Your Life And Sad. Could You Be Making Your Sad Worse?

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that some people get in the autumn and winter months, as the light in the sky starts to reduce and days get shorter. “Reverse SAD” happens to people in the summer months, but is much more rare. While it may be easily confused with other forms of illnesses, its major characteristics are that it happens in the same months every year, and it is accompanied by severe depression and lethargy.

It is the affects of SAD that make it such a difficult disease to deal with, as they encourage patients to indulge in activities that make their illness worse. These include depression, lethargy (which often leads to overeating) and weight gain. Combined, these can lead a person to spend all their time indoors, which leads to even worse depression and lethargy, thereby making the condition worse over time.

While there are several known treatments for SAD, which include light therapy and medication, it can be made worse by a patient’s inability to either gain proper treatment in time, or not following a prescribed treatment plan properly. It is important to take the medications as prescribed, and be careful to go to psychotherapy sessions as scheduled. This reduces the symptoms, and helps the patient relieve their anxiety.

Making a house brighter and allowing in more light can also help, as more natural light suppresses the production of melatonin in the body, which is what causes the illness in the first place. This can be done by adding a skylight, opening the curtains and trimming any tree branches that might block sunlight. For the same reason, getting outdoors is also important. Since patients suffer from lethargy, they often do not even make it out of bed and only make their symptoms worse. Thus, they need to make sure they go for long walks while the sun is high to expose themselves to more sunlight while they can, as this will reduce symptoms by suppressing melatonin production.

Regular physical exercise increases adrenalin in the body and reduces anxiety levels in people. This will also help people who are overeating as it will slow their weight gain and will encourage them to stay away from food.
Depression can lead to SAD patients turning to drugs and/or alcohol. Both of these need to be avoided, and patients should try and eat balanced diets, which will all contribute to reduced symptoms. It is also important to not let the stress affect your mental health, and patients must try and relax or they will turn to overeating.

While depression can also lead to people becoming antisocial, the exact opposite is needed to help combat the symptoms of SAD. You should try and connect with your friends and family so they can support you through this tough time and help you feel better. If possible, take a trip to a warmer and sunnier location.

SAD, while a serious condition, is not a crippling illness and can be treated effectively year after year by someone who is willing to follow the prescribed plan, and combat the symptoms by living a healthy lifestyle.

By: Rosana Horowitz

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Rosana Horowitz is an expert in SAD and is familiar with its effects. She has tested many products that lay claim to being the market leader but she has found the Sunrise systems srs 250 clock to be highly effective in the treatment of SAD.