Are you becoming concerned that your case of seasonal sadness has lasted longer, or is more severe than you have previously experienced? How can you tell whether this is merely a short-lived problem, or whether you could have a serious condition called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)? Should you get treatment from a physician? Find out about the signs of SAD, how it can affect you, and what treatments are available.

SAD is not just experiencing sadness when the weather is bad. This disorder starts to develop in autumn, when the season moves toward winter and the days become shorter. The majority of people experience symptoms at some point during late summer or early fall. Furthermore, since SAD and other types of depression are so severe, doctors require extensive evidence of the condition before they are willing to make a definite diagnosis. Even though signs can be very serious, doctors almost never diagnose patients with SAD before he or she reports symptoms for a minimum of three consecutive winters. 

Individuals who suffer from this condition begin to have emotions of sadness, decreased motivation, and tend to sleep for long periods. They also report a dependence on carbohydrates or sweets. Additionally, most people who experience SAD also have immune systems that do not function adequately. Often, they find themselves becoming ill much more quickly than people who do not have SAD.

This disorder can seriously affect an individual’s capability of functioning professionally or at school. This lack of motivation can make it difficult for a person even to get out of bed and tend to normal activities. Sufferers find it difficult to participate in social situations, or even at home. They often have episodes of extreme anxiety and irritability. Sometimes, the problem becomes serious and distressing enough that victims even consider suicide and require hospitalization for treatment.

Not surprisingly, women appear to have a higher rate of SAD than men do. Furthermore, this disorder usually improves yearly at springtime. Indeed, by March or April, symptoms usually subside or disappear altogether - until autumn returns again. This remains the case even in regions that tend to be dismal all year long. In fact, as many as one-fifth of those who are treated for SAD will at some point develop signs of bipolar disorder. 

These sufferers primarily tend to be depressed in the winter months, but report normal moods during the remainder of the year. At times, however, they report experiencing instances of unexpected mood elevation, also known as mania. As with other types of depression, SAD can become very serious or even result in disability if not treated properly. Moreover, many persons experience very mild levels of depression; they may experience exhaustion, lack of motivation, and eating difficulties. These individuals, however, do not usually endure instances of depressed moods or anxiety. 

This kind of depression is fairly uncommon in sunny regions such as Tennessee, southern California, and even Colorado. Others, who reside in places with a large number of cloudy days, like Ohio, Illinois, or Washington are at higher risk for developing this condition. Residents of countries including Denmark, Sweden, and England also struggle with SAD. 

Medical researchers have tried many different strategies to aid clients recover from this debilitating problem. They have experimented with exposing people to artificial light in an attempt to assist them to manufacture more serotonin and relieve depression symptoms. Researchers have also used medicines such as antidepressants, and supplements, like melatonin, to help treat these symptoms of depression. Often, individuals who develop SAD also visit psychiatrists when their condition is at its worst. 

All of these therapies result in with variable degrees of effectiveness. Despite this, all are definitely more expensive and require more time than two recently introduced, innovative techniques. Hypnotherapists have refined the art of teaching both NLP and self-hypnosis methods for depression. Through hypnosis, clients learn to talk themselves out of a depressive period and resolve their symptoms. These useful treatments, hypnosis and NLP, have resulting in a phenomenal amount of success in assisting people to recover from, and prevent future occurrences of SAD.

Summary: Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a kind of sadness that recurs each year at the same season. Only persons who struggle with this problem can decide whether they wish to continue fighting the symptoms alone, over and over, or to look for assistance in escaping the effects of this illness once and for all. Hypnotherapy and NLP  for seasonal depression are both effective, innovative therapies that offer a quick escape from these feelings without requiring excessive resources in terms of money or energy.

Alan B. Densky, CH specializes in depression and stress related symptoms as an NGH certified hypnotist. He has helped thousands of clients since 1978. He supplies CDs for hypnosis therapy for depression. Visit his Neuro-VISION self hypnosis site for the hypnosis article index, or watch his free video hypnosis collection.

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