الموضوع: feeling down in winter

one of the reasons that pushed me to open this topic that i really feeling down during winter. I dislike this season badly i don't really know why but i never thought that it might be desease and its called seasonal affective disorder

and also there is No-pharmaceutical Medical Therapies for Major Depression

i read an artical about this issue and its show the way to treat sadness and depression

When medications alone are not effective enough to relieve the symptoms of depression or when people are unable to take medications due to conditions such as pregnancy, non-pharmaceutical medical therapies may be of help. These therapies include electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), light therapy, vagal nerve stimulation (VNS), and several other currently experimental therapies including transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), and deep brain stimulation

Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)

Electroconvulsive Therapy, or ECT, is perhaps the most successful non-pharmaceutical medical therapy for depression. Often referred to as "shock therapy", ECT involves passing an electric current through the brain to create an artificial seizure. ECT is typically used for people with severe, treatment-resistant depressions and/or other people requiring non-pharmaceutical treatment of depression

The ECT procedure takes about 10 or 15 minutes, with an additional 30-45 minutes for preparation and recovery, and can be performed either during a hospital stay or as an outpatient procedure. In either case, ECT requires brief general anesthesia (i.e., the person is asleep during the procedure). Prior to the procedure, patients are given muscle relaxants to prevent damage from convulsions, which occur during the seizure. An electrode (or electrodes) is placed on the side or the front of the person's forehead, and a short, controlled electrical current is passed through the brain

Most patients receive 6 to 12 ECT treatments over the course of several weeks. Usually, treatment is administered two to three times a week until symptoms improve. Then, maintenance treatments will be administered at less frequent intervals. Though the procedure has the side effect of causing temporary short term-memory loss and concentration problems, it can work wonders when other treatments fail

Historically, ECT was thought of as a barbaric, inhumane treatment. This is not at all the case today. Today's ECT technique is well-researched and regulated, quite safe, and provides very fast relief from forms of depression that will not otherwise respond to treatment. Furthermore, because there are no systemic (body) effects, ECT may be the safest treatment option for pregnant women or nursing mothers suffering from depression

It is not clear exactly how ECT helps people with depression, but many neurochemical and neuronal aspects of brain functioning are altered during and after seizure activity. It is thought that when ECT is administered on a regular basis, these changes build upon one another, somehow reducing depression. In addition, as mentioned before in the section on neuroplasticity, ECT increases neuronal growth, which may lead to relief from depressive symptoms

Light Therapy (Phototherapy)
Phototherapy involves controlled exposure to intense light under specified conditions. This therapy is most effective for people who suffer from seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a type of depression discussed previously that seems related to seasonal variations in sunlight. It is not entirely clear how phototherapy exerts its antidepressant effects; but researchers think that the light entering the eyes influences the hypothalamus, possibly via altered melatonin production (melatonin, a hormone product of the brain's pineal gland, is built out of serotonin), which in turn affects circadian and seasonal rhythms. Phototherapy is an inexpensive technique that can be done at home or at the office. There are no major side effects associated with its use

Phototherapy sessions require a specialized light box with fluorescent bulbs and a diffusing screen. The light produced by the box is comparable to outdoor light just after sunrise or just before sunset - an intensity that is at least five times greater than ordinary indoor light. During a session, a person sits near a light box placed on a table. The person keeps their eyes open, but does not look directly at the light (i.e., you can read during the session). Researchers recommend phototherapy sessions lasting between 15 minutes and two hours, once a day, in the morning

interesting
thank you