Be Aware of Winter Depression Symptoms

In the fall, do you dread the last leaf hitting the ground because of the dread of the coming long winter, shorter days, less sunlight and feeling depressed? If so, then you may be among the thousands of people who suffer from SAD each year. Winter depression symptoms tend to appear just as fall is ending and the cold and bleak winter months loom ahead. With shorter days and less exposure to sunlight, many people sink into a depressive mood until the first blades of grass appear in spring.

Some of the symptoms of seasonal affective disorder that a person may experience include a change in eating habits, a change in sleeping patterns, loss of interest in activities they would normally take part in and even overwhelming fatigue that no amount of sleep seems to cure. From late September to December, these are the months when one or more of these symptoms may appear and for many, the symptoms get even worse as January drags on. Yet anyone suffering from this type of seasonal depression knows that their symptoms will disappear with the glorious days of spring, when the days grow longer and the sun shines brighter.

Treatment options will vary from person to person. Often people will experience winter depression symptoms differently when under the affects of this disorder and no two cases of it are alike. Once your doctor has eliminated other mood disorders, only then can he or she begin the correct type of treatment. Treatment seems to work quickly for patients, thus allowing them to get back on track.

What is light therapy you may ask? It is a fairly new therapy used for people who have winter depression. It has been tested and compared to other medical treatments and it has been found that over half of participants responded better to light treatments than they did to medical intervention therapy. The big plus of a light treatment is that it is natural, with the benefit of no side effects to worry about, as is often the case with pharmaceutical drugs.

During therapy with lights, the winter depression sufferer sets up a panel of fluorescent lights in a room where they can read, write, watch television and go about their normal activities as they go through the treatment. The length of the exposure session depends on the person and how affected they are by the depression in winter. Length of sessions can be as short as fifteen minutes once or twice daily, to around three hours once or twice a day, depending on the severity of the symptoms.

How does one determine if they are suffering from winter depression symptoms? Do a little research either at the library or online for more information about SAD. This can help you get a better understanding about why it occurs and what the symptoms are. You can always contact a therapist or consult a counselor to find out more about how to reverse seasonal affective disorder.

Related topics about Winter Depression Symptoms

Winter Blues Depression And You
The causes of winter blues depression are not fully known, but there appears to be a relationship between lack of sunlight and feeling depressed. Those who live in northern climates tend to be more susceptible to the disorder, known as seasonal affective disorder, or SAD. Because of the shorter days and more hours of darkness during the winter months, a person living in Maine is more likely to suffer from winter depression than a person living in Florida, for example.

Winter Depression Light Therapy
People dealing with this seasonal disorder don't automatically exhibit all the typical symptoms, so it is very important to contact a doctor for a check up. Winter depression light therapy can help until longer days and more hours of sunlight arrive. Miraculously, the signs of this depression seem to disappear with the arrival of the beautiful days of spring and ample sunlight.

Treating SAD Winter Depression
Light therapy is done with the help of special light therapy lamps. Also known as photo therapy, this form of treatment involves exposing the eyes and skin to specific light wavelengths using LEDs, or light emitting diodes, fluorescent light, lasers or bright lights that emit all the colors of the spectrum. This type of procedure is prescribed for a short period of time and is non-invasive.