Autumn is originally a depressing season?
"When I was young, I thought leaves were pretty. But these days, I feel lonely thinking that my life is withering like dried leaves. "In late autumn, when the wind became quite fierce, are you also suffering from depression of unknown cause?" It is easy to dismiss various depressive symptoms that usually come in autumn as the season, but it is actually one of the diseases with medical grounds. Experts call it "Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)" and usually start at this time of year and show symptoms until winter, but the symptoms only ease around spring when the weather gets warmer.
The direct cause is a change in hormones caused by reduced sunlight and lower temperatures. Happy serotonin is mainly secreted in the sun, and its secretion decreases relatively in the fall when the sun is shorter. If the sun gets shorter and the night gets longer, it affects melatonin, which is in charge of controlling the sleep cycle and biorhythm, which also causes the hormonal balance to be broken.
Depression is the deadliest for women in their 50s
If life is divided into four seasons, autumn corresponds to the elderly heading toward old age. Changes in physical ability and appearance, which have fallen significantly compared to when young, make even the mind depressed. This menopausal depression occurs in both men and women, with a large difference in symptoms. Unlike men who simply worry about poor sexual ability or dissonance of body and mind, women often complain of mental as well as physical pain. According to statistics, women are overwhelmed with 60-90% of all patients with depression, with the largest number of female patients in their 50s, which is presumed to be due to not only being vulnerable to hormonal changes but also going through a direct change of "menopausal."
It is a word that describes depression that appears in ancient Egyptian or Greek history, and women who go through menopause fall into a great sense of loss of femininity. Autumn is a more dangerous season for women who are vulnerable to menopausal depression. The Montreal Neurology Institute in Canada found that men's and women's brains produce almost the same amount of serotonin, but men's serotonin production function is 52% faster on average than women. In other words, women with slower serotonin secretion, which determines seasonal depression, suffer more from depression in the fall.
Smile to My Heart, How To Overcome Depression
November is the month of menopause set by the Korean Society of Pardiologists, and various activities were conducted to help women correctly recognize the health problems that menopause brings. According to the World Health Organization, depression caused by menopause also comes to women with the financial resources to make a living and happy conditions such as a harmonious family. It introduces a habit in life that restores laughter for menopause women who are physically and mentally uncomfortable even if they look normal on the outside.
1. Staying in the sun for more than 30 minutes every day
You can prevent depression by increasing serotonin secretion under enough sunlight. Let's take time to enjoy the sun outdoors every day as much as possible, and keep the curtains wide open during the day.
2. Get your own diversion know-how
Let's have my own know-how to change my mood when my mood swings get worse. Exercise or hobby activities are good, and meeting and chatting with people is also a way. When you're having a hard time emotionally, explain the current situation to people around you and express your mind instead.
3. Trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle
Just a lifestyle that sleeps and wakes up at a certain time makes your metabolism active. Eating habits are also important. As the weather gets colder, it is easy to have a fake appetite to eat something, and even when you are stressed that you are gaining weight, you become contradictory in touching high-calorie foods. You can get a lot of help by maintaining healthy eating habits and eating health functional foods that professionally manage women's health.
Symptoms of seasonal depression
I'm lazy to move, and I'm sleepy even if I sleep.
One of the common symptoms of
depression is insomnia, but seasonal depression, on the contrary, causes excessive sleep. If you continue to be sleepy and lethargic all day and are reluctant to go out, you should suspect it.
My appetite has increased dramatically.
Unlike general depression, where appetite usually disappears, binge eating symptoms occur. The reason is that serotonin, which plays a role in reducing appetite, decreases, and many types of carbohydrates or sweets are sought to promote secretion.
I'm lethargic every day, and I'm annoyed by small things.
It's the same routine as usual, but it's more lethargic and difficult to concentrate. I get a lot of stress and emotional ups and downs even if it's nothing.
10 commandments for healthy menopause
하루 Eat food containing vegetable estrogen at least once a day.
하루 Eat boron-containing foods (cabbage, apples, figs, etc.) at least once a day.
카페인 Don't drink caffeine, soda, or alcohol and drink a lot of water.
비타민 Take 150% of the recommended amount of vitamins and minerals.
⑤ Reduce food intake and eat less for dinner.
⑥ Eat up to two or more high-calcium foods such as milk a day.
Eat antioxidant foods such as⑦ vitamin E.
⑧ Reduce fat to 20-25% of total calorific intake.
⑨ Eat 20 to 30g of fiber per day.
⑩ Reduce salt and sugar intake.
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