patient). For the success of the treatment, it is recommended to conduct sessions in the morning in order to “recharge” with energy for the whole day.

However, you can do without a special lamp - just walk more on the street, even on a cloudy day, and less close from the light behind sunglasses.

Trouble falling asleep due to lack of sun

Another unexpected problem that many people face. Normally, in the evening, the body begins to produce the hormone melatonin, when its concentration increases, we feel a desire to go to bed. If it is not enough, we remain active and cannot fall asleep.

The mechanism of melatonin reduction in winter: its production requires not only darkness (before going to bed), but also light. The fact is that for the production of this hormone, the same serotonin is needed, for which light is needed.

All recipes for lack of sun

So, here is a list of "recipes" from the lack of sun in our body. And the more north and darker the situation outside your window, the more important it is for you not to ignore these tips.

1. Eat more products rich in vitamin D and promote the production of serotonin(and above all oily fish: salmon). AT last resort: use vitamin D supplements. Also click on foods that promote the production of serotonin: bananas, chocolate, turkey, apples, plums, pineapple.

2. Walk more and more often, exposing the sun to as much bare skin as possible.. But even in cloudy weather it is useful to walk: the illumination is much higher than in indoors and have a positive effect on you.

3. Go to the solarium, or better yet, fly to the sea for a couple of weeks in December-January. If not possible, just click on the items above.

4. Buy a light therapy lamp(but a ticket to the sea is still better).

5. Workout. Power training also increase the much-needed dark time year serotonin levels.

01.10.2017

With the onset of autumn, many begin to suffer from depression. Do not confuse depression with the usual blues. Autumn depression is a seasonal disorder of the psycho-emotional state, mainly in people with unstable mentality. It manifests itself in the form of a deterioration in mood, tearfulness, apathy and weakness. Flaw sunlight, bad weather conditions, beriberi, all this affects both the physical and mental condition person. How to deal with autumn depression?

1. More sunlight

Many underestimate the effect of sunlight on the human body. The main reason for the onset of autumn depression is the lack of sun. Under the influence of sunlight, the production of hormones such as serotonin and melatonin, which are responsible for good spirits and good mood, is activated. Lack of solar energy leads to apathy and weakness.

Despite the cloudy autumn days, it is recommended, as often as possible, to take daytime hiking in the city. In autumn, especially, every ray of sunshine should be appreciated. With the onset of morning, it is necessary to open the curtains wide so that more light enters the room. All this will reduce to a minimum the missing solar energy.

2. Healthy sleep

Good sleep is the key to health. AT autumn period doctors advise going to bed before midnight and getting up early. It is important to observe the regime and sleep at least 8 hours a day. If it is not possible to sleep so much time in a row, it is advisable to fill up in the middle of the day or get enough sleep on the weekend.

Sleep deprivation not only contributes to loss vitality and energy, but also worsens the mood, exacerbating the depressive state.

3. Proper nutrition

One of the causes of autumn depression is beriberi. Therefore, during this period it is extremely important that the diet is as balanced as possible and rich in vitamins group B. The diet, of course, must include fresh vegetables and fruits.

In addition, it is necessary to consume foods rich in the amino acid tryptophan. This is due to the fact that it is from tryptophan that serotonin is formed, which is so lacking in the body in the autumn. The following products must be included in the autumn menu:

cottage cheese,
chicken eggs,
beef,
chicken,
herring,
mushrooms,
dates,
legumes,
cereal porridge.

A large amount of tryptophan is found in chocolate. People suffering from autumn depression are recommended to eat 30-50 g of chocolate daily.

4. Active lifestyle

In autumn, do not forget about sports. morning exercises, jogging, going to the gym contribute not only to the appearance of vitality and energy, but also to the production of the hormone of joy - endorphin. To defeat the autumn depression, it is necessary to lead active image life. And this concept includes not only sports, but also hiking in the forest, picnics in the fresh air. Go to concerts of your favorite artists, visit the theater, autumn film premieres and museums!

In autumn, more than ever, you should spend more time with friends and family.

5. Doing what you love

Autumn is the time to remember your favorite business. If a person is constantly busy, he does not have time for depression. It can be any hobby that once gave you pleasure and positive emotions. For example, you can go dancing, shopping, sewing, photographing autumn landscapes.

A separate niche in the fight against depression is occupied by art therapy. Psychologists have long argued that art has a positive effect on psycho-emotional state person. Art therapy involves not only drawing and admiring pictures, but also listening to positive music, reading books and visiting theaters.

6. Taking antidepressants

In the case of pronounced autumn depression, the doctor prescribes medication antidepressants. Drugs that stimulate the production of serotonin and norepinephrine help to normalize mood and increase vitality. However, do not self-medicate drug therapy should be supervised by a psychiatrist or psychotherapist.

To get rid of autumn depression, you need to walk more in the fresh air, eat right, play sports and what you love, communicate with friends and think positively. It is recommended to replenish your wardrobe with some bright dress or accessory. To compensate for the lack of light and heat in the autumn period, people prone to depression, with financial opportunities, are recommended to travel to countries with a hot climate. If a autumn depression has been repeated for several years in a row, the doctor prescribes antidepressants to the patient in advance, starting in mid-summer.

The New Year holidays, which we have been waiting for so long and with such impatience, have already passed. Now many people have tuned in to the same impatient and tremulous expectation of warm days. Nevertheless, there are still two months of cold ahead, which means it's too early to say goodbye to winter. Moreover: we have to go through the most difficult, cold and boring period of the season.

Deficiency of vitamins and sunlight makes itself felt, and that's it. more people suffer from seasonal affective disorder (SAD, seasonal depression, winter depression). This state is not in the best way affects our mood, well-being and sleep. This violation and will be the subject of this post. So: how to overcome the symptoms of SAD?

Ancient documents dating back to the 6th century AD indicate that the inhabitants of Scandinavia suffered from a certain ailment, the symptoms of which resembled seasonal depression. However, it officially appeared in medical documents recently, it was described in 1984. Women have been found to have seasonal affective disorder occurs more frequently.

As the name implies, winter depression occurs during the cold season. main reason its appearance is the lack of sunlight associated with the shortening daylight hours.

The mechanism of development of seasonal depression is as follows. When a person most spends a day in low light conditions, in his body the sleep hormone melatonin is produced from the amino acid tryptophan. It has a calming effect, prepares the body for rest, initiates falling asleep and supports sleep. Due to the fact that from autumn to spring, melatonin production rises not only at night, but also during the day, many people constantly complain that throughout the cold season, and especially in winter, they want to sleep at any time of the day.

In addition, when there is a lot of melatonin in the body, the production of another biologically active substance, serotonin, also formed on the basis of tryptophan molecules. Serotonin is also called the hormone of happiness. In order for it to be synthesized enough, it is necessary that a person be more in the light, because when illuminated, the production of the sleep hormone, which "interferes" with the synthesis of the hormone of happiness, is blocked.

In autumn and winter, the days are short and natural light has been replaced by artificial light. As a result, along with the lack of sunlight, many people experience a palpable lack of joy. Winter depression develops.

Seasonal affective disorder can be expressed as varying degrees. In most cases, they talk about subSAR, or subdepression - cases where the signs of the disorder are rather weak. However, there are cases when, due to seasonal changes in mood, patients even have to be placed in a hospital.

Signs of autumn-winter depression are listed below. They do not necessarily occur all together, they can be observed separately or arbitrarily combined with each other. Their appearance, as a rule, falls on the end of autumn-beginning of winter.

Symptoms of winter depression are more pronounced if a person does not leave the house, as well as on days when it is cloudy, snowing or rain. Conversely, if it is sunny and the patient spends part of the day outdoors, he gets better. Interestingly, after new year holidays the condition of patients also sometimes improves. And the point is not so much in the general Christmas-gift-relaxed state, but in the fact that people are more often outdoors and, accordingly, are more exposed to sunlight. In addition, daylight hours from December 21 to January 10 are increased by 25 minutes.

We figured out the essence of the phenomenon called winter depression. Let's move on to how to get rid of it. The following are ways to help combat this condition.

Light therapy. It was and remains the main and most in an efficient way therapy for seasonal depression. A number of studies have shown that it is comparable in effectiveness to taking strong antidepressants. In addition, she is completely devoid of side effects and contraindications, and the device for light therapy can be purchased anywhere.

Light therapy is carried out at home. Ordinary incandescent bulbs are not suitable for this - you need to use special light therapy lamps or light boxes that emit bright light that is close in its characteristics to natural (5 - 10 thousand lux, blue spectrum).

The use of the light therapy machine should be repeated daily and take about an hour a day. It is optimal if it is held in the morning. The treatment does not take the patient away from work: next to the light therapy lamp or light box, you can read, sit at the computer, work. True, it is worth observing some mandatory conditions.

The light should not shine on the crown or back of the head, but on the retina, because it is its effect on the organs of vision that triggers the reaction to suppress the synthesis of melatonin. Thus, the lamp should be placed at a distance of no more than a meter from a person and no more than 30 degrees from the axis of vision.

The effect of such treatment becomes noticeable from the very first days: daytime sleepiness decreases, the quality of night sleep improves, mood improves.

AT recent times began to produce LED lamps, the use of which can halve the duration of light therapy sessions at home.

Dawn simulation. It can be used as a variant of light therapy, and better - together with "regular" light therapy. There are special light alarms. By a certain time, for which the awakening is scheduled, they flare up in full force and wake a person with their light.

The use of such alarm clocks is very useful. In autumn and winter, we wake up in the dark, so that the moment of awakening is not accompanied by inhibition of melatonin secretion. Because of this, the production of the hormone of joy decreases throughout the day, and we are worried about lethargy, apathy, and daytime sleepiness. Light alarm clocks from the first seconds of wakefulness rebuild the work hormonal system so that the secretion of the sleep hormone stops.

“Leaves are falling, leaves are falling.

The wind groans, long and deaf.

Who will make my heart happy?

Who will comfort him, my friend?

Did you know that many of Sergei Yesenin's poems indicate his propensity for seasonal affective disorder? Moreover, dreary moods are especially clearly seen in poems written in the fall. According to one version, severe depression also caused his suicide in the winter of 1925 ...

Seasonal affective disorder is usually not severe enough to cause suicidal thoughts in patients. However, the monotonous existence in the swamp of apathy and joylessness is not very pleasant.

If you suffer from winter depression, follow the tips above. A few weeks and you'll be back to full life, you will feel interest in it and feel the spring in your soul!

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"February" is a long-known and very unpleasant diagnosis.

Poets and artists, psychoanalysts and psychiatrists are well aware of him - melancholy covers people with a sensitive nervous system in the first place. But she also does not bypass everyone else. What causes winter depression and how to relieve its symptoms?

It's time... to hibernate

A healthy body wisely follows the biological clock, knowing that there is a time for everything - human activity, in accordance with the length of daylight hours, increases in spring and early summer, remains stable until early autumn and slowly slows down towards winter. Our brain, as it were, "remembers" that a lot of energy is spent in the cold and often there is not enough food - stocks must be stretched until spring. Therefore, the body needs to sleep more, move less, save heat and resources. "Hibernation", a breakdown and a decrease in mood - defensive reaction on the adverse factors external environment.

The mood of a person largely depends on the length of daylight hours. In the dark, the body produces the hormone melatonin, which regulates The biological clock, helps a person to calm down and fall asleep, slows down aging, improves work immune system That's why it's so important to get enough sleep. But there is one caveat - melatonin is synthesized from another hormone, serotonin, and this substance "manages" vital activity, mood, excitation and inhibition processes in nervous system. Accordingly, the more melatonin is produced, the less serotonin. At the same time, it is useless to artificially raise the level of the “mood hormone” with pills or injections - the more serotonin, the more melatonin will be produced as soon as darkness comes.

This is how it is formed vicious circle: the darker and colder it is outside, the less people moves and does business, the more he wants to sleep, and the more he sleeps, the more quickly he sinks into melancholy and despondency. From October to February, the risk of catching "February" is especially high. At the end of winter, seasonal beriberi is also added to this, which is especially pronounced in children, pregnant women and the elderly. Seasonal depression, unlike clinical depression, usually occurs without severe complications requiring hospitalization, and passes along with the season - it is enough to warm the sun more strongly, as it becomes easier for a person. But still, this unpleasant state should not be underestimated.

The risk group for "February" includes convalescent and weakened people suffering from neuroses, mental disorders, cardiovascular diseases, meteorological dependence, disorders hormonal balance, women with severe PMS, pregnant and lactating. This depression, paradoxically, is contagious - in a large family or close-knit team, one person who has seriously fallen into the blues can convey it verbally - through gloomy conversations and constant complaints.

Symptoms of "febralitis": an unreasonable loss of energy, constantly depressed mood, drowsiness up to falling asleep in the subway or at the workplace, a significant increase in appetite or refusal of ordinary food, decrease sexual activity, subjective deterioration of health, headaches.

Orange mood

Like any other disease, Februaryitis is much easier to prevent than to cure. Most valuable medicine from winter depression - daylight and Fresh air. Therefore, people who are prone to seasonal mood deterioration simply need to be outside during the day as much as possible in winter, especially in good weather. And on weekends, any doctor will prescribe a ski trip, downhill skiing, snowboarding, snowball fights, or, in extreme cases, riding a Russian troika for a moping patient.

If the windows in the apartment face the sunny side, during the day it is necessary to push the curtains and expose the skin to the sun's rays. Lucky people with glazed balconies can even arrange tanning sessions, but not too long - the winter sun can burn as well as the summer sun.

To normalize the production of melatonin, it is very important to equate the actual working day with the light day - this is especially true for those who have to wake up a few hours before dawn and drive, start school or work that requires serious effort. Try to get powerful fluorescent lamps and turn them on 5-10 minutes after you wake up so that the body decides: "it's already morning." And if you are forced to stay up late - do not turn off the overhead light so that the brain does not give a signal: "it's time to sleep."

Need to move as much as possible physical exercise increase the production of endorphins, cheer up. If you don't feel like wandering down the cold street, you can visit gym, skate, do Pilates or martial arts, go to discos or concerts with a dance floor. If only not to sit at the blue screen with a dull look.

A diet, especially a fat-restricted diet, can trigger depression by deficient in nutrients needed to protect against cold and adverse weather conditions. Alas, winter best time to lose weight - be patient until March. However, no one calls for recruiting overweight, actively eating lard and cream - just take fish fat and spice up your salads vegetable oil. Try to create an "orange mood" on the table - eat oranges, tangerines, persimmons, bright apples, carrots, tomatoes. They are not only useful as a source of vitamins, especially A and C, but also pleasing to the eye. By the way, winter tablecloths, plates and cups are bright and warm colors also useful in the fight against "febrile".

Drawings depicting suns, smiles and funny little animals, photographs of spring and summer landscapes are wonderfully uplifting. Such healing pictures can be put as a background on the screen of a monitor, tablet, mobile phone Or just hang it on the walls.

But people who spread despondency and melancholy around themselves, tend to complain and outweigh their problems on others, it is better to avoid. If friends or close relatives are moping and it is impossible to refuse communication, minimize it by determining for yourself how much time and effort you are willing to spend on melancholic people who do not think about your spiritual comfort.

Turn on the sun!

If a preventive measures they didn’t help and “February” nevertheless overtook you, this is sad, but not fatal. You will have to be treated, and the medicines for this disease are very pleasant.

1. Solarium. Visit the solarium at least once a week, sunbathe and normalize the balance of melatonin.

2. Light. In addition to daylight, light candles, sit by the stove or fireplace, look at the "living" flame.

3. Warm. Make sure that your hands, feet, ears, etc. do not freeze. Buy warm socks, mittens, a hat and scarf, sleep under a fluffy blanket, put a heater in the bedroom.

4. Hot tea. Every day, be sure to eat and drink more hot soups, compotes, tea.

5. Delicious food. Include more chocolate, bananas, oatmeal, figs, nuts, honey in your diet. Avoid alcohol completely strong coffee, limit strong tea.

6. Bath. At least two or three times a week, take hot baths with tonic aromatic oils or salts.

7. Sleep mode. Since prolonged sleep produces excess melatonin, it is best to sleep no more than 8 hours a day. But at the same time, be sure to rest a lot and not overwork.

8. Charging. Alas, if depression has befallen you, at least 10-15 minutes of physical activity per day are required. You can replace traditional exercises with dancing or working with simulators.

9. Reducing stress. During the winter depression, it is better to avoid deadlines, overtime, irregular working hours.

10. Laughter therapy. It is useful to watch comedies, listen to humorous programs, read collections of jokes and stories of satirists.

In winter, it is especially important to take care of yourself, take care of your health, regularly take courses of multivitamins, and with irresistible drowsiness - natural tonics (ginseng, eleutherococcus). And wait - for the most cold winter the sunny spring will definitely come and the "February" will melt like snow under the sun!

Mood swings are often closely related to weather conditions and seasonality - winter depression occurs in the coldest season, representing an affective disorder with emotional disruptions depressive nature and cognitive impairment. The disease manifests itself suddenly - in the morning you don’t want to get out of bed, the desire to go even to your favorite job completely disappears, the body wants to rest and eat.

Winter depression occurs regardless of age, but more often the disease falls into the time period of 18-30 years. Danger given state, as, indeed, any other depression consists in possible complications in the absence of treatment we are talking about suicidal tendencies, social isolation, the formation of a medicinal or alcohol addiction, problems with labor activity or study.

Quite a lot of people face the phenomenon of winter depression

Depression in winter is formed under the influence of numerous factors, temperature changes and weather changes, seasonal exacerbations of catarrhal pathologies, lack of oxygen in the body, and a decrease in daylight hours do not affect in the best way. Influencing causes are divided into:

biological- lack of light reaching the retina, increased production of serotonin and reduced melatonin;
psychosocial- lack of emotional pleasures, which leads to the development of a feeling of uselessness, hopelessness.

Scientists are sure that it is sunlight, falling on the retina of the organs of vision, that contributes to the production of serotonin. This substance is responsible for the formation Have a good mood, so that with its insufficient level, one can forget about the iridescent perception of the world around. At the same time, production automatically increases in winter. human brain melatonin, which is called the sleep hormone. It contributes to the development of drowsiness, has a calming effect on the body and causes lethargy.

As for psychosocial factors, the beginning of winter is an endless series of holidays. At normal conditions a person on such days experiences an emotional upsurge, accepting and presenting gifts, attending parties and being in a pleasant company. However, in the case when the desire is present, but there is no way to satisfy it, there is discomfort and a feeling of discontent, loneliness, which can flow into a more serious problem.

As medical statistics show, the problem usually occurs in people aged 20 to about 60 years, while large quantity cases occur over a period of 20 to 40 years.

Of great importance is gender - winter depression in women is observed several times more often than in the representatives of the stronger sex. Perhaps the reason for the vulnerability of women lies in their increased sensitivity.

The region of residence should also be taken into account - northerners are more likely to suffer from this disease than southerners. The risk group also includes lonely people with life dissatisfaction.

Women suffer from winter depression more than men

How the problem manifests itself

When a person develops winter depression, the symptoms are quite numerous, which, however, does not mean that absolutely all signs are present in clinical picture. The list includes:

Feelings of hopelessness and worthlessness, feelings of guilt and depression, unwillingness to do anything, despair, a drop in self-esteem, the inability to experience joyful emotions.
Increased tension, anxiety, irritability.
Problems with memory, the appearance of indecision, the inability to concentrate on anything, a drop in intellectual activity.
Problems with sleep - despite its duration, it is not possible to restore strength, there is a need for daytime rest, awakening causes difficulties.
During the day, there is a deterioration in well-being - there is lethargy and a desire to constant sleep, apathy develops, a constant lack of energy, the limbs "are filled with lead."
Even light loads cause fatigue, reduction or complete loss of ability to work, inability to cope with stress.
A person is prone to overeating, tends to include in the diet as many sweets and alcoholic beverages as possible.
Failures are observed digestive processes, joint pain, impaired immunity, decreased libido.
When it comes to children and young people, problems of social behavior arise.
Victims avoid communication, tend to create conflict situations, communication with others is difficult, hence the subsequent problems with loved ones, work colleagues, friends.

Usually, signs of pathology occur with the arrival of each winter period, beginning with last days November and end at the end of March. winter symptoms depression pass on their own with the onset spring period, and this can happen gradually or rapidly, in parallel with hyperactivity or hypomania.

In the first case observed sharp drops mood, anxiety, short periods of hyperactivity.

In the second- No mood swings. Only the amount of sunlight entering the body depends on the speed of symptomatic relief.

A person suffering from depression is not inclined to communicate

In addition, a latent form of the disease may develop, when fatigue and lethargy, problems with sleep and digestive system. Although the disguised form is not as dangerous as the overt form, it is also not a very pleasant state.

Treatment of the disease - daylight and physical activity

A natural question arises as to how to get rid of winter depression or to greatly alleviate the condition that has arisen. And if the most common cause development of the disease - lack of light, then first of all it is necessary to try to cope with this factor. Moreover, the effectiveness of light therapy is approximately 85%:

Frequent walks are needed for 30 to 60 minutes, but if you have to be indoors, it is better to be closer to the window.
Of great importance healthy sleep – night rest must begin before midnight and last at least eight hours.
For a quick and increased supply of daylight, phototherapy or light therapy is recommended.
A good solution is to purchase special full-spectrum luminaires - they provide an intense influx of daylight. You will need to turn them on daily for at least a period of time from half an hour to an hour and a half - to work or read under this light. In addition to lamps, you can purchase an alarm clock that will simulate the dawn, gradually increasing the power of the glow.
You can try to lengthen the daylight hours - remove obstacles in the path of the rays in your home.

If depression occurs in winter, what to do secondarily - increase physical activity within reasonable limits, of course. In the course of any work process, you should take periodic breaks or change the type of activity with an interval of 45 minutes. You should constantly move, physical activity and exercise can increase the production of serotonin, which has a positive effect on emotional sphere person. It is desirable to exercise in nature - fresh air plus invigorating procedures reduce the intensity of malaise.

Physical exercises - the right way deal with depression

How to eat right and how to achieve emotional comfort

When winter depression develops what to do besides light therapy and adjustment physical activity, so it is to revise the diet. Proper nutrition is an excellent source of energy, improves mood, well-being, avoids the problem of gaining excess weight. To compensate for the lack of vitamins, you need to use increased quantities vegetables and fruits of fruit trees.

To replenish vitamin D, the menu should include:

Fish fatty varieties, which include salmon and mackerel, herring and sardines.
Egg yolk, which should be consumed several times over a seven-day period.
Vegetarians are recommended to replenish the missing fish with tofu, walnuts.
Shown meat (especially turkey), beans, foods enriched with B-vitamin.
The diet should include cilantro, bananas.
Also, the correct menu involves the use of dairy products, cheeses.
The diet should be supplemented with Omega3 complexes and vitamins A, E, D.
Should be replaced simple carbohydrates on complex - the menu includes cereals, boiled potatoes, nuts and pasta from durum wheat varieties.

Apart from correct menu it is necessary to ensure a comfortable state in terms of emotions, which will quickly eliminate the problem. Pleasant meetings with close people, good friends, an exciting hobby, traveling to interesting places will help.

As additional treatment you can take baths with medicinal herbs, with addition essential oils before a night's rest - such procedures will help get rid of the tension and fatigue accumulated during the day, relieve stress.

Bananas help lift your spirits

Planning is another effective option to get rid of depression. You can think about summer holiday about the upcoming planting season. A garden planted on the windowsill will add enthusiasm.

It does not hurt to reconsider the wardrobe, adding bright colors to it, the same applies to the environment - this kind of chromotherapy is a significant factor in a positive mood in the winter.