Accolrding to Alfred Levy, a psychologist who has researched winter depression, the start of the day in winter is different than in other seasons.
People are often asked which of the four seasons of the year they like best, and most people choose spring.
There are many people who wait for winter and snowfall for a whole year, but those who live in cold regions start suffering from coldness only after a month. One of the reasons for this was the shorter days and longer nights, but due to climate changes in the past few years, the severity of winter has increased, which is usually dry.
Until a decade ago, winters in the northern regions and Balochistan used to start with heavy rains and by December, the high mountains of these areas were covered with a blanket of snow. But now it hardly rains once or twice till February-March. Due to this reason, the residents of cold regions are now suffering from a new disease in the winter which is scientifically named as 'Seasonal Affective Disorder' or 'Winter Depression'. Keeping this symptom in mind, the name 'Said' meaning sadness has also been given.
This disease mostly affects people who are more sensitive to sunlight. As the length of the day becomes shorter in winter and the intensity of sunlight decreases in severe dry winter, people tend to suffer from depression after living in such an environment for several months, which slows down their daily functioning and speed. There are clear changes in both modes.
According to Alfred Levy, a psychologist who has researched winter depression, the start of the day in winter is different than in other seasons. Getting out of bed in extreme cold is no less than a struggle. As we head towards this front and start our day to day work, other factors come in the way, some of which are as follows.
1️⃣Circadian Clock:
Our daily routine sets the timing of our internal clock, scientifically termed 'circadian clock'. In winter, due to severe cold, fog or smog in the morning, the sun hardly rises till 9 am. In such cases, one has to get up on time for office, school or household chores, but our circadian clock tells us that we should rest now because this clock runs on sunlight. Similarly, the night falls early and people are confined to the heater or ring in their homes in extreme cold. Initially, these sessions with peanuts, dry fruits and hot strong foods are quite enjoyable, but gradually boredom and restlessness sets in.
2️⃣Sero tannin level:
A special type of fluid in our brain is called serotonin which acts as a neurotransmitter or the transmission of nerve messages. In winter, the decrease in sunlight and the shorter duration of sunrise and sunset lead to a decrease in this fluid, which directly affects our mood and work speed. Which leads to depression without any specific reason.
3️⃣Mila tannin level:
A decrease in serotonin levels affects the brain, which affects the entire body, and other substances such as melatonin, due to a decrease in the level of melatonin, cause a marked change in sleep patterns, either not sleeping at all or too much sleep, and It becomes difficult for the patient to perform daily tasks.
If you also suffer from unnecessary panic or mood swings in winter, the following symptoms can be used to determine whether you are suffering from winter depression or whether this mood swing is a temporary fluctuation:
1. Feeling nervous without a specific event or reason that lasts all day and continues for several weeks.
2. Gradually, disinterest in daily routines and activities that you once enjoyed begin to poison you for no good reason.
3. Changes in sleep patterns, excessive sleepiness, or staying up all night with lack of energy in the body.
4. Getting angry over small things that you find difficult to control.
5. Losing purpose from life and wasting time on unnecessary activities.
6. Consuming high-carbohydrate foods to compensate for the energy deficit in the body leads to weight gain, which increases lethargy and sleep duration.
◀️Precautions:
People living in colder regions do not necessarily have all these symptoms. If you identify even just three of these symptoms, you may be suffering from mild winter depression, which is easy to prevent and treat.
1. Try to spend an hour or two a day in sunlight and warmth. If you work in a closed office, have lunch outside the office in an open space. Take time for a walk in a park or open space in the evening. Which will not only have a good effect on the mood, but also will not increase the weight by eating high energy food.
2. Dealing with extreme cold is certainly not easy, so we get extra energy by consuming heavy or high-fat foods. But it is very important to be careful in this regard. Generally, people living in cold regions gain a lot of weight during this season, which later leads to heart, liver and other complex diseases. Therefore, it is important for the family to prepare a diet that is energy-efficient and low-carbohydrate, keeping complete information about food.
3. People are generally lazy in winters and it becomes difficult to perform daily tasks as soon as the temperature becomes negative. For this it is important that of course you do not spend much time outside in snowy winds but try to keep yourself active even in closed rooms. Winter is an ideal season for reading books and writing. Try not to let your inner reader and writer fall asleep. Similarly, good time can be spent by taking up music, video games or other hobbies.
4. Although winter depression is a temporary weather condition, it can worsen in some people due to various reasons. For example, in 2018, winter across Balochistan lasted from November to April and until February, due to lack of rains, there was a dry winter. The natives suffered from diseases like cold, flu, asthma or joint pain for four to five months. Due to this, most of the people felt very suffocated and depressed during this time and the locals breathed a sigh of relief as the weather improved from May onwards. If mood swings start to affect your relationships with friends, you don't want to do anything, then it is important to consult a psychiatrist or a good doctor so that serotonin and melatonin levels can be maintained with proper medication. And depression should not be severe.
