Are you worried that your case of seasonal sadness has lasted longer, or has become more intense than usual? How do you know if this is only a short-term issue, or if you might be dealing with a serious case of Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD? Do you need to seek treatment from a physician? Find out about the signs of this condition, how this problem affects sufferers, and those treatments that are most helpful.



Seasonal Affective Disorder is not just getting the blues after summer has gone. SAD begins when the fall season begins to change to winter and daylight hours are shortened. Symptoms usually start at some point during late summer or early fall. Furthermore, because of the severity and consequences of SAD and other types of depression, physicians require extensive evidence of the condition before they are willing to make a definite diagnosis. Although signs may be quite severe, physicians rarely diagnose a patient with this condition until after he or she demonstrates symptoms for a minimum of three winters in a row.

Individuals who experience SAD start to experience emotions of depression, decreased motivation, and often sleep for long periods. They also develop a dependence on sugar or sweets. In addition, the majority of persons diagnosed with SAD also have poor immune system functioning. Often, they develop illnesses much more easily than people who do not suffer from SAD.

SAD can negatively decrease an individual's ability to function at work or at school. This decreased motivation can make it difficult for a person even to get out of bed and tend to normal activities. People with SAD have trouble participating in social situations, or even at home. These persons often experience times of extreme anxiety and irritability. Sometimes, the problem becomes severe and disabling enough that people even consider suicide and have to be hospitalized for treatment.

Interestingly, women appear to have a higher rate of SAD than men do. Furthermore, this condition seems to get better each year when spring arrives. In fact, by March or April, symptoms usually decrease or resolve completely - until autumn returns again. This remains true even in states that tend to be cloudy or rainy throughout the entire year. In fact, almost twenty percent of those who are diagnosed with seasonal depression will at some point develop signs of bipolar disorder.

These sufferers primarily tend to be depressed during wintertime, but report normal moods throughout the rest of the year. At times, however, individuals describe instances of unexpected mood elevation, which is also called mania. Like any other type of depression, this condition can become very serious and even disabling if left untreated. Additionally, some persons suffer from very mild forms of depression; they may struggle with exhaustion, decreased vigor, and loss of appetite. Such people, however, do not usually endure instances of depressive moods or anxiety.

This type of depression is relatively rare in sunny areas such as Tennessee, southern California, and Texas. In contrast, people who reside in places with many cloudy days, such as Ohio, Illinois, or Washington are much more likely to develop this condition. Citizens of countries including Finland, Germany, and England also face an increased risk of SAD.

Medical researchers have used many different approaches to help affected individuals overcome this debilitating condition. They have experimented with placing people under artificial light in an attempt to assist them to manufacture more serotonin and relieve depression symptoms. Scientists have also used medicines such as anti-anxiety drugs, and supplements, such as melatonin, trying to relieve these symptoms of depression. Many those who struggle with SAD also visit psychotherapists during those times when their symptoms are at their peak.

All of these approaches result in with different degrees of effectiveness. Despite this, all are significantly more costly and require more time than two recently introduced, innovative methods. Hypnotherapists have refined the art of teaching both NLP and hypnotherapy techniques for depression. Through the latter method, clients learn to talk themselves out of a depressive period and resolve their symptoms. These innovative therapies, hypnosis and NLP, have proven to have a phenomenal degree of benefit in assisting clients to recover from, and prevent future episodes of SAD.

Summary:Seasonal Affective Disorder is a kind of winter blues that recurs every year at the same season. Only those who suffer from this condition are able to choose whether they wish to continue to fight the symptoms alone, year after year, or to try to get help in escaping the effects of this condition forever. Hypnosis and NLP for SAD are both helpful, innovative therapies that provide a rapid escape from depression without consuming excessive amounts of money or energy.