Don’t
Be SAD
The days may be getting longer but we are still almost three
months from the Spring Equinox with lots more grey days ahead.
January can be a difficult month, with the Christmas holidays
over and getting back to work and all good intentions for the New Year it can
be hard to maintain a positive outlook, and the weather definitely doesn’t
help.
I first realized I was SAD in 1989 when I was living in the
north of Scotland and working in the Findhorn Foundation. The days are very short in the winter
there. I became depressed without realising
it, then one lovely sunny day I felt great, that’s when I started to research
Light Therapy.
I got myself a light box, not an easy feat in those days,
there was only one company making them and they were very expensive and
huge! But it worked.
I keep a small one handy now for those dull days. In short, as I understand it, how they work is that in the evening
when it gets dark Melatonin is switched on in the brain to help us sleep and
when we receive light in the morning Serotonin is switched on (serotonin is the happy hormone). But when the weather is grey and
overcast we don’t get enough light to switch the Melatonin off and the Serotonin
on so we don’t fully wake up, that’s where the Light Box does it’s stuff (in the hypothalamus!)
You can buy one here:
You can buy one here:
Some symptoms are:
· Depression
· Lethargy
· Difficulty with memory & concentration
· Anxiety
· Sleep problems
· Over eating – increased desire for carbohydrate
· Irritability
· Loss of libido
· Depression
· Lethargy
· Difficulty with memory & concentration
· Anxiety
· Sleep problems
· Over eating – increased desire for carbohydrate
· Irritability
· Loss of libido
You can read more here:
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