Beware of "Autumn Sadness Syndrome"! Autumn is the peak season for depression and other "emotional illnesses"

Since the beginning of autumn, the number of patients visiting the psychiatric department of Beijing Huilongguan Hospital has increased significantly , about 20% more than before. Chen Hongmei, deputy chief physician of the psychiatric department, reminded that autumn is a high-incidence period for "emotional diseases" such as depression , and the public should pay attention to identifying negative emotions and be alert to the occurrence of "autumn sadness syndrome".

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"Doctor, I have been sleeping very poorly recently. I am not energetic during the day and I am not in a good mood." Ms. Wang, who is in her thirties, came to Chen Hongmei's clinic for help with dark circles under her eyes due to lack of sleep. Ms. Wang works in finance and has a heavy workload near the end of the year. Recently, she has difficulty falling asleep, wakes up early in the morning, and has poor sleep quality, which makes her very distressed. In addition to sleep problems, Ms. Wang's mood has become increasingly depressed, especially when the sky is gloomy, she will cry unconsciously, "I feel that life is boring, work is meaningless, and everything is meaningless." After diagnosis, Ms. Wang has developed mild depression and anxiety symptoms.

"In the past, late autumn was the busiest time for psychiatry. In the past two years, the peak period has been advanced, and the number of patients has started to rise after the beginning of autumn." Chen Hongmei said that autumn is the peak season for "emotional diseases" such as depression, so the series of health problems caused by emotional problems at this time are also known as "sad autumn syndrome." The causes include: the transition from autumn to winter, everything withers, the temperature changes greatly, and people are prone to sadness ; near the end of the year, many people are under great work pressure and are prone to negative emotions .

Chen Hongmei reminded that during the high incidence period of "emotional illness", the public should improve their ability to identify negative emotions such as depression. "Light is closely related to the secretion of hormones such as melatonin. The decrease in light after autumn leads to changes in the body's hormone secretion and sleep rhythm." The most obvious feature of depression or depressive mood in the early stage is sleep problems such as insomnia or drowsiness. Sleep problems reflect emotional fluctuations and may also lead to physical symptoms such as depression, slow thinking, fatigue and weakness. In addition, frequent irritability , "not pleasing to the eye, not satisfied, and liking to find fault" may also be a prelude to "emotional illness."

Five groups of people need to be alert to autumn depression

AUTUMN

Five groups of people need to be alert to autumn depression:

1. Those who are sensitive, suspicious, introverted and not good at talking.

2. “Office workers” with high work pressure.

3. Menopausal women, pregnant women, the elderly, and some school-age children.

4. People who have just experienced negative life events and have not received timely psychological counseling.

5. Intellectual workers who work indoors all year round and have weak constitutions and rarely take physical exercises, especially those who are sensitive to cold.

How can we maintain a stable mood in the bleak autumn? Experts suggest: Increase the time of outdoor activities . "When the weather is fine, go out for a walk. It can not only receive sunlight and regulate hormone secretion, but also enjoy the beautiful scenery and divert emotions." Increasing the amount of exercise can also calm emotions and relieve stress. When facing huge life and work pressure, you can make a list for yourself and sort the to-do items according to their importance. " When the state is really bad, you should allow yourself to stop , so as not to break the 'string'." You should learn to "borrow strength", talk to relatives and friends, seek help, and go to professional medical institutions for treatment when necessary.

These few tips can help you stay away from emotional illness

1. Psychological adjustment

The most effective way to prevent "autumn sadness" is to adjust your mind, maintain an optimistic mood, and have optimistic fantasies. Some people always think the worst of everything after suffering a little setback. The way to overcome this is to have optimistic fantasies rather than negative guesses; to care less about personal gains and losses in interpersonal relationships, which can make you smile more often.

2. Get plenty of sun

In autumn and winter, the daylight hours are short and there is a lack of sunlight, which makes people prone to depression and fatigue. At the same time, sunlight is the main source of vitamin D in the human body.

A study in the United States found that vitamin D supplementation can greatly improve depression. The simplest way is to bask in the sun for at least 20 minutes a day to expand your chest.

From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, sunbathing and chest expansion are both ways to invigorate the chest yang. Invigorating the yang energy is the best way to drive away the haze in your heart.

3. Have a regular daily routine

People often have this feeling in autumn: they are still tired after waking up in the morning and wish they could sleep a little longer.

It is recommended that you do not stay in bed even if you are very sleepy. Staying in a dim room for a long time will increase the secretion of melatonin, making you sleepy during the day. The best way is to go to bed and get up on time every day, and take a proper nap of 10 to 20 minutes at noon.

4. Eat a healthy diet

The lack of sunlight in autumn reduces the body's production of serotonin, the happiness hormone.

Due to the lack of serotonin in the body, we want to eat foods that can promote the secretion of serotonin, such as pasta, potatoes, and rice, but these foods will cause weight gain quickly.

It is recommended to eat more happy foods: milk, fish, bananas, dried dates, soybeans, almonds and peanuts are rich in tryptophan, which can help the body synthesize serotonin.

5. Make friends

Research shows that having a good circle of friends can drive away depression. Modern people like to watch TV and play with their phones at home, which is not conducive to clearing away depression. You can make more friends, find intimate and sensible relatives and friends, pour out your heart to them, and vent your emotions.

6. Set a goal

Summer is over, and the Spring Festival is still early. The autumn stuck in the "halfway" can easily make people lose motivation. At this time, you can set a small goal for yourself, such as reading a book you have wanted to read for a long time, learning yoga, learning a foreign language, etc., to make your life "active".

In addition, patients who have been diagnosed with mental and psychological illnesses should not adjust or stop medications without authorization, especially in the autumn and winter seasons, and should follow the doctor's instructions for treatment.

Source: Beijing Evening News WeChat official account, Xin Education Psychology Classroom, Nanjing Brain Health Chinese Medicine Hospital

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