How to Relieve Seasonal Depression Naturally
Fall means a change in the color of the leaves, the smell of pumpkin spice, tailgating at football games and shorter days. Fall also can trigger the start of Seasonal Affective Disorder, also known as SAD, winter depression or seasonal depression.
Categorized in the Diagnostic Manual of Mental Disorders or DSM-5 as Major Depressive Disorder with Seasonal Pattern, this type of depression hits as many as 5 percent of adults in the United States. It can impact up to as long as four months out of the year. Affecting women more frequently than men, SAD isn’t just a blah feeling or the winter blues. It is associated with a biochemical imbalance in the brain that is triggered by less sunshine and daylight hours during the winter. A person’s circadian rhythm or biological clock shifts, resulting in a sense of being out of step with their regular schedule. SAD can alter a person’s day to day life by affecting their moods and how they think, feel and tackle their daily tasks. This lack of light impacts the area of the brain that is in charge of appetite, sleep, sex drive, activity, mood and anxiety.
Seasonal affective disorder is looked at as depression that recurs in seasonal patterns so it has some common symptoms that are shared among sufferers that include:
*Feeling hopeless
*Weight gain and overeating, especially carbs
*Social withdrawal
*Having low energy
*Oversleeping
*Difficulty concentrating
*Losing interest in activities that once brought joy
Thankfully, treatment is possible to help alleviate the symptoms of SAD. One way is with light therapy. Exposure to bright light each day helps to supplement the lack of natural sunshine during the winter months. Starting in the 1980s, light therapy, especially the use of light boxes, has been proven a powerful treatment option. Now red light therapy has become a modern option that is helping people who deal with SAD to find relief from symptoms, boost energy levels and raise their outlook during the fall and winter.
Another beneficial treatment for seasonal affective disorder is vitamin D. Often, people who struggle with SAD have a vitamin D deficiency so adding a nutritional supplement of vitamin D can improve their quality of life by easing symptoms.
CBD is another way to relieve the affects of SAD. Studies have shown that CBD oil is effective in treating anxiety and insomnia, two central components of SAD, as well as having antidepressant properties. CBD is even a powerful tool in fighting social anxiety. It is easy to find the best CBD oil for anxiety, sleep and pain. CBD often shows positive effects as it combines with serotonin receptors in the brain, helping to boost your emotional state.
Citizens Hemp Premium CBD Tincture Broad Spectrum is the best CBD oil for anxiety, sleep and pain. Our pure, organic and locally sourced CBD tinctures are broad spectrum with absolutely no THC, so you’ll never experience a high. They are full of beneficial cannabinoids and tasty terpenes, so they’re the perfect solution to provide relief for your seasonal affective disorder symptoms.