Are you becoming concerned that your struggle with wintertime sadness is lasting longer, or is more severe than normal? How can you tell whether this is merely a temporary 'down time', or whether you could be facing a serious condition called Seasonal Affective Disorder(SAD)? Do you need to seek medical help? Learn about the signs of SAD, how this problem affects sufferers, and what treatments are available.

SAD is more than just feeling "down" because winter is coming. This disorder begins when the fall season begins to change to winter and the days become shorter. For most people, symptoms typically appear sometime during late summer or early fall. Moreover, because of the severity and consequences of SAD and other types of depression, doctors need extensive evidence of the condition before they are willing to make a definite diagnosis. Although signs may be quite serious, doctors almost never diagnose a patient with SAD before he or she shows symptoms for at least three winters in a row.

Individuals who experience SAD start to have emotions of depression, reduced enthusiasm, and often sleep for excessive periods. They also develop a craving for sugar or sweets. In addition, most people who experience SAD also have poor immune system functioning. Frequently, they find themselves becoming ill much more quickly than those who do not suffer from SAD.

This disorder can negatively affect an individual's capability of functioning at work or at school. This decreased motivation often makes it difficult for a person even to get out of bed and tend to normal activities. People with SAD find it difficult to participate in social encounters, or even at home. They frequently have times of extreme panic and irritability. Sometimes, the problem becomes serious and distressing enough that some sufferers even consider suicide and have to be hospitalized for treatment.

Not surprisingly, females seem to have a higher rate of SAD than men do. Furthermore, this condition seems to get better each year when spring arrives. Indeed, by March or April, symptoms typically subside or disappear altogether - until autumn returns again. This remains true even in regions that tend to be dismal all year long. In fact, as many as one-fifth of the people diagnosed with seasonal depression will eventually develop signs of bipolar disorder.

These sufferers are usually depressed during wintertime, but report normal moods during the remainder of the year. At times, however, they report experiencing instances of uncontrollable elation, which is also called mania. As with other types of depression, SAD may become very serious and even result in disability if left untreated. Moreover, some persons experience very mild levels of SAD; they may struggle with sleepiness, lack of motivation, and loss of appetite. Such people, however, do not usually suffer instances of depressed moods or anxiety.

This type of depression is fairly uncommon in sunny areas such as Florida, Arizona, and even Colorado. In contrast, people who reside in states with a large number of cloudy days, like Indiana, Michigan, or Washington are much more likely to develop this condition. Citizens of countries such as Denmark, Germany, and Ireland also struggle with SAD.

Medical researchers have attempted many alternative strategies to help clients overcome this debilitating condition. They have tried exposing people to artificial light in an attempt to aid them to manufacture more serotonin and reduce depression symptoms. Researchers have also used medicines such as antidepressants, as well as supplements, like melatonin, to help treat these signs of depression. Often, people who develop Seasonal Affective Disorder also seek out psychotherapists during those times when their symptoms are at their peak.

Each of these approaches result in with variable degrees of effectiveness. Despite this, all are significantly more expensive and time-consuming than two more recent, innovative methods. Hypnotherapists have refined the art of providing assistance with learning both NLP and self-hypnosis methods for depression. Using self-hypnosis, clients learn to talk themselves out of a depressive period and resolve their symptoms. These innovative therapies, hypnosis and Neuro-Linguistic Programming, have proven to have an astonishing degree of benefit in helping people to recover from, and avoid future episodes of SAD.

Summary: Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a form of depression that recurs each year at almost the same time. Only those who struggle with this problem are able to decide whether they wish to continue fighting the symptoms alone, over and over, or to seek assistance in resolving this problem forever. Hypnosis and Neuro-Linguistic Programming for seasonal depression are both helpful, innovative therapies that promise a quick relief from depression without requiring excessive resources in terms of money or energy.

Alan B. Densky, CH specializes in depression and stress related symptoms as a certified hypnotherapist and NLP Practitioner. During his 30-year career he has helped thousands of clients. He offers CDs for hypnotic depression therapy. Visit his Neuro-VISION hypnosis for self development site for the hypnosis article repository, or watch his free videos on hypnosis.