Some or all of these symptoms are present during the fall and winter. Occasionally, seasonal affective disorder (SAD) occurs in summer, but with diminished rather than increased eating or sleeping symptoms.

  • Depression, difficulty enjoying life, pessimism about the future.
  • Loss of energy, inertia, apathy.
  • Increased sleep, difficulty getting up in the morning.
  • Impaired functioning: difficulty getting to work on time; tasks that are normally easy seem impossible.
  • Increased appetite, weight gain.
  • Carbohydrate cravings.
  • Desire to avoid people.
  • Irritability, crying spells.
  • Decreased sex drive.
  • Suicidal thoughts or feelings.
  • For children and adolescents:
  • Feeling tired and irritable.
  • Temper tantrums.
  • MI Difficulty concentrating.
  • Vague physical complaints.
  • Marked cravings for junk food.

Call Your Doctor If

  • you or your child suffers some of these symptoms with the onset of fall and winter and they seem to diminish or dissipate as spring and summer approach;
  • your healthcare practitioner can help guide you to the most effective treatments for this condition.

Herbal Beauty

Treatment Options

The most effective treatment for SAD is light therapy, sometimes combined with psychotherapy. However, a number of other alternative remedies have also proved helpful. For example, some healers believe that certain electrical emissions in the atmosphere—negative ions—improve a person’s mood and health. In the last 30 years, scientists have developed small devices that emit negative ions into the atmosphere of a room. The negative ionizer seems particularly helpful for people with SAD (one study showed a 58 percent reduction of depression) and may be a good supplement to light therapy and medications.

Body Work

A number of people with seasonal affective disorder have found relief of their symptoms through Therapeutic Touch.

Chinese Medicine

SAD has been known to Chinese medicine for centuries and can be treated by acupuncture and Chinese herbs used in special combinations. Consult a practitioner for a course of treatment that is appropriate for your condition.

Energy Medicine

Polarity therapy, administered by a trained practitioner, can often be helpful in cases of SAD.

Flower Remedies

The Bach flower remedy Rescue Remedy is often recommended for patients with seasonal affective disorder and may be particularly beneficial when used in combination with other flower remedies. Consult a naturopath or other practitioner familiar with flower remedies.

Hydrotherapy

To help promote relaxation and ease depression, soak in a hot bath containing a few drops of lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) or German chamomile (Matricaria recutita) essential oil. Consult a naturopathic physician familiar with hydrotherapy for other appropriate remedies.

Light Therapy

Light therapy can be used in different ways and may employ different types of light boxes, light visors, and lamps. All are designed to bring extra light to the eyes. Check to be sure a light box filters out harmful ultraviolet light.

Light boxes that generate strong full-spectrum light are the most beneficial (strong fluorescent light may cause problems such as dizziness, headaches, and even depression). Place the box on a table or desk where you can do paperwork, read, or make phone calls, and sit before it for periods varying from 15 minutes to 1/2 hours a day.

Other light sources include larger boxes that stand on the floor, visors with lights attached, and dawn simulators—lights programmed to turn on by your bed on winter mornings before dawn.

Light boxes can be bought for several hundred dollars at special stores. Experts warn against constructing your own light box because of possible damage from ultraviolet light.

Massage

Administered by a trained professional, massage may be a useful adjunct to other therapies. Try three or four massage sessions to see if it works; one session is not enough to judge.

Mind/Body Medicine

Tapping the power of the mind and spirit can be of immense value in overcoming SAD. Various forms of meditation help relax the body and focus concentration, and for many people the power of prayer can be formidable therapy. Others find relief through guided imagery, in which patients are trained to use their imagination as a way to influence certain physiological conditions. Exercise can also be very helpful; in particular, engaging in a regular program of yoga is said to be a powerful way to rebalance the endocrine system and thereby decrease the symptoms of SAD.

Nutrition and Diet

People with SAD are apt to overeat in the winter, with cravings for sweets and starches. One SAD expert urges patients to avoid snacking on foods rich in carbohydrates and, instead, balance carbohydrates with protein or restrict carbohydrate-rich food to a single balanced meal a day.

Home Remedies

  • Take a walk at lunchtime when the sun is high.
  • Be outdoors as often as you can.
  • Exercise as much as you are able.
  • Take winter vacations in places with long days. Km Increase the natural light in your home by trimming low-lying branches near the houseand hedges around windows.
  • Paint your walls with lighter colors.
  • Keep warm and enjoy the fun aspects of winter—such as wood fires, books, music.

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