Winter Blues Are SAD by Cher’ley

This blog by Cher’ley Grogg

Seasonal Affective Disorder Makes a Person Feel Tired and Depressed

 

The weather and the changing of the seasons affects mood.  Snow is beautiful; the price of that beauty is shorter days.  Some people feel the need to go to bed when the sun goes down. For those same people, shorter days equal less energy.

The writers of songs have always used the weather to evoke special feelings. A couple of great weather related songs are Four Seasons in One Day by Crowded House and Sunshine on My Shoulders by John Denver . It’s sad to feel drug out and drug down. Many refer to those feelings and the drabness of the short, dark days as “The Winter Blues”.  The clinical name is Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD– the feelings that accompany this disorder are extreme bouts of seasonal depression or The Blues. Depression is more than feeling sad or feeling grief. It is more than feeling blue periodically.  It’s when these feelings hang around for long periods of time that the blues become clinical depression. It’s when a lack of external reasons cause the changing of moods.

Symptoms of SAD

SAD symptoms tend to be mild to moderate in severity. Patients may experience daytime fatigue and lethargy, excessive sleep, weight gain and a strong desire for sugary or starchy foods. Patients who have summertime depression – also known as “reverse SAD” – may experience anxiety, decreased appetite, insomnia, irritability and weight loss.

People who feel depressed for any length of time or who feel that life has gradually become less pleasurable should see a physician. Before diagnosing SAD, the physician will rule out other medical conditions that cause similar symptoms.

Treatment of SAD

 

Light therapy is the chief treatment for SAD. In this therapy, patients sit before bright, fluorescent bulbs that are designed to concentrate the light on the lower half of the retina, an area of the eye that has photoreceptors involved in antidepressant response. Sessions typically last for 30 minutes or longer and are extremely effective for most patients.

Antidepressants and psychotherapy are also used to treat SAD. Patients with mild forms of SAD may benefit from preventative measures such as taking an hour-long walk in bright winter sunlight, increasing the amount of light that enters the home, exercising regularly and performing other stress-reduction techniques.

Prevention Methods for SAD

People who have mild symptoms of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) may find that certain actions can help ward off depression. Studies have found that people who take an hour-long walk in bright winter sunlight can significantly reduce their risk of SAD.Patients can also try to boost the amount of light that enters their homes through opening blinds and adding skylights to their homes. Regular exercise and other stress-reduction techniques can help patients to feel more relaxed, making them less vulnerable to SAD. Trips to sunny, warm-weather locales during winter – or to cool-weather places for those with reverse SAD – can help improve SAD symptoms. In addition, the Food and Drug Administration recently approved the first medication (bupropion HCI extended-release tablets) for the prevention of depressive episodes in patients with SAD.

To find out more on this subject connect to Your Total Health.

***Are you SAD? Do you fight other depressions?***

 

Cher’ley’s Books are listed below and on sale at Amazon and local bookstores. And she has a new one that is freshly published with 11 other authors. 

 

Stamp Out Murder”.

 

“The Secret in Grandma’s Trunk” This is an especially good book for your Tween Children and Grandchildren.

The Journey Back-One Joy at a Time and the B&W Edition of The Journey Back

Boys Will Be Boys   The Joys and Terrors of Raising Boys-An Anthology

 Cowboys, Creatures, and Calico 

And please join me on my Facebook Fanpage, that’s managed by one of my most faithful fans: Cindy Ferrell

Here’s a link to Cher’ley’s WEBSITE

 

 

Related articles

• Vitamin D shortfall linked to seasonal depression, researchers say
• Seasonal Depression is a Serious yet Treatable Condition
• 5 Ways To Fight Winter Blues