HOW DO YOU RECOGNIZE A SEASONAL AFFECTIVE DISORDER?

As with depression and other mental health conditions, the symptoms of SAD can vary in severity. For many people, symptoms start mildly in early fall but become increasingly severe over the winter. In the spring it gets better and in the summer it disappears, but it often returns every year. Be here the most common SAD symptoms: 

• Low, depressed mood
• Fear and panic
• Loss of interest in activities you used to enjoy
• Feelings of sadness, hopelessness and despair
• Suicidal thoughts (considered a medical emergency, seek help immediately)
• Low energy and fatigue
• Feeling angry, irritable and stressed
• Changes in sleep patterns
• Difficulty concentrating
• Inexplicable pain
• Low self-esteem
• Changes in weight and appetite
• Craving carbohydrate-rich and sweet foods
• Using drugs or alcohol for comfort

WHAT CAUSES WINTER DEPRESSION?

There is a link between shorter days with less sunlight and the onset of winter depression symptoms, but scientists don't know exactly what causes this. What is known is that the following imbalances can contribute to the development of symptoms of SAD:

• Misalignment of your circadian rhythm and nature's cycle. The circadian rhythm is your internal clock that regulates your mood, sleep and appetite based on changes between light and dark in the environment. Ideally, you would follow the natural cycle of day and night in nature, waking up with the sunrise and setting with the sunset and getting enough sunlight during the day. Instead, you are exposed to a lot of artificial light from early morning to late evening and spend much less time in natural light.
• Serotonin deficiency, which is our “happy neurotransmitter” and works as a Serotonin is produced in the intestines from the amino acid tryptophan to the tune of no less than 90%. For healthy serotonin levels, it is important to consume sufficient tryptophan from food. As a result, your intestines, digestion and the food you eat have a huge influence on how you feel every day. However, serotonin cannot cross the blood-brain barrier and 10% is therefore produced in the brain.
• Too much melatonin, known as a “sleep hormone”. Darkness is the spark plug for your pineal gland to produce melatonin, and too much of it can leave you feeling sleepy, groggy, and with low energy.
• A vitamin D deficiency is also associated with (winter) depression and other mental disorders. It can easily happen during late fall, winter and early spring because exposure to sunlight is necessary for our bodies to produce vitamin D.

The good news is that SAD, just like depression or anxiety, can be efficiently avoided and treated with many holistic and all-natural methods. I want to share with you the methods that are easily accessible, have no side effects and have the greatest impact.

1. NATURAL SUNLIGHT OR LIGHT THERAPY.

Make every effort to go outside during the day and expose yourself to the sun without wearing sunglasses (but never look directly at the sun).

Exposure to morning light at sunrise is most important for your circadian rhythm. If it gets too cold to go outside early in the morning, you can sit warmly dressed by an open window and look outside.

If your lifestyle doesn't give you enough time in the sunlight, you can use light therapy, where you sit in front of a special light lamp for 15 to 30 minutes every morning. It replaces the daylight that is missing in winter by exposing you to bright light (about 20 times brighter than standard lighting).

2. PHYSICAL EXERCISE.

Accessible and effective for almost everyone, regular exercise, at least three times a week for 30 minutes, is a powerful way to combat (winter) depression. According to some studies, it is as effective at treating mild to moderate depression as antidepressants.

Choose exercises that you enjoy and that you can make a habit of. Even something as simple as going for a walk or jumping on a rebounder is great.

3. MASSAGE.

It has been proven that massage therapy improves mood, reduces anxiety, lowers blood pressure and increases energy levels, so it can be done can be an effective method to reduce your SAD symptoms. Getting a massage not only makes your body feel better because the physical pain is gone, it also reduces stress hormones and pumps your system full of that happy “love” chemical cocktail that makes you feel so relaxed.

Remember that your skin is the largest organ in your body, measuring almost 2 square meters on an adult. As the massage When done by a professional therapist, it can be virtually as effective as a psychotherapy session. Getting a massage regularly is not a luxury. In many cases it can be an important additional treatment to get through the winter.

4. REIKI.

reiki can be a very effective means to overcome winter (depression), especially for its ability to restore physical, mental and emotional balance, improve your mood and reduce stress. Improved balance always has a domino effect on other symptoms associated with a negative mood, such as anxiety, anger, confusion and hopelessness and can help clear the negative thoughts and feelings.

5. ESSENTIAL OILS.

A lot of essential oils with a high content of linalool and beta-pinene known for their ability to reduce sad and anxious feelings. Lavender, clary sage, coriander, cilantro, basil and petitgrain essential oils have high levels of linalool, while lemon, lime and white pine have high levels of beta-pinene.

It's so amazing that they can really support your mood and that they're so easy to use – just 1 drop makes a huge difference and can instantly boost your mood. One of the most beautiful things about essential oils is their ability to directly affect emotions when inhaled. Their chemical constituents are able to travel directly from the nose to the limbic system of the brain and have a direct and immediate effect on emotions.

6. AN ANTI-DEPRESSION FOOD.

You've probably heard about it the connection between the intestines and the brain and the fact that a healthy diet is used in the neuroscience community as an important treatment for mental illness. The optimal nutrition for mental health is based primarily on unprocessed plant foods (vegetables, fruits, legumes, grains, nuts, seeds), with the occasional addition of fish or meat and the avoidance of processed foods, alcohol and other stimulants such as coffee and black tea.

7. VITAMIN D SUPPLEMENT.

As a standalone aid it will not help prevent winter depression, but in addition to a healthy diet, exercise and physical therapies, it will help reduce symptoms.

8. SOCIAL BINDING.

Having even just one person who can offer you mental support, listen to you and with whom you can do fun activities during the dark winter time is extremely important. As humans, we need social contacts to stay emotionally and mentally healthy. Having a trusted and reliable group of friends or simply a number of people with similar beliefs, interests and hobbies has been proven to have a positive impact on overall health.