Depression/ Suicide

This section is taken from Mayo Clinic's website.

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that's related to changes in seasons — SAD begins and ends at about the same times every year. If you're like most people with SAD, your symptoms start in the fall and continue into the winter months, sapping your energy and making you feel moody. These symptoms often resolve during the spring and summer months. Less often, SAD causes depression in the spring or early summer and resolves during the fall or winter months.

Treatment for SAD may include light therapy (phototherapy), psychotherapy, and medications.

Symptoms

In most cases, seasonal affective disorder symptoms appear during late fall or early winter and go away during the sunnier days of spring and summer. Less commonly, people with the opposite pattern have symptoms that begin in spring or summer. In either case, symptoms may start out mild and become more severe as the season progresses.

Signs and symptoms of SAD may include:

• • • Feeling listless, sad, or down most of the day, nearly every day

    • Losing interest in activities you once enjoyed

    • Having low energy and feeling sluggish

    • Having problems with sleeping too much

    • Experiencing carbohydrate cravings, overeating, and weight gain

    • Having difficulty concentrating

    • Feeling hopeless, worthless or guilty

    • Having thoughts of not wanting to live

Fall and winter SAD

Symptoms specific to winter-onset SAD, sometimes called winter depression, may include:

• • • Oversleeping

    • Appetite changes, especially a craving for foods high in carbohydrates

    • Weight gain

    • Tiredness or low energy

Spring and summer SAD

Symptoms specific to summer-onset seasonal affective disorder, sometimes called summer depression, may include:

• Trouble sleeping (insomnia)

• Poor appetite

• Weight loss

• Agitation or anxiety

• Increased irritability

The doctor or MH professional may ask:

When did you or others first notice symptoms?

How long have you felt depressed? Do you generally always feel down or does your mood fluctuate?

What other mental or physical health conditions do you have?

Do you have any blood relatives with depression or another mood disorder?

Do you ever have suicidal thoughts when you're feeling down?

Support Groups

Mental Health America - support group database

Anxiety and Depression Association of America

Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance online support groups

NAMI support groups

CommUnity Coping with Suicide Loss Support Group, Currently virtual

Support Group for Survivors of Suicide Loss – Virtual