Seasonal Affective disorder can be a difficult and trying disease.  SAD can have you dreading each winter and barely making it through those long, harsh cold months.  SAD can attack everything from your desire to socialize and be with family and friends to your eating habits.  SAD attacks your energy and leaves you feeling lethargic, slow, and also needing sleep.  SAD can have you feeling as if there is no light in the world, each and every winter.  Fortunately, there are treatment plans to help those who suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder. 

One of the most common treatments for SAD is light therapy.  Light therapy usually employs the use of some lamp device that provides light.  Those who suffer from SAD lack light exposure and light therapy gives them what they need.  If you suffer from SAD, you might wonder if light therapy really works, and if there are any side effects. 

First, it does work.  Second, the side effects associated with light therapy are relatively mild.  Those who experience side effects can experience headaches,  nausea, eye strain or increased irritability and anxiety.  Many of these side effects, however, are only temporary and occur at the beginning of light therapy.  As the patient adjusts to the treatment and light exposure, side effects will often go away.  It is best to consult

If you have ever had Seasonal Affective Disorder, you probably know about therapy lamps.  No, not the lamps you use to decorate the living room you never use, but the lamps used to help curb the symptoms accompanying SAD. 

Seasonal Affective Disorder is brought on with insufficient exposure to the sun.  Areas that endure long winters, with shortened days and even shorter appearances of the sun are usually feasting grounds for this disorder.  People suffering from SAD often feel extremely tired, have increased appetites and have several mental barriers.  The lamps used for treating SAD provide the light exposure missing during the winter months and help control the outbreak of SAD.  But are these lamps good for other symptoms as well?  Researchers have shown that the answer is yes. 

SAD lamps can be used to treat other depressions.  One common treatment is for sleep disorders.  SAD lamps also help those suffering from Chronic Fatigue as the symptoms are very similar.  Women suffering from premenstrual depression can be helped with the use of SAD lamps.  Even those suffering from bulimia can use SAD lamps as a source of help to fight their disorder. 

Turns out, SAD lamps can help a whole variety of people suffering from any number of depression disorders.  Of course, consulting a physician is always a good decision before you start any treatment plan for depression.

I don’t know about you, but I’m not the biggest fan of the winter time.  Maybe it’s just because I’m from California, but I don’t cope well with the weather.  Don’t get me wrong, I love a good snow every now and then, but living with short days and cold temperatures can wear on your psyche and sometimes be downright depressing.  Well, there may be a clinic and scientific reason why you and I feel this way about the winter months. It’s called Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD. 

One of the basic and main causes of SAD is lack of sun light.  Areas that deal with long winters and little sun light are prime spots for Seasonal Affective Disorder to work.  If you feel depressed often in the winter time, you may have SAD.  Here’s a few of the common symptoms associated with SAD.

Symptoms often include an increase in fatigue and need for sleep.  Another common symptom involves increased appetite and cravings for carbohydrates.  Increased eating habits naturally lead to weight gain.  Many of the symptoms are mental, involving increased anxiety, difficulty interacting with others and difficulty dealing with rejection.  Sometimes, symptoms even include heavy feelings in the arms and legs. 

Many of these symptoms are similar to depression, but occur year after year in the winter time.  Those who have SAD can seek SAD lamp therapy to reduce the symptoms. 

Sometimes, the weather outside is frightful but our lives are not so delightful.  During the winter months, we become susceptible to low moods and depressive modes that are easy to fall into, and very difficult to climb out of.  If you are feeling these symptoms often during the fall and winter months, you may have Seasonal Affective Disorder. 

Seasonal Affective Disorder is characterized by several symptoms.  Some of the more common symptoms include a significant lack in energy, feeling lethargic or constantly needing sleep.  Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, is also characterized by an increase in appetite, followed by weight gain. 

Some symptoms are more mental than physical.  People with SAD can feel intense anxiety, and have increased desires to be alone and withdraw from friends and family.  It can even become difficult to focus on tasks and concentrate.  For women, Premenstrual Syndrome symptoms can increase.  Women, in fact, are much more likely to contract Seasonal Affective Disorder than men.  Around 70 to 80% of those who suffer from SAD are women. 

Geography can also play a factor in contracting this disorder.  People who live in extreme northern areas or extreme southern areas are more likely to contract SAD than others.  Long winters and lack of light can contribute.  Light therapy can be used to help those with SAD cope with the symptoms and achieve a normal lifestyle.