Don’t Be S.A.D
Let’s Talk About the “Winter Blues”
The “winter blues” is very common for most people during the winter months. Some people it winter depression. The lack of sun during the winter causes shorter days that have mental and physical effects on us as humans. Though this is a natural feeling there is a more intense condition called Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD. There are a lot of people who don’t get the care they need for SAD because they write off the way they are feeling as just the winter blues.
SAD is a subtype of depression where as the winter blues is not medically considered depression. SAD is triggered by your biological clock response, a drop in serotonin, or a change in your melatonin release. All three are said to be caused but the reduction in sunlight during the winter months.
How does SAD and the Winter Blues affect my body?
• Lethargic
• Depressed
• Hopeless
• Loss of interest in activities you normally love
• Agitated
• Overwhelming feeling to eat leading to weight gain
• Trouble Sleeping
“Winter blues is a general term, not a medical diagnosis. It’s fairly common, and it’s more mild than serious. It usually clears up on its own in a fairly short amount of time,” says Dr. Matthew Rudorfer, a mental health expert at NIH. The so-called winter blues are often linked to something specific, such as stressful holidays or reminders of absent loved ones.
“Seasonal affective disorder, though, is different. It’s a well-defined clinical diagnosis that’s related to the shortening of daylight hours,” says Rudorfer. “It interferes with daily functioning over a significant period of time.” ~NIH
People that suffer from SAD can often have hypomania in the spring and summer months and depression in the fall and winter months. Those at higher risk for SAD are those with major depression, those with bipolar disorder, family history, those who live in northern areas where there are snowy winters, and those that live far north or south of the equator.
How can I lower my risk?
• Phototherapy
• Hypnotherapy
• Exercise
• Take a mental health break from electronics
• Eat energizing food ( stay away from the comfort foods)
• Talk to you doctor or holistic healer
Winter blues can get the best of us if we don’t put our health first. The winter months are hard because as human the natural Vitamin D of the sun does so much for us. It’s amazing how the weather and the seasons can affect our mental state. If you need help this winter please reach out. Feel free to message Shelly Jo Hypno Aminos directly if you need more information on hypnotherapy or amino acid supplements. We would love to take this journey through the rest of winter with you. You are not alone!
Keep Smiling!
“Beat the Winter Blues.” National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 8 Sept. 2017, newsinhealth.nih.gov/2013/01/beat-winter-blues.
