Winter Depression
In technical jargon, winter depression is referred to as seasonal depression. In the classification of mental disorders, it is subsumed under recurrent depressive disorders. As the name suggests, this type of depression occurs mainly in the winter months.
This is probably related to the lack of daylight during this time of year, which can trigger depression in patients who are susceptible to it. In contrast to non-seasonal depression, winter depression is often accompanied by an increased need for sleep and an increase in appetite with weight gain. Light therapy in particular has established itself as a treatment for seasonal depression. Here, the light of a very bright special lamp is applied in the morning after getting up for about 30 minutes. This is intended to minimize the lack of light, which is the main trigger for depression, and thus relieve the depressive symptoms.
PMS
Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) is accompanied by physical and psychological symptoms and occurs shortly before the onset of the female period.Mood swings, irritability and quick crying often occur in this phase. In some women there are strong depressive symptoms. These include sad mood, sleep disorders, loss of interest and joylessness, tension and ravenous appetite.
If the symptoms are very pronounced, it is also called premenstrual depression (PMD). This often occurs month after month and is very stressful for the affected women. It is initially assumed that hormonal fluctuations are the cause of the symptoms, but a reliable indication of this has not yet been found. Depending on the severity of the symptoms and the level of suffering, a drug therapy with antidepressants may be considered.
Depression in childhood
Children can also suffer from depression even if the age of onset of the disease is later. It is estimated that about 3.5% of primary school children and up to 9% of adolescents suffer from depression. Depending on the age of the child, depression manifests itself differently than in adults.
In small children who are not yet of school age, anxiety, physical complaints such as abdominal pain, loss of appetite, sleep disorders and emotional outbursts with aggressive behavior can be groundbreaking. Adolescents are more likely to show the typical symptoms of depression. However, with a special focus on a disorder of self-esteem, hopelessness, a feeling of worthlessness and the feeling that “it doesn’t matter anyway”.
Sleep disorders, loss of appetite and weight loss as well as social withdrawal also occur frequently. Sad mood, loss of interest and joylessness can be added. Suicidal thoughts also play a decisive role with young people and should definitely be taken seriously.
Self-injuring behaviour is particularly common among young people. This can occur in healthy adolescents, but can also be an indication of incipient suicidal tendencies or a feeling of emptiness and numbness. Depressive episodes in children are usually shorter than those in adults, and they usually do not last longer than 3 months.
Therapeutically, drug and psychotherapeutic options are used. A severe depressive episode often requires inpatient treatment. Especially the bipolar disorder, i.e. an alternation of episodes of manic and depressive mood, occurs relatively early in life and can therefore manifest itself as early as adolescence.
During the manic phases there is a high degree of overestimation of self, mood swings, reduced need for sleep, the urge to talk and excessive sexual behaviour. At the other extreme are the symptoms of a depressive episode which have already been described in detail above. Especially during puberty it is not always easy to distinguish whether the adolescent’s behavior is still normal or already psychologically conspicuous.
It may also be helpful to talk to teachers or friends. Children and adolescents with a depression or bipolar disorder should definitely be introduced to a psychiatrist and/or psychologist in order to plan the further necessary therapeutic steps.
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