How do we heal our spirit, heal our hearts and heal our minds? How do we maintain, or even regain our strength and faith in ourselves and others and the world?
We are barraged by the news with the pain, tragedy and the problems in our community and in the world. It is important to know what is going on in the world, but a steady diet of what is going wrong, can lead us to feel overwhelmed with negative emotions…fear, mistrust, skepticism, anger, hurt, loss, powerlessness…..a constant state of stress. On top of that are our own lives and the difficulties close to home.
How do we stay focused on all that is good? How do we gain a sense of trust and a sense of feeling in control of our lives? How do we heal in small ways and large, to be able to positively maneuver this world and to heal and grow and have a sense of wellness?
How do we create peace within ourselves, our lives and our community local and global?
We do this step by step. As Sweet Honey in the Rock sing “drops of water turn a mill”.
To help this process in the new year, every week I will write something in this blog that will hopefully inspire us to heal on many levels and ways, to grow, to see the positive, to feel empowered or just to provide a perspective, a thought, or a suggestion of action. My hope is that it is helpful in some way on your journey in this life.
I look forward to walking this leg of the journey with you.
Happy New Year!
New Year – New Decade – New Beginnings – Fresh Healing and Growth
January 1st, 2010
Feeling Blue? It could be Seasonal Affective Disorder
December 29th, 2009
December is a month known for events….and emotions. Excitement, fun, contentment, anxiety, loneliness, fullfillment, sadness…a full spectrum of emotional possibilities. And sometimes many positive and negative at the same time.
It is also a time when we have the shortest days of the year It is the time of year when sadness and depression are at their highest in the Northern Hemisphere. Sometimes that sadness or depression is due to a condition called “Seasonal Affective Disorder” or SAD. Some research estimates that it affects up to 20% of the American population (half a million Americans). It can affect women, men, teens and children.
Although your symptoms are clues to the diagnosis, not everyone who has SAD experiences the same symptoms. Common symptoms of winter-onset SAD include the following:
- A change in appetite, especially a craving for sweet or starchy foods
- Weight gain
- A drop in energy level
- Fatigue
- A tendency to oversleep or even restless sleep
- Difficulty concentrating
- Irritability
- Anxiety or worry
- Increased sensitivity to social rejection
- Avoidance of social situations and a loss of interest in the activities you used to enjoy
Most researchers agree that SAD is due to a combination of factors including hormone imbalances (ie melatonin) and neurotransmitter imbalances, all due to the change in the amount of sunlight. There is new research that is looking at Vitamin D (which is also a hormone) as a variable in this issue as well.
Treatments include light boxes which have full-spectrum lights, balancing hormones, vitamins, getting exercise, and stress reduction. If you have an opportunity to go to a warmer, brighter climate, that has been shown to be helpful as well.
It is important to note that all of these symptoms could be due to other health concerns including more serious depression or anxiety concerns, so getting a medical evaluation would be important. Also, getting a medical evaluation for SAD could pinpoint which treatments would be most successful for you.
So, if you have the blues more than a couple of days, maybe it is time to get an evaluation.