How to Deal with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

Seasonal affective disorder is a type of depression that is trigger by the seasons of the year. The most common type of SAD is called winter-onset depression. Symptoms typically start in late fall or early winter and go away by summer. A much less common type of SAD, known as summer-onset depression, typically starts in the late spring or early summer and goes away by winter. SAD may be related to changes in the quantity of daylight during different times of the year.

What Causes SAD?

SAD is believed to be caused by a disturbance in the normal circadian rhythm of the body. Light entering through the eyes influences this rhythm. When it is dark, the pineal gland produce a matter called melatonin which is responsible for the drowsiness we feel each day after dusk.

Experts believe that, with SAD, depression is one way or another trigger by the brain’s response to decrease daylight exposure. No one really understands how and why this happens. Current theories about what causes SAD focus on the role that sunlight might play in the brain’s make of key hormones.

People who suffer from SAD experience a predictable pattern: the downturn typically starts as daylight hours dwindle in the fall; symptoms become more severe in January or February, and then symptoms lift as the Vernal Equinox approaches.

What are the symptoms of SAD?

• Difficulty concentrating
• Irritability and anxiety
• A change in appetite, especially a craving for sweet or starchy foods
• Weight gain
• A drop in energy level
• Fatigue
• A tendency to oversleep
• Increased sensitivity to social rejection
• Avoidance of social situations and a loss of interest in the activities you used to delight in

Symptoms of summer-onset SAD include:

• Irritability and anxiety
• Agitation A loss of appetite
• Weight loss
• Insomnia
• Increased sex drive

How to Deal with SAD

• Avoid caffeine, sugar, and white starchy foods. These are stimulants tbat make a temporary fix (in the form of a sharp spike in alertness and energy), but the after-effect is to feel more sluggish and depressed than before ingesting the stimulants.
• Physical exercise helps relieve stress and anxiety, both of which can increase seasonal affective disorder symptoms. Being more fit can make you feel better about yourself, too, which can lift your mood.
• Eat apples, pears, apricots, grapefruits, and oranges. These fruits raise the serotonin levels in the brain.
• Make your environment sunnier and brighter. Open blinds, add skylights and trim tree branches that block sunlight. Sit closer to bright windows while at home or in the office.
• Increase your intake of lean protein. Eat chicken, turkey, fish, and low stout cheeses. These will reduce your cravings for crabs, and will help you avoid the weight gain that is associated with seasonal affective disorder.

Seasonal Affective Disorder or “SAD” can greatly affect a persons mood. SAD is a common type of depression that affects some people during the change of seasons when there is less or no sunlight. This is a condition that’s really not understood by doctors, but it’s thought to be related to the amounts of melatonin and serotonin in your body. It’s believed that a chemical imbalance occurs which is caused by a lack of sunlight. This most common in the months of September through April. There are some things that can be helpful to individuals that suffer from this condition. Below are a few things that you can do.

#1. Exercise – It may seem tough to get going, but it’s proven to work for many people. Not just a casual stroll through the park though. I’m talking about really getting out there and working up a sweat. You can go for a brisk walk, run distance, hill sprint (this is an brilliant workout), hit the exercise bike or treadmill, do calisthenics, go swim laps, ect. Heck, you may want to stack rocks or chop wood, it doesn’t matter, but just make certain not to cheat yourself. The thought here is to feel better and you’ve got to do what it takes in order to do that. Make certain to stretch your entire body very well before and after you exercise. This will reduce soreness and also reduce your risk of injury.

#2. Step into the light – Whether it’s outside for physical activity or turning lights on inside the house, get yourself into the light. Sitting next to a bright lamp and reading a excellent, positive book or magazine or perhaps writing down how you’re feeling can help. Open the blinds and let light into the house (unless it’s dreary outside).

#3. Phone Someone that you trust – Everyone needs someone that they can confide in, whether it’s a close friend or family member. Just make certain that they’re trustworthy. It’s nice to be able to call someone up and just dump some dirt from time to time.

#4. Join a support group – You’re not alone. There are many others that suffer from some form of depression and it’s very likely that there are support groups in your area. It really helps to talk to others that know exactly what you’re going through. Call your primary care physician and have them recommend one or, if you don’t have insurance or a regular doctor, simply look in the yellow pages under “mental health”.

#5. Antidepressant Medication – Don’t be worried to admit that you’ve got a problem that needs to be dealt with. We are only human and you’re not the only person to suffer from this problem, so don’t go feeling guilty about asking for help. There are many antidepressants available now that can help you to get back on track. Don’t wait though as it normally takes three to four weeks for these medicines to build up in your blood stream and have full affect. Also, many people react differently to these medications, that’s why there are more than one and you may not get the one that will help you right off the bat. The best thing to do is call your doctor and make an appointment to speak to him or her.

#6. Phototherapy Lights- This has been proven to be helpful for some individuals. In as small as two hours a day, the results have been very positive. Speak to your doctor about this.

#7. Find a purpose – This is something that you do delight in or used to delight in before you started feeling down. Really throw yourself into this project so that you don’t have time to reckon about being sad. This project could be writing a report, cooking (be careful here so you don’t pack on the pounds), arts and crafts or music to name a few. If you play an instrument, why not write or learn some new songs? This is very helpful to me as I play the guitar. It’s very therapeutic to be able to pour your feelings out musically. The point is to find something that you like or that you’re excellent at (or both) and keep yourself occupied.

Although this type of depression can be hard to deal with, it can be manageable with the proper care and activities. The sun will shine again.

Seasonal Affective Disorder: Some Ways to Combat Those Winter Blues

Yes, it’s that time of year again, time for shorter days and longer periods of darkness in our days. Many people get down in the dumps just thinking of it.   If this thought scares you or you have depression like symptoms in the winter months you may have SAD – seasonal affective disorder. SAD is a type of depression that hits when days become shorter. For some people it may be no more than a slight case of wintertime blues. But others can find SAD to be severe and affect the quality of life one is used to.  Some common symptoms of SAD include changes to sleeping patters, craving carbohydrates, avoiding social interactions, and other symptoms that often occur with depression.

Of course these days there is a way to cure most things by visiting a doctor and by all means, if you suffer from depression or SAD you certainly should see a medical professional to be sure there is no underlying issue. A doctor may offer suggestions for treatment, including light therapy and/or medication depending on the severity. I am here to offer some natural methods for combating those winter blues and help you get through those dreary months of winter, may be even take advantage of the extra time indoors!

Let us first take a look at light therapy. This may also be recommended by a medical professional as the warm, bright light from a dawn simulator can make you feel relaxed, refreshed and ready to tackle the day. Some day the main cause of seasonal affective disorder is the lack of sunlight on our bodies and the decrease in light that occurs with the change in season. When you work all day the option of natural sunlight in the winter months is tough to find. A dawn simulator or light therapy clock that gives off a simulated sun but still provides warmth and light may be just the answer.   The light will stimulate the biochemical activity in your brain to help regulate a variety of systems. The Sun Alarm Ultima has been very well loved in providing this dawn simulating affect at your wake up. Not only does this wake you up naturally, you will be amazed at how much more refreshed you feel not having a loud beeping alarm clock in your ear!  Indoor fountains are another product that can help alleviate some of the feelings of anxiety, winter blues etc. The relaxing sounds of a water fountain an brilliant soothing background noise that can help relieve anxiety or help you fall asleep.  You will be amazed at how even a smaller tabletop style water fountain will bring beauty and joy into your life. Water fountains have many benefits such as stress relief, calming background noise, air humidifiers, pet drinking source and releasing negative ions. This could be just the ticket to bringing something into your home that you delight in relaxing by each and every day. Another common symptom of SAD is lethargy. You can’t seem to get motivated to do anything and you spend your time sitting around. These feelings are triggered by the lack of serotonin in the brain. Believe it or not, serotonin can be produced naturally by physical activity.  A small exercise each day will help you relax and take your mind off what stresses you out. Fighting stress during the winter months is vital. SAD can affect your ability to handle stress well. Make exercise part of your daily routine and you are sure to notice a difference! Having a excellent diet is one of the keys to combating those winter blues. It all goes hand in hand. A lack of Vitamin D, which we get from the sun, can cause feelings of lethargy which can cause us to crave terrible foods which leave us with no energy. It all goes together! Be sure you eat a balanced diet and get plenty of vitamins and minerals. Fresh fruits and vegetables can provide your body with the tools you need to stay healthy and combat those symptoms of Depression and SAD.

SAD and depression is not fun but there are ways to make those feelings go away and things you can do to combat these symptoms to have a worry free, relaxed winter season and get the most out of it.

The Holiday Seasons are closing in.  It’s time once again to delight in the merriment of the season, as we start to plot for family, feasts, events, and … What’s that?  You say your not feeling very cheerful?  Merriment sounds a lot more like misery, or you simply don’t feel very chipper, even worse you may be feeling nervous, stressed, or just plain blue.

If you find that instead of getting into the holiday spirit you’d prefer to get into the spirits for the holiday season, or that for whatever reason you just don’t seem to be able to delight in this “time” of the year, you may be suffering from a form of depression known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). 

You may be wondering what is Seasonal Affective Disorder?  People don’t refer to themselves as having SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder), they refer to themselves as being sad or having the holiday blues.

Seasonal Affective Disorder is simply this, that as the days grow shorter / darker, a feeling of bleakness, or feeling “down in the dumps” with no specific reason why starts to take hold of us.  It generally lasts through the season leaving us feeling detached emotionally from the joy and anticipation we’d like to experience through the holidays with family and friends.  A feeling of hopelessness may even set in.

There is hope for you this holiday season and for all of the ones to come!  Hypnosis / Hypnotherapy have proven to be fantastic aids in handling the kinds of stress, associated with this time of the year and inspiring the feelings of optimism, hope, and expectation. that allow us to really delight in the seasons to their fullest.

If this sounds like you or a loved one, you don’t have to go through another season feeling this way.  In as small as 1 – 4 sessions you can be experiencing all of the fullness, happiness, and joy the Holiday Seasons have to offer.

Wishing you and yours a very Pleased Holiday Season,

Danny Jackson CHt
Act Now Wellness Center
www.actnowcenter.com

Seasonal Affective Disorder, also called SAD, is often called the “winter depression” because so many people are affected by this mood disorder in the late or winter months of the year. There is also a summer version that affects some people. People with SAD will feel normal throughout the year but during the winter months, they may experience abnormal mood swings, anxiety and depression. This mood disorder can cause symptoms so severe that it affects the normal routine of your life. You may find it hard to function in your daily routines and you may also find it hard to be around people or get along with friends and family.

Depression is a contributing factor to this and many other conditions. When you are depressed, it weakens your body’s immune system and makes it simpler for you to catch other diseases and conditions. SAD can make you feel blue and can also make it simpler for you to get sick during the winter months or to feel depression during the holidays. It can cause you to lose interest in the things you once loved and many people even formulate terrible habits or perilous habits in an attempt to soothe the pain caused by SAD.

Anxiety is caused by the many stressors in our lives. Most of us are so busy that we don’t have the time to treat our bodies like we should. Even those that do have the time, many simply don’t know what they are supposed to do to have a healthier life. Poor lifestyle affects more than just our phsyical bodies; it can affect the way we feel as well. This is why mood disorders and depression are so common.

Many studies have shown connections between mood and energy levels in people. It’s a vicious cycle. When you feel depressed, you don’t want to exercise or be active and when you live a sedentary lifestyle, you tend to feel terrible. Often we use caffeine and sugar to try to give us more energy but this is small-lived and ends in us feeling more tired than we were to start with. What you need instead is a natural pick-me-up and a healthier way to rejuvenate your body and your spirits.

People everywhere are searching for that “miracle cure” or that next huge thing that promises to make them better but mostly we are looking for a quick fix. Unfortunately quick fixes are small-lived. You need a natural, healthy treatment that works by targeting your body’s senses and most primal needs. You don’t need another quick fix; you need something that really works to make you a healthier person, one day at a time.

When you rejuvenate your body from the inside out, you will feel healthier and you will have more desire to do things like exercise and eat right. Your depression will fade and conditions like seasonal affective disorder and anxiety disorders can be treated naturally. When you learn to treat your condition at its root, instead of just masking the symptoms, you will learn the right secrets to a long, pleased life and the end to your SAD for excellent.

Information about S.A.D: Seasonal Affective Disorder

Despite the fact that the universal trigger of Seasonal Affective disorder is unknown, there are multiple guesses at why many people are affected. SAD is a collection of feelings that have the overall result of a someone feeling exhausted and despondent over the course of the winter season. These problems are believed to be triggered by fundamental factors.

Central Thermostat
One of the primary thoughts underlying Seasonal Affective disorder was the concept that the body functions much like a heating system does. A central thermostat mechanism governs the body’s temperature.

What role does the Thermostat play?
While the body endures anxiety in the environment the thermostat answers by delivering the body a collection of hormones and chemicals. One of these chemical is called Serotonin. This chemical is one of the body’s neurotransmitter chemicals and it acts in an vital function in sending indicators to and from the brain.Serotonin plays a crucial role in Seasonal affective disorder.

There is a problem with my Serotonin?
Another component of the chemical cocktail is the compound known as Melatonin. This compound oversees the sleep cycles of most living things. So if you have difficulty sleeping its not your fault! You might easily have a obstacle with melatonin!

Serotonin? Melatonin? What’s the connection?
The unfortunate truth is the the relationship involving all these compounds is not entirely understood. Despite this, a universal connection  is understood.

Whenever the body is in a unlit place, Serotonin production grows. Melatonin production is influenced by the Serotonin. Without a balanced supply of Melatonin, sleep cycles governed by the Circadian rhythm are affected, for better or worse. So generally speaking, the more serotonin the greater the effect on melatonin manufacturing.

In a general an unsafe level of Serotonin and Melatonin can be damaging to the usual function of the human body. It is vital that all these complex parts of the body work together to be healthy and feel healthy.

For more information check out:
Surviving College with Seasonal Affective Disorder
Relationships and Seasonal Affective Disorder

One more gray day looms large, yes it’s that time of year and if you are one of the 5% of the people living in the northern hemisphere that experience from S.A.D or Seasonal Affective Disorder your life can be pretty depressing at the moment. The feelings usually start in the Autumn season and carry on throughout until Spring. It is recognized that up to half a million folks in the United States could be suffering from S.A.D but not everyone knows they have it as the symptoms are quite quite often mistaken for conditions like depression or insomnia amongst others.

Younger women seem to be worst affected but they are more likely to seek a doctors advice so that could be why. Symptoms include a general feeling of being down, irritability, mood swings, poor sleep patterns and loss of appetite which swings towards binging and over indulgence.

So how can you help alleviate the condition?

There are aspects of your daily routine that you can change to offset the affects of Seasonal Affective Disorder that can really help you, such as:

Getting outside as much as possible when the days are just that bit brighter as the more daylight you are subjected to the better you will feel.If it is a sunny day all the better, just make sure you take advantage and sit in the sun for a while.

By making your work place brighter or sitting that bit nearer the window. Regular breaks are a must and having your luch out of the office can be benificial.

If you are a homeworker try to build a routine which will allow you to get out of the house at least once a day.

Simulate daylight with a ligh therapy lamp. You can buy them online and aren’t too expensive. Light Therapy Lamps have been proven to make a difference. Simply use it in the background fro thirty minutes a day and you will feel so much better.

Excersise is known to help if you are experiencing SAD, so depending on your age and level of fitness why not try to have a brisk walk or jog daily or you could even try your hand at yoga. Excercise will be allow you keep yourself healthy at the same time it is also helping to alleviate your SAD symptoms. Why not try to plot your weekly schedule in advance as you are far more likely to keep it up than if you do it on an adhoc basis.

Food cravings can also be a component of Seasonal Affective Disorder, usually people crave sweet things like chocolate, buscuits and cake, if this is the case try to satisfy your appetite by substituting the sweeter foods with other carbohydrates such as pasta, or you could eat more fruit and vegatables.

In the end it all comes down to being proactive with your Disorder and tying to meet it head on, There is no one cure fits all but once you recognize that you have SAD then you can start to treat it.

Light therapy, a method clinically backed by data investigated for over two decades, is used to treat a depression called seasonal affective disorder or SAD. For this, a device called a light therapy box is mainly used usually for approximately 30 minutes daily. The function of the light therapy is to cause a change in the brain by mimicking outdoor light that would liven up the mood of the person affected and reduce the symptoms of the depression. The light used is generally 25 times as bright as normal room light. A study published by Dr. Michael Terman uses an apparatus with fluorescent bulbs which disallow UV radiation through a filter, leaving out unpleasant glare. This when applied as treatment on SAD patients upon awakening found it better than those who used it in the evening. Another group of thirteen specialists from Canada issued guidelines for treating SAD. These professional guidelines include conclusions like 10,000 lux for 30 minutes per day using a light therapy box as a starting dose. If a light box emanates 2,500 lux, it would require two responses in a day. The therapy should start early morning where it would maximize response which would usually show within a week, but may be effective from week four in some cases. The side effects of such therapy could include headache, strain on the eyes, nausea and agitation. Generally mild in nature, these effects disappear with reducing the dose of light.

The therapy boxes are also called light boxes, bright light therapy boxes and phototherapy boxes. The Center for Environmental Therapeutics (CET) recommends requirements for effective therapy as many products in the market claiming to be proficient to help SAD may not be so. These include things like checking whether the product is tested through trials under peer-reviews. One should also verify specifications of the product like whether or not it has a sufficient output like an illumination of 10,000 lux at a comfortable sitting distance.

In a light therapy box, the UV filters if faulty could cause harm to the eyes and skin by allowing UV rays to pass through. The fluorescent lamps should therefore have a diffusing panel and should give off white light rather than a colored light. A compact light box is also not as efficient in therapy as the small head movements render the eyes out of the range of therapy. The angle at which the light reaches the eyes, if projected downward, minimizes glare leading to less eye strain.

Such things recommended by the CET should be kept in mind while buying light boxes for therapy. The quantity rather than the quality is effective in the therapy of seasonal affective disorder.

Seasonal affective disorder also called winter depression, winter blues or the hibernation reaction is a type of depression that arises as the days become shorter in the winter. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is said to grow from insufficient bright light during the winter months which is natural. It has been proved that bright light in the winter or the fall months tend to alter the chemicals in some people’s brains. SAD is mostly found in people who live in places that are away from the equator. Seasonal affective disorder can occur in people of any age and is found more in women than men. But, researchers are still searching to find the exact reason about how this occurs and the details behind this disorder.

SAD symptoms are different in different seasons. In winter, the symptoms are usually tiredness, fatigue, depression, crying spells, irritability, distress concentrating, body aches, loss of sex drive, poor sleep, decreased activity level, and weight gain. While in summer, the symptoms include insomnia, poor appetite, weight loss, irritability, difficulty concentrating, and crying spells. Sometimes seasonal affective disorder can also bring thoughts of suicide in minds of the patient. There is a treatment that is given to people who are suffering from seasonal affective disorder, and it is called light therapy.

Light therapy, also known as phototherapy, involves light boxes which are kept in use for approximately 30 minutes every day in the morning and evening for best results. Light therapy also involves some side effects, but is the best way to treat seasonal affective disorder. The side effects of light therapy include insomnia, headaches and eyestrains. Apart from using these light boxes the other way in which seasonal therapy disorder can be cured is by using some class of medications like fluoxetine, sertraline, paroxetine and citalopram. These medications also come with some side-effects that include insomnia, nausea, diarrhea, decrease in sex drive, etc. Physiotherapy can also be counted as one of the cures of seasonal affective disorder. For pregnant women who suffer for seasonal affective disorder, medications should be used with particular care. For them, it is prescribed to use acupuncture as a cure.

Diagnosing Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) can be rather hard because it is hard to distinguish it from other forms of depression. Before doctors can do diagnoses on a patient, typically they will have to rule out other medical conditions. SAD is not necessarily a separate mood disorder from major depression or bipolar disorder and therefore it can be diagnosed as a subtype of each of these.

Diagnosing seasonal affective disorder correctly depends on whether:

- the patient has experienced depression and other symptoms for a minimum two

consecutive years and during the same season;

- whether or not those periods of depression have been followed by periods without

depression;

- and ruling out other explanations for the changes in their mood

The doctor will do a complete physical examination and will do a thorough medical history on the patient. It is absolutely critical to share your information with the doctor and you must make sure that you are following their recommendations exactly so that you are able to make it through this tough time. Most likely they will question many questions about your mood, seasonal changes in your thoughts and behavior, your lifestyle and social situation, as well as your sleeping and eating patterns.

As stated earlier…diagnosing SAD is very hard because its symptoms often mimic other types of depression. But rest assured that doctors have guidelines, developed by the American Psychiatric Association, that help them to diagnose the disorder. If you are not sure of your doctor’s opinion you most certainly will want to get a second opinion, especially if you do not agree with his diagnoses.

Usually the depressive symptoms of SAD start during fall or winter, and end when spring arrives. During other months of the year a person’s mood might be normal, or will not meet criteria for clinical depression. Those who have SAD will have a have a lack of energy or feel sluggish during the winter months. In addition, they may sleep more than usual, overeat and gain weight, or they may have a craving for carbohydrates. Women have seasonal affective disorder at a rate of 60%-90% of those affected. SAD rates are higher in those who live at higher altitudes and occur more frequently in younger people, often beginning in a person’s twenties.

Typically the treatments will vary from patient to patient for seasonal affective disorder. Most people will feel differently when they are going through the disorder and no two cases are alike. Once the doctor has eliminated everything else, only then can they start the right type of treatment for a patient allowing them get on the right track for a better and more efficient lifestyle.