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DrSugar On: Seasonal Affective Disorder
DrSugar has received more than a few questions regarding the Winter blues. If you feel like hibernating these days, read what he has to say about this seasonal problem.
December 22nd marked the first official day of Winter.
Are You Affected by Seasonal Affective Disorder?
The change in seasons can add charm to certain places, but some people go through Winter counting down to the arrival of Spring. Even the most delicious cup of creamy hot chocolate won't cheer up somebody affected by seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a type of depression that onsets with shorter, darker days and is alleviated by the typically warmer months.
Experts think a lack of sunlight is to blame for SAD, which explains the tendency for those affected by SAD to feel a positive change in their overall mood during Spring and Summer.
Light Up Your Life to Beat the Winter Blues
Adjusting to the suddenly dark evenings is a little rough for me, even though I truly enjoy and take advantage of the extra light in the morning. Lack of it makes me a little blue; does it do that to you, too? One way to perk up your mood is to increase the amount light you enjoy on a daily basis.
SAD? Tips for Coping
If you have noticed that your mood and motivation plummets come November and you never seem to bounce back to normal in April, then you may have seasonal affective disorder (SAD).
SAD - a chemical imbalance in the brain brought on by lack of light due to winter's shorter days and typically overcast skies - affects nearly 10-20 percent of all people, the majority of them being women.
Symptoms of SAD are:
- A change in appetite, especially a craving for sweet or starchy foods
- Weight gain
- A heavy feeling in the arms or legs
- A drop in energy level
- Fatigue
- A tendency to oversleep
- Difficulty concentrating
- Irritability
- Increased sensitivity to social rejection
- Avoidance of social situations
Don't Have a Blue Christmas
It is true that with joy comes sadness, and Christmas is no exception. Many of us suffer emotionally through the holidays and there are many reasons why we do - fatigue, financial stress, family tension, and unrealistic expectations are all factors.
We tend to be more social during the holiday season, which can really wear you down.
Are you feeling SAD?
I think Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) should win the prize for most appropriate acronym, since folks suffering from the disorder feel well...more than a little sad. About 1 in 5 Americans suffer from this well known but rarely treated disorder, that leaves people feeling a decrease in energy and cheerfulness, as well as a decline in productivity and creativity.
The lack of light that accompanies the winter months disrupts natural sleep / wake cycles creating effects similar to an extreme case of jet lag.
Other Search Results
Studies Have Confirmed: Sugar, Models, and Clowns
Some health studies make headlines and they seem quite shocking and sad, like this one from CNN: Tweens Challenged by Grown-Up Malady: Breast Cancer. Others bring out my inner fourth grader, and my response to them is sophisticated "no duh." But stories are often more complicated than their headlines, and it is nice to have scientific studies confirm a few assumptions.
Handling a Loved One's Breast Cancer
When someone in your life tells you that they have been diagnosed with breast cancer, it's difficult to know how to respond or the best way to help. Glamour and Bright Pink, a nonprofit support group for women with breast and ovarian cancer, offered these helpful tips on how to make the conversation easier:
January Jones Is Mad For Christina Hendricks's Curves
It's no secret that Christina Hendricks, who plays the buxom secretary on Mad Men, is engaged, and like many brides-to-be, she is dieting.
Her costar January Jones says the redhead bombshell is keeping quiet on the details of her regimen. January gave People the skinny at an Emmys afterparty:
I know that Christina has gone on a "diet," she said.
Avoid Crash Diets: Healthy Weight-Loss Tips
I read a very sad and unfortunate tale of an English bride-to-be's death after crash dieting. After eating only 530 calories a day for 11 weeks, the 34-year-old collapsed. Having weighed 244 pounds at the start of the controversial LighterLife diet, Samantha Clowe had lost 42 pounds when she collapsed and died of heart failure.
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