Beat the SADness

LAST week, during an online video consultation with my patient 'S' from the UK who has been undergoing treatment for depressive disorder with mood swings, I recognised that she was in a helpless state.

- DR MURALEEDHARAN K K

"S" is in her thirties and has been doing well with a combination of medication and counselling. However, during our follow-up call, she expressed considerable distress.

She shared that she had been experiencing episodes of uncontrollable anger directed towards her husband, accompanied by feelings of fatigue, low energy, and a complete disinterest in work, social life, and even leaving the house. She reported oversleeping and struggling to engage with life, including interactions with her husband and their five-year-old daughter.

During the session, I tried to identify any new stressors or changes in her family, work, or social environment, but nothing seemed to stand out. However, one factor lingered in my mind, the shortening of daylight hours as winter set in in the UK, where my patient resides.