It’s not “the most wonderful time of the year” if you or a loved one suffers from seasonal affective disorder (SAD). According to the American Association of Retired Persons, the holidays can aggravate feelings of loneliness, financial troubles, family problems, and depression. Add darker, colder days, and feelings of despair can increase.
If you’re female, young, have a family history of depression, and live where winter daylight hours are short, you may be more likely to experience SAD, explains the National Institutes of Health. People in Alaska are more likely to suffer from SAD than Floridians, who enjoy abundant year-round sunshine.
SAD is a type of depression that typically starts in late fall and early winter, and goes away in the spring. Low energy, sleeping excessively, overeating, gaining weight, craving carbohydrates, and withdrawing socially are symptoms.
While the causes of SAD are unknown, research has found biological links including an insufficiency of Vitamin D, and an overproduction of melatonin which regulates sleep. The reduced level of sunlight in the fall and winter may also interfere with a person’s serotonin production, which affects mood.
Treatment methods include medication, light therapy, psychotherapy, and Vitamin D supplementation. “Since seasonal depression has a predictable pattern of recurrence, preventative measures may help to reduce symptoms. Begin light therapy before the onset of symptoms, exercise more, increase the amount of light at home, meditate, and use other stress management techniques. Try spending more time outside, and visit climates that have more sun,” suggests Mental Health America.
Experts add that following a healthy diet and regular exercise program can boost mood and reduce the rate of SAD.
Scandinavian countries, where sunlight can be scarce, have light-therapy clinics, giant rotating sunlight mirrors, and positive thinking reminders to overcome SAD.
Fox Point : 3300 Charles J. Miler Memorial Highway, McHenry, IL 60050 : 815.322.7166 : http://www.seniorlifestyles.com/foxpoint.
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December 17, 2019 at 01:40AM
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Treat SAD with light, therapy, Vitamin D to keep happy in holidays - Northwest Herald
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