Mental & Emotional Health

This is a guest post written by Derek Williams.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (or S.A.D.) is a chemical imbalance causing depression that usually occurs in the winter months. The imbalance is due to lack of natural sunlight and the short days of winter sunlight that affect the hypothalamus of the brain.

It is estimated that half a million people suffer from S.A.D. during the winter months and many more have systems that are border-line depression caused by the lack of sunlight during this season. The milder cases of depression are called subsyndromal S.A.D. or the “winter blues�.

The symptoms of S.A.D. usually occur starting between September and November and continuing through March or April.

S.A.D. symptoms include (but are not limited to) :

• Mood swings- From depression to hypomania in some cases are an indication of S.A.D.

• Loss of Sex Drive- A noticeable decrease in the libido and physical contact.

• Attacks of Anxiety- Tension and a lower tolerance to the minor mishaps of daily living.

• Social Issues- A desire to avoid social contact and problems when doing so.

• Depression- Feelings of inadequacy, low self esteem, unexplained guilt, sadness, loss, and hopelessness.

• Overeating- Cravings for food (usually sweet) that tend to lead to weight gain.

• Lethargy- Feelings that one cannot carry out daily tasks because of tiredness and an inability to get the energy to function normally.

• Sleeping Disorders- Either sleeping too much or the inability to get a normal night’s sleep. Some people report early morning wakefulness.

S.A.D sufferers usually have weakened immune systems and tend to fall victim to more infections that do most people.

There is hope for those who suffer from S.A.D. Light therapy and anti-depressants have been effective in many cases, and the S.A.D sufferer can once again be a happy, productive member of society.

For more help or information see:

• The Seasonal Affective Disorder Association

• Depresssion & SAD at About.com

It’s always nice to feature other blogs, and so I thought I’d take this Thursday to do just that. I read a lot of blogs on a lot of different subjects. Here are some mental and emotional health blogs that I think you should check out!

Master of Irony - “My life is a study in things that shouldn’t be. A master’s degree, an exciting career path ahead, a little detour to threats of psych wards and nasty meds, mental illness, and a career as a mentally ill (mental) health professional.” She has become a dear friend of mine who I think of often. If you’re going to add one blog to your blogroll this year, add hers.

Depression Talk Online - a fellow 451Press writer addresses depression

Tidal Moods - a bipolar law student writes about his life and bipolar news

Moon Moods - “An on-line diary of a manic depressive, Bipolar I who is coming to terms with such a diagnosis. And other mentally unrelated crap that goes on in her life. Warning: author is prone to rants about issues that don’t really matter.”

Wild Abandon - “I’m Bipolar. Damn.” She makes me laugh.

Bipolar Daily - “I’ve got BiPolar Disorder. Type One. Which means that besides spending much of my life in a depressed state, I’ve been known to hit manic highs resulting in psychosis. The first time I embarked on one of these adventures I was hospitalised within 3 days and diagnosed as Paranoid Schizophrenic (probably because I was convinced that I was the Second Messiah, come to rescue the world from Evil). That conviction was only ended 3 months later with 6 sessions of ECT (alias, shock treatment).”

The Mass Defective - “I’m the mother of a teenage daughter that I love dearly. Currently on disability because the government & pretty much everyone else agrees I’m too screwy in the head to be out in the work force. With this blog I’m here to give a glimpse into the life and mind of a woman whose fragile sense of self and stability has been shattered by Borderline Personality Disorder, and one or more of the following…Major Depression, Anxiety Disorder, Bipolar II (depends on which psychiatrist or therapist you ask). Trapped within the dark, surreal realm of mental illness, desperately searching for an escape. Welcome to my world.”

Emerald888 - “I’ve been noticing a few things and I think they are positive effects from the Cymbalta… I’ve noticed that I’m not miserable being alone with my thoughts. I’ve realized my brain never shuts up and I have gotten used to listening to it now. Sometimes (like when I’m trying to go to sleep and my brain won’t shut up) I can sit for hours and just think. I don’t feel bored or bothered by it!”

The Polar Blog - “Random thoughts of a Borderline with a love of Polar Bears.”

Been Broken - “one man and ‘mental illness’ - an occasional diary ”

Dr. Deb - “Current issues and articles that impact the human psyche presented here.”

Anxiety Insights - news blog filled with anxiety and depression insights

If you have a mental health blog that you’d like added to my list, let me know and I’ll get you up here!

The sun has been out (intermittently) for a few days now and it’s making me a very happy woman. I love the sunshine, and that makes me think that there is quite a bit of SAD involved in my depression. I need to keep this in mind.

I had a really nice evening last night and feel good about it today … so I’ve been happy twice around this morning. Lately I’ve noticed that there are a lot of little things that are making me happy. I’m pleasantly surprised by that and won’t complain about it.

For those of you who observe (celebrate just isn’t the right word) Lent, I hope that you have a calm and soothing Ash Wednesday.

PS - This was an adventurous break - I added all my Technorati tags to my entries for the past two weeks or so. I had been forgetting to do so and hope that by actually adding them on here I’ll be able to get some more people linking in!

personal, depression, anxiety, Seasonal Affective Disorder, SAD, weather, sunshine, moods, emotions, Ash Wednesday