Health News
Winter Blues: How to Handle Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
Nearly everyone gets the winter blues at some time or another, but for some, they are actually a serious medical disorder. It is estimated that over 6 percent of Americans suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and over 14 percent get the milder form called Subsyndromal Seasonal Affective Disorder (SSAD). Both disorders are more prevalent in the parts of the world closest to the poles, leading researchers to think that down feelings in the wintertime are related to the lack of daylight. Your doctor can help determine whether or not your depression is season-related, but how do you know when your depression is severe enough to warrant a trip to the doctor?
Symptoms of depression include:
? Feelings of sadness, hopelessness and helplessness
? Lack of energy
? Feeling slowed down
? Trouble falling ? or staying ? asleep
? Changes in appetite and/or weight
? Inability to concentrate or make decisions
? Thoughts of death or suicide
? Loss of interest in people and activities
? Restlessness
If you don?t have severe symptoms of depression but are simply feeling blue this season, there are things you can do to lift your spirits, such as:
? Make it a priority to get exercise. On the rare sunny winter days, go outside and take a brisk walk so you get the mood benefits of sunlight as well as exercise.
? Take a daily vitamin.
? Stay well-hydrated by drinking water whenever you are thirsty.
? When the sun is out, do your work by a window.
Psychiatrists from Sinai Hospital of Baltimore and Northwest Hospitals are available to talk about dealing with the winter blues and when see a doctor about depression. Call 410-601-WELL for more information.
How do you use to cope with the winter blues?
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- Staying Healthy In Winter Weather
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- Stay Healthy This Winter
WINTER: The bitter weather. The short days. The fattening food. Winter brings some of its own health challenges, but you can stay healthy as we head into the springtime. New Year?s Resolution One: Keep the Weight Off this Winter The winter just wouldn?t...
Health News
Winter Blues: How to Handle Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
Winter Blues: How to Handle Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
Nearly everyone gets the winter blues at some time or another, but for some, they are actually a serious medical disorder. It is estimated that over 6 percent of Americans suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and over 14 percent get the milder form called Subsyndromal Seasonal Affective Disorder (SSAD). Both disorders are more prevalent in the parts of the world closest to the poles, leading researchers to think that down feelings in the wintertime are related to the lack of daylight. Your doctor can help determine whether or not your depression is season-related, but how do you know when your depression is severe enough to warrant a trip to the doctor?
Symptoms of depression include:
? Feelings of sadness, hopelessness and helplessness
? Lack of energy
? Feeling slowed down
? Trouble falling ? or staying ? asleep
? Changes in appetite and/or weight
? Inability to concentrate or make decisions
? Thoughts of death or suicide
? Loss of interest in people and activities
? Restlessness
If you don?t have severe symptoms of depression but are simply feeling blue this season, there are things you can do to lift your spirits, such as:
? Make it a priority to get exercise. On the rare sunny winter days, go outside and take a brisk walk so you get the mood benefits of sunlight as well as exercise.
? Take a daily vitamin.
? Stay well-hydrated by drinking water whenever you are thirsty.
? When the sun is out, do your work by a window.
Psychiatrists from Sinai Hospital of Baltimore and Northwest Hospitals are available to talk about dealing with the winter blues and when see a doctor about depression. Call 410-601-WELL for more information.
How do you use to cope with the winter blues?
- Got The Winter Blues? Many Treatments Are Available
(image from kidshealth.org)For some, winter is more than just a season characterized by shorter, colder days; it is a time of year that brings on the "winter blues," Jill U. Adams reports for The Washington Post. Officially, it's called seasonal affective...
- Tips On Getting Around Or Through The 'holiday Blahs'
The holidays are supposed to be the happiest time of the year, but for many it is a time of sadness and anxiety, Sarah Elizabeth Richards writes for the Daily Burn. "There's so much emphasis on family and celebration, but it's hard if you're...
- Staying Healthy In Winter Weather
by Emilie Hunt, RD, LDN, Clinical Dietitian Sinai Hospital of Baltimore Every time you listen to the radio, turn on the TV or surf the web, there seems to be another snowstorm brewing. Snow days give us an excuse to skip our workout and cozy up on the...
- Postpartum Depression Outreach Program Touches Lives Of New Mothers
Sleep deprivation, fluctuating hormones, high stress and limited mobility all can tax the emotional and mental health of any new mother. Mixed together, these ingredients can be a formula for depression despite the excitement of a newborn baby. According...
- Stay Healthy This Winter
WINTER: The bitter weather. The short days. The fattening food. Winter brings some of its own health challenges, but you can stay healthy as we head into the springtime. New Year?s Resolution One: Keep the Weight Off this Winter The winter just wouldn?t...