Ways To Treat Seasonal Affective Disorder

Seasonal Affective Disorder (cleverly abbreviated as “SAD”) is a fancy way of saying you’ve got “the winter blues.” Perhaps it’s all that ambient lighting throwing your hormones out of whack or your decreased body temperature leaves you feeling tense. At any rate, you begin feeling unlike yourself in late autumn and your depression typically peaks when winter is in full swing.
You have no energy. You can’t concentrate. You want to eat all the time and usually gain a few pounds. You want to sleep all day long, even after you’ve just arisen from nine or ten hours of nighttime rest. You’re not interested in your usual activities or hobbies. Your movements are sluggish. You hardly feel like hanging out with your friends. You could qualify as a “professional malcontent” at this point and phew – are you ever irritable! While it may seem like par for the course in the winter, there are a number of possible treatments for sufferers of Seasonal Affective Disorder.

1. Meet with a counselor who can offer up inspirational, happier thoughts.
2. Exercise, taking long walks during the day.
3. Go out with your friends – even if you don’t feel like it.
4. Buy a special 10,000 lux fluorescent light – called a SAD lamp – which is said to mimic sunlight. Using this for 30 minutes per day is said to clear up symptoms within a month.
5. You can also buy a negative air ionizer to use at night.
6. Prescription anti-depressants like Wellbutrin, Paxil, Zoloft, Prozac, Sarafem or Effexor are sometimes used to treat severe cases.
7. Alternative medicine like St. John’s Wort, Melatonin pills, Vitamin D supplements, and increased doses of Omega-3 fatty acids are said to help with depression.
8. Acupuncture releases the body’s natural endorphins, alleviating tension.
9. Yoga, massage, guided imagery, and meditation improve one’s overall mental state.
   Taking a vacation somewhere warm and sunny helps beat the winter blues.

Article: Jennn Fusion Twitter: @jennnfusion