\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
It is a real disorder.\u00a0 T<\/b>his is the time of year when a number of people begin to suffer with its symptoms.\u00a0\u00a0 Twenty percent of the population is reported to experience many of the symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder, (SAD).\u00a0 My father used to say everything was fine as long as \u201cthe old sun ball was shining.\u201d\u00a0 My favorite day is December 21, because the days start getting longer and brighter.\u00a0 June 21 always brings to me the realization that we are going in the other direction.\u00a0 Consequently, we will have less light in our days.\u00a0 How many of us say, \u201cAt least the sun is shining.\u201d\u00a0 Do we all suffer from SAD?\u00a0 Probably to some degree most of us are negatively affected by the lack of sunshine in our days during the winter months.<\/p>\n
Many who are affected do not understand what they are experiencing.\u00a0 They may not realize that there is help out there for them.\u00a0 We have all heard about SAD, but what exactly is it?\u00a0 SAD is a type of depression that occurs at the same time every year, usually in the fall, and continues until the beginning of summer.\u00a0 Less common is the reverse situation. This occurs when a person starts feeling depressed in the spring and feels better during the fall and winter.\u00a0 I will concentrate on the winter edition because we are at the beginning of that season and it is definitely the most common.\u00a0 Along with depression, symptoms of this disorder include feelings of hopelessness and anxiety, loss of energy, social withdrawal, lethargy, appetite changes, weight gain, and difficulty concentrating.\u00a0 Factors that may increase a person\u2019s risk for SAD include being female, living far from the equator, family history, and having a history of depression.\u00a0 People between the ages of 15 and 55 are most at risk for this disorder.<\/p>\n
What causes SAD?\u00a0 <\/b>The specific cause for this disorder remains unknown.\u00a0 Most likely, it is thought, that genetics, age and your body\u2019s natural chemical makeup all play a role in developing the condition.\u00a0 Some specific factors which are also considered to be instrumental in the development of this disorder are:<\/p>\n
–\u00a0 Your biological clock, known as circadian rhythm<\/b>.\u00a0 The lack of sunshine in fall and winter may disrupt your body\u2019s internal clock.\u00a0 Your circadian rhythm is disrupted because your body does not know when it should be asleep or awake.\u00a0 This disruption often leads to depression.<\/p>\n
–\u00a0 Serotonin levels<\/b>.\u00a0 Serotonin is our \u201cfeel good\u201d hormone.\u00a0 It is felt that reduced sunlight can cause a drop in this chemical in our brain and that may trigger depression.<\/p>\n
–\u00a0 Melatonin levels<\/b>.\u00a0 Melatonin is a natural hormone that plays a role in sleep patterns and mood.\u00a0 A change in seasons can disrupt this hormone balance and cause problems with mood and depression.<\/p>\n
As I previously said, most of us enjoy a sunny day more than a dark day.\u00a0 When do our feelings become serious enough to see our doctor for advice and treatment?\u00a0 If you feel down for days at a time and you are having difficulty getting motivated to do activities you normally enjoy, it is probably time to talk to your doctor.\u00a0 If you are experiencing this along with any of the other symptoms mentioned above, you owe it to yourself to get professional help.\u00a0 Avoid trying to \u201cstick it out until summer.\u201d\u00a0 Life is too short for us to sacrifice any of it to a disorder that can be managed.<\/p>\n
What is the treatment?<\/b>\u00a0 After a person is professionally diagnosed, a treatment plan will be discussed.\u00a0 It is usually not reasonable for most of us to relocate to a sunnier climate. Therefore, we need to use the resources we have available that can make us feel better.\u00a0 Light therapy (phototherapy) is one of the most popular treatments and it is very effective.\u00a0 This is achieved by using a light box to mimic outdoor light.\u00a0\u00a0 The light causes a change in the brain\u2019s chemicals linked to mood.\u00a0 Antidepressant medications are often beneficial for people with severe symptoms.\u00a0 Psychotherapy is also useful for some people who need help to find healthy ways to cope with the symptoms of SAD and manage stress.<\/p>\n
Anyone who has experienced any of the symptoms of SAD, to any degree, should benefit from the following advice:<\/p>\n
–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Make your surroundings sunnier and brighter<\/b>.\u00a0 Trim trees to allow more sunlight into the house, open blinds, keep lights on and when possible, sit closer to bright windows while at home or at work.<\/p>\n
–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Get outside<\/b>.\u00a0 Take a walk, go to a park and sit on a bench to soak up the sun.\u00a0 On a colder day, you can do the same if you dress properly for it.<\/p>\n
–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Exercise regularly.<\/b>\u00a0 Physical exercise helps relieve anxiety and stress, which often increase the symptoms of seasonal affective disorder.\u00a0 Improving your physical fitness can make you feel better about yourself.\u00a0 This benefit may help to improve your mood.<\/p>\n
In conclusion, a review of this disorder and its associated treatments, indicates that the treatments used to control this condition will help you, in many ways, to live a healthier, happier life.<\/p>\n
–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Stick to your plan of treatment including medications and medical appointment.<\/p>\n
–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Take proper care of yourself by getting enough rest and give yourself time to relax.\u00a0 Regular exercise and a healthy diet are keys to helping many mental and physical health problems.<\/p>\n
–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Manage your stress by learning techniques to lower your stress.\u00a0 Give yourself a break by having some \u201cme-time\u201d.<\/p>\n
–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Socializing is important to avoid feeling down.\u00a0 Make an effort to connect with your friends for support.\u00a0 It is therapeutic to have a shoulder to cry on or someone with whom to share a laugh.<\/p>\n
–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Take a trip if possible.\u00a0 A break during the winter can be extremely beneficial. Anticipation of the trip may be as rewarding as the experience itself.<\/p>\n
We encourage our residents at the Farrar Home to keep their rooms well lit, to raise shades during the day and to go out, when possible, with family and friends.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Daily exercise and socialization are also an important part of our program.\u00a0\u00a0 Light boxes and special lamps have also been useful for some of our residents.<\/p>\n
I look forward to seeing smiles on everyone\u2019s face this winter because you are taking good care of yourselves.\u00a0 We are in a colder, darker climate than many, but we are also very fortunate not to be victims of extreme weather.\u00a0 We need to be thankful for what we have and make the best of each day.<\/p>\n
Living life to the best of our abilities and taking good care of ourselves and other people will help to make the world a better place for everyone.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u00a0 It is a real disorder.\u00a0 This is the time of year when a number of people begin to suffer with its symptoms.\u00a0\u00a0 Twenty percent of the population is reported to experience many of the symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder, (SAD).\u00a0 My father used to say everything was fine as long as \u201cthe old sun […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-667","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-aging-gracefully"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p32jIr-aL","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/farrarhome.org\/home\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/667"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/farrarhome.org\/home\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/farrarhome.org\/home\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/farrarhome.org\/home\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/farrarhome.org\/home\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=667"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/farrarhome.org\/home\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/667\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":668,"href":"https:\/\/farrarhome.org\/home\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/667\/revisions\/668"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/farrarhome.org\/home\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=667"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/farrarhome.org\/home\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=667"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/farrarhome.org\/home\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=667"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}