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SAD - When Cyclic Despair Gets Out of Control

Seasonal Affective Disorder is more than just experiencing sadness after summer has gone. This disorder begins in autumn, when the season moves toward winter and daylight hours are shortened. Symptoms usually start at some point between September and November. Moreover, because of the severity and consequences of SAD and other types of depression, doctors require extensive evidence of the condition before they are willing to make a definite diagnosis. Despite the fact that symptoms can be quite severe, doctors almost never diagnose patients with SAD until after he or she has experienced strong evidence of the disorder for a minimum of three consecutive winters.

Individuals who experience this disorder start to experience feelings of sadness, reduced motivation, and often sleep for long periods. Furthermore, they develop a craving for carbohydrates or sweets. In addition, most people diagnosed with SAD also have immune systems that do not function adequately. Frequently, they find themselves becoming ill much more easily than people who do not suffer from SAD.

This disorder can negatively affect an individual’s ability to function professionally or at school. This lack of motivation often makes getting out of bed or engaging in one’s usual daily activities difficult. Sufferers have trouble participating in social encounters, or even at home. These persons frequently experience episodes of intense panic and irritability. Sometimes, symptoms become severe and disabling enough that victims even think about suicide and require hospitalization for treatment.

Not surprisingly, females seem to experience SAD more frequently than men do. Furthermore, this condition seems to get better yearly at springtime. Indeed, by March or April, symptoms usually decrease or disappear altogether - until the following autumn. This remains true even in regions that tend to be cloudy or rainy throughout the entire year. In fact, almost one-fifth of those who are treated for seasonal depression will eventually develop symptoms of bipolar disorder.

These people are usually depressed during wintertime, but have normal moods throughout the rest of the year. In some cases, however, individuals describe instances of unexpected elation, which is also called mania. Like any other type of depression, SAD may become very serious and even disabling if not treated properly. Additionally, some people suffer from very low-grade levels of depression; they may struggle with exhaustion, decreased vigor, and loss of appetite. Such people, however, do not usually endure episodes of depressive moods or anxiety.

This kind of depression is relatively uncommon in sunny areas such as Florida, southern California, and Texas. Others, who reside in states with a large number of cloudy days, such as Indiana, Illinois, or Oregon are at higher risk for developing this disorder. Citizens of countries including Denmark, Germany, and Ireland also face an increased risk of seasonal depression.

Scientists have used a number of different strategies to aid affected individuals overcome this debilitating problem. They have tried exposing people to artificial light in an attempt to aid them to produce more serotonin and decrease depression symptoms. Scientists have also worked with medicines such as antidepressants, and supplements, such as melatonin, in an attempt to relieve these signs of depression. Often, those who experience this condition also visit psychiatrists during those times when their symptoms are at their peak.

All of these techniques result in with varying amounts of success. All, however, are significantly more expensive and time-intensive than two more recent, innovative methods. Hypnotherapists have refined the art of coaching clients to learn both NLP and hypnotherapy strategies for depression. Using the latter method, people learn to talk themselves out of a depressive period and resolve their symptoms. These innovative treatments, hypnotherapy and NLP, have proven to have a phenomenal degree of success in assisting individuals to heal from, and avoid future episodes of SAD.

Summary: Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a kind of sadness that returns each year at almost the same time. Only those who face this problem are able to determine whether they wish to continue fighting the symptoms alone, year after year, or to try to get help in resolving this condition forever. Hypnosis and NLP to treat seasonal depression are both beneficial, innovative treatments that offer a rapid escape from these feelings without requiring excessive amounts of money or energy.

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Alan B. Densky, CH specializes in stress and depression as a certified hypnotherapist and NLP Practitioner. He has helped thousands since 1978. He offers hypnotherapy for depression CDs. Visit his Neuro-VISION self hypnosis site for the hypnosis article library, or watch his free video hypnosis collection.

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