RICHLAND, Wash. -- Seasonal Affective Disorder is a type of depression that occurs at the same time every year for most people with symptoms beginning in the fall and generally lift around May of the following year. While SAD is typically milder than other depressive disorders, it is still not easy to cope with and manage. And, millions of people suffer from SAD.
Benjamin Pe, MD and board certified psychiatrist at Lourdes Counseling Center describes the common symptoms of SAD, "SAD saps people of their energy and can make them feel moody. Less often, seasonal affective disorder causes depression in the spring or early summer. At Lourdes Counseling Center, we treat many people for SAD each year. People need to understand that there is help available."
Treatment for seasonal affective disorder includes light therapy (phototherapy), psychotherapy and medications. Don't brush off that yearly feeling as simply a case of the "winter blues" or a seasonal funk that you have to tough out on your own. Watch for signs and symptoms such as:
Fall and winter seasonal affective disorder (winter depression) Winter-onset seasonal affective disorder symptoms include: depression hopelessness, anxiety,· loss of energy,· heavy, "leaden" feeling in the arms or legs, social withdrawal, oversleeping. Often times people experience a loss of interest in activities, appetite changes, especially a craving for foods high in carbohydrates and weight gain.
John Simpkin, a counselor at Lourdes says there are steps you can do to elevate your mood, like exercise or go for a walk in natural sunlight or even open your blinds. Exposure to more of it is important. He says it does wonders for your mood and can even decrease feelings of depression.
Simpkin says if that doesn't work, light therapy can be used to alleviate the blues. Specialized light bulbs placed in lamps around the house can help fight SAD. Taking vitamins can helps as well, like essential nutrients from the sun, such as vitamin D.
· Don't isolate - Depression is one of those nasty mental illnesses that can leave you feeling lethargic, low, and not interested in going out and doing things. Getting off your butt and hanging out with friends can do wonders to lift moods and spirits, which can beat depression into submission.
· Eat well - If you feel the winter blues coming on, it's easy to dive into a tube of Pringles or a gallon of ice cream and park your butt on the sofa. It's hard to want to plan out and enjoy a nice, healthy meal, but it's vital to eat right while you're dealing with seasonal depression. Eating well helps boost mood, increases the levels of essential nutrients in your diet, and can give you the energy you need to get through the day.
Get some help - If you find that these home-care remedies for seasonal depression don't quite do the trick, it's time to talk to your doctor. Be sure to talk about your mood, when the depression began, your symptoms, and other information pertinent to making a proper diagnosis. There's no shame in being unable to beat Seasonal Affective Disorder.
