[SeptemberMorn]

Mental health experts at Cedars-Sinai shed light on seasonal affective disorder

With the Holiday celebrations to attend and family gatherings to prepare for, the winter season can be a busy and joyful time of year. But for many, changes in light and temperature combined with the stresses of holiday events and heightened expectations can increase anxiety and cause depression. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a mood disorder associated with depression episodes and related to seasonal variations in light. Andrea Rogers, Supervisor for Intensive Outpatient Programs in the Department of Psychiatry at Cedars-Sinai, offers warning signs and suggestions to combat seasonal affective disorder this Holiday season.

“As Seasons change, there is a shift in our “biological internal clocks” or circadian rhythm due partly because of changes in sunlight patterns,” says Rogers, “These changes combined with the stresses of Holiday travel, sensitive family dynamics and managing expectations can build a recipe for depression during the winter months. Juggling these variables can be challenging and can make it difficult to enjoy the joys of the season.”

According to the National Mental Health Association, the most difficult months for SAD sufferers are January and February, and younger persons and women are at higher risk.

According to Rogers, melatonin, a sleep-related hormone secreted by the pineal gland in the brain, is produced at increased levels in the dark. Melatonin also may cause symptoms of depression. When daylight savings time ends, and it begins getting dark earlier in the day, production of the hormone increases, which may cause depressive episodes. These biological variables mixed with environmental conditions such as cold weather, emotional reactions to holidays and anxiety can create a recipe for depression that can cast a “blue” cloud over the holiday season.

Phototherapy or bright light therapy has been shown to suppress the brain’s secretion of melatonin. The device most often used today is a bank of white fluorescent lights on a metal reflector and shield with a plastic screen. For mild symptoms, spending time outdoors during the day or arranging homes and work places to receive more sunlight can be helpful.

[SeptemberMorn]

(buump --- Uh!) hehe

[Rapunzel]

Tomi, right now it's just not working. 'Course maybe if I actually got out of bed in the morning most days and did the light therapy it might help more. I did kick my SJW dosage up to who knows what (just swallowed a handful of them last night and this morning, along with the tea for a chaser). We'll find out shortly what that does. Anything would be better than where I am currently.


<font color=green>"Someone may have stolen your dream when it was young and fresh and you were innocent. Anger is natural. Grief is appropriate. Healing is mandatory. Restoration is possible." -Jane Rubietta</font color=green>

[SeptemberMorn]

Sweetie, if you have any sunshine at all during the day, drag yourself out and sit in it. You'll not only get your light therapy, you'll up your intake of Vitamin C. You're taking Vitamin B complex, right?

[Rapunzel]

I don't exactly take vitamins (I hate swallowing pills) but there are B vitamins in a couple of the herbal teas I use regularly. I have others with vitamin C in them.

Outside? cold. brrr.

Sorry to be such a pill.

<font color=green>"Someone may have stolen your dream when it was young and fresh and you were innocent. Anger is natural. Grief is appropriate. Healing is mandatory. Restoration is possible." -Jane Rubietta</font color=green>

[pebblypoo]

Hi Wendy,

Just wanted to let you know incase you have trouble finding liquid vitamins where you live (I can't swallow even the tiniest pill and have nearly died trying more than once! No thank you!!! ) that I've been ordering a lot of supplements on a site called Lifesvigor.com. They have a great B-complex liquid by World Organics (all the World Organics liquids are in a base of raisin juice, so they are quite palatable....................they taste like prune juice but better and you only need 1 or 2 tablespoons.)

Right now I just take their liquid multi(it has as much of the B's as their B-complex does) and liquid iron (believe it or not you can't taste the iron!!! Just raisin juice! Many years ago I took a liquid multi that was so nasty tasting I can still remember the awful smell.) I also take Biotin and Zinc along with Evening Primrose oil and Flax seed oil ( I just bite down on the gel cap with some milk in my mouth and then chew it a little and spit the gel cap back out) all of which I buy through this site.

The site was a life saver for me so I didn't have to run all over creation looking for liquids, sub-linguals or chewables! Incase you're interested, I've ordered a number of times and have never had a problem with them. I even called once with a last minute order change and the woman was very kind and helpful.

pebs

<font color=purple> The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated--Gandhi

Sometimes I lie awake at night in bed and I ask, "Is it all worth it?" And then a voice says, "Who are you talking to?" And another voice says, "You mean, ' To whom are you talking?'" And I say, "No wonder I lie awake at night."--Charlie Brown </font color=purple>

[bptoo]

So does this mean if I cut a hole in the ceiling at my job for sunlight, they won't mind???

I have some SERIOUS redecorating ideas for this place....

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away."

[Rapunzel]

Thanks, Pebs - I'll have to look into that. How expensive is it?

And Tomi, I've been feeling bad about being an uncooperative stinker ever since I wrote that last post. My attitude isn't very good lately. My T tells me the same thing about going outside. Oh, and exercising too. All that stuff is just too healthy for me I guess.

Some improvement today. Sunday I scored 66 on the depression quiz on this site. Down to 52 now. So at least I'm headed in the right direction, right? And I did even go outside 3 times today. Didn't stay out there long, but I went out.

<font color=green>"Someone may have stolen your dream when it was young and fresh and you were innocent. Anger is natural. Grief is appropriate. Healing is mandatory. Restoration is possible." -Jane Rubietta</font color=green>

[pebblypoo]

Well, these things can get as expensive as you want them to, I guess! I take several things so I try to order in quantity to save on shipping charges. If you just want to try the "Ultra B Liquid" (B-Complex) it's $10.21 for 16 oz. That'll last 1 month at 1 tablespoon per day. The Liqui-Vite w/raisin (multi vitamin) is $11.35 for 16oz and the Ferro-Tone (iron) is $9.12 for 16oz, and these also last a month at 1 tablespoon per day. Shipping is a flat rate of $4.95 no matter how much you order at once but then they do charge a little extra for the glass bottles.

I take the other things mainly to combat the hair loss I was going through with my thyroid problems. Some people swear that EPO and Flaxseed helped with their hair loss (or it could just be waiting out the fluctuations in thyroid hormone levels that made them think that!) The dermatologist said the hair that you see coming out at any given time reflects what your levels were 1-2 months ago NOT presently, so it's hard to say if it worked or if it was just time. He did recommend some things for hair health and to encourage re-growth, perhaps even speed it up a little, which I actually think it IS doing! (B-Complex, 2000 mg of Biotin [I take 5000 mg because I found caps I could open that are tasteless and figured 5000 might work even better!], vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene, and vits C and E and Zinc.) He said I'd see my nails grow too (mostly from the Biotin, I think) and boy have I! They are growing rapidly and are strong after I let all the damage from acrylic nails grow out! So I'm very happy with what I'm taking now so the money is worth it. Some of the liquids come in 8 oz sizes that you might want to try if you're not sure about cost or if you'd like them. They do seem to sell out occassionally but get them back in stock pretty quickly.

pebs

<font color=purple> The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated--Gandhi

Sometimes I lie awake at night in bed and I ask, "Is it all worth it?" And then a voice says, "Who are you talking to?" And another voice says, "You mean, ' To whom are you talking?'" And I say, "No wonder I lie awake at night."--Charlie Brown </font color=purple>

[pebblypoo]

File this under "Nobody Probably Cares Anyway" but...............................

As I was trying to get to sleep it hit me that Biotin is measured in micrograms not milligrams.

A Very Neurotic (not to mention sleepy),

pebs

<font color=purple> The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated--Gandhi

Sometimes I lie awake at night in bed and I ask, "Is it all worth it?" And then a voice says, "Who are you talking to?" And another voice says, "You mean, ' To whom are you talking?'" And I say, "No wonder I lie awake at night."--Charlie Brown </font color=purple>

[SeptemberMorn]

Wendy, the B vitamins help the brain and moods. They also give you added energy. 'Sup to you, though.