Help for Seasonal Depression or Seasonal Affective Disorder
This help for seasonal depression or seasonal affective disorder includes natural treatments to help you cope with dark winter months! These tips are effective and easy — and they’ll reduce your stress level.
“The more you’re stressed, the greater the risk of accidents infections, and arterial aging,” writes Dr Mehmet Oz in You! The Owner’s Manual. “It’s not really the stress we’re worried about, since everyone has it; it’s more your response to stress.”
Natural stress relief remedies will help with seasonal depression — and that’s what Dr Jared Schulman of MamaHerb suggests below. To learn more about your health, click You! The Owner’s Manual. And, read on for Dr Schulman’s tips for treating seasonal depression or seasonal affective disorder…
Help for Seasonal Depression or Seasonal Affective Disorder
1. Determine the cause of your seasonal depression: “It may be important to get to the root of the underlying depression,” says Dr Schulman. “If it’s not seasonal affective disorder, your holiday blues could be due to financial or relationship problems, both of which seem amplified during the holidays.” To overcome seasonal depression, you need to determine what’s getting you down. Read Signs of Emotionally Unhealthy Women — Plus Solutions for help.
2. Learn why exercise helps with Seasonal Affective Disorder: “Exercise leads to the release of endorphins, which are neurotransmitters that affect the brain on a number of levels,” says Dr Schulman. “They have been shown to help increase cognition and fight depression and stress. Exercising regularly not only helps release these endorphins, but helps you feel better about yourself as well. This is especially important around the holidays when healthy diets are often put on hold.”
4. Consider natural supplements for depression: “A lesser known naturally occurring compound is the slender dwarf morning glory (Evolvulus alsinoides),” says Dr Schulman. “This hairy perennial herb, according to Mamaherb, is native to India and can be found in holistic and herbal stores.” Slender dwarf morning glory also contains a number of extracts that may help with seasonal depression. Dr Schulman says this herb contains some phenolic constituents, which lower stress hormones.
5. Supplement with Ginko Biloba & Panax Ginseng: Two effective stress relievers are Ginko Biloba and Panax Ginseng. “These herbs were compared in a recent study,” says Dr Schulman. “Ginko Biloba was administered at 30 mg/kg orally and Panax Ginseng was administered at 100 mg/kg orally to rats. This was followed by close monitoring of acute stress and chronic stress markers. Ginko Biloba significantly reduced all acute stress markers. Panax Ginseng significantly reverted two of the six parameters. Chronic stress was relieved by ginseng, but not Biloba. From this study, Gingko Biloba is more effective in acute stress, whereas for chronic stress, Panax Ginseng is a better option.”
6. Stay healthy during the holidays! Stress and the immune system go hand in hand. By taking daily vitamins or eating foods high in vitamins (especially Vitamins A, B, C, and potassium) you can overcome both the holiday blues and boost your immune system. Natural ways to feel better include eating citrus fruits, nuts and seeds (especially sunflower seeds and cashews), bananas and apples. For more help with seasonal depression, read The Best Foods to Improve Your Mood.
About Seasonal Affective Disorder
According to Dr Schulman, about 5 percent of the population suffers from seasonal depression in the United States. Another 10 to 20 percent may suffer from a more mild form of winter blues.
Three-quarters of the sufferers of Seasonal Affective Disorder are women, mostly in their 30s and 50s. However, seasonal depression and stress can affect men and children as well. It’s more commonly seen in people who live at high latitudes (geographic locations farther north or south of the equator), where seasonal changes are more extreme.
The exact cause of Seasonal Affective Disorder remains a mystery, but the influence of latitude strongly suggests that it is caused by changes in the availability of sunlight. One theory is that with decreased exposure to sunlight, the biological clock that regulates mood, sleep, and hormones is delayed, running more slowly in winter. Exposure to light may reset the biological clock. Another theory is that brain chemicals that transmit information between nerves, called neurotransmitters (for example, serotonin), may be altered in individuals with seasonal depression.
If you have any questions or thoughts on seasonal depression, please comment below…
Dr Schulman is the Medical Expert for Mama Herb.
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Comment by Frank Martin on 8 September 2009:
It is well known for a long time that St John’s Wort helps SAD sufferers. Non supplement style solutions but nevertheless working are Bright Lighttherapy and as a preventive method Full Spectrum Daylight Lamps, e.g. from Viva-Lite.
Comment by Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen on 8 September 2009:
Thanks for your comment, Frank — yes, St John’s Wort is supposed to be good for Seasonal Affective Disorder.
But, people need to talk to a naturopath or do research on dosage amounts, possible contraindications or problems with other types of medication, light therapy versus herbs like St John’s Wort, etc.
Some people with SAD really benefit from light lamps or light boxes. I can provide more info about that, if anyone needs!