Do you worry that your struggle with wintertime blues has lasted longer, or is more intense than you have previously experienced? How can you tell if this is just a short-lived 'down time', or if you might be facing a serious condition called Seasonal Affective Disorder(SAD)? Ought you to look for counseling? Find out about the signs of SAD, how it affects sufferers, and what treatments are available.

Seasonal Affective Disorder is more than just feeling "down" when the weather is bad. SAD begins when fall heads toward winter and daylight hours are shortened. For most people, symptoms typically appear at some point between September and November. Moreover, because of the severity and consequences of SAD and other types of depression, physicians need extensive evidence of the condition before they are willing to make a definite diagnosis. Although signs can be quite serious, physicians do not usually diagnose a patient with SAD before he or she has experienced symptoms for a minimum of three winters in a row.

Those who suffer from SAD begin to have emotions of depression, decreased motivation, and tend to sleep for long periods. Furthermore, they report a craving for carbohydrates or sweets. Additionally, the majority of persons who experience SAD also have poor immune system functioning. Often, they become ill much more easily than those who do not suffer from SAD.

SAD can negatively affect an individual's ability to function at work or at school. This decreased motivation can make getting out of bed or engaging in one's usual daily activities difficult. People with SAD have trouble participating in social encounters, or even at home. They frequently have times of extreme anxiety and negativity. Occasionally, the problem becomes serious and distressing enough that victims even think about suicide and require hospitalization for therapy.

Not surprisingly, females appear to have a higher rate of SAD than men do. Furthermore, this disorder seems to get better yearly when spring arrives. In fact, in March or April, symptoms typically decrease or resolve completely - until autumn returns again. This remains the case even in states that are frequently cloudy or rainy throughout the entire year. In fact, as many as twenty percent of the people diagnosed with SAD will eventually exhibit signs of bipolar disorder.

These people primarily tend to be depressed in the winter months, but report normal moods during the remainder of the year. In some cases, however, individuals describe instances of uncontrollable mood elevation, which is also called mania. As with other types of depression, SAD may become quite severe or even result in disability if left untreated. Moreover, some individuals experience very low-grade forms of SAD; they may experience sleepiness, decreased vigor, and eating difficulties. These individuals, however, rarely endure episodes of depressed moods or anxiety.

This type of depression is fairly rare in sunny regions such as Florida, Arizona, and Texas. In contrast, people who live in places with a large number of cloudy days, such as Indiana, Illinois, or Washington are at higher risk for developing this condition. Residents of countries such as Finland, Sweden, and Ireland also struggle with SAD.

Scientists have attempted a number of alternative strategies to aid affected individuals recover from this debilitating condition. They have tried placing people under artificial light in an attempt to help them produce more serotonin and decrease depression symptoms. Researchers have also used medications such as anti-anxiety drugs, and supplements, such as melatonin, in an attempt to treat these symptoms of depression. Often, persons who develop Seasonal Affective Disorder also seek out psychotherapists during those times when their condition is at its worst.

All of these techniques result in with variable amounts of success. All, however, are much more expensive and require more time than two recently introduced, innovative techniques. Hypnotherapy practitioners have refined the art of teaching both NLP and self-hypnosis methods for depression. Using hypnosis, individuals learn to talk themselves out of a depressive period and resolve their symptoms. These useful treatments, hypnosis and NLP, have resulting in an astonishing degree of benefit in assisting people to heal from, and prevent future problems with SAD.

Summary: Seasonal Affective Disorder is a kind of depression that reappears each year at the same season. Only those who suffer from this problem can choose whether they will continue fighting the symptoms on their own, over and over, or to look for assistance in escaping the effects of this problem once and for all. Hypnotherapy and NLP for depression are two effective, innovative treatments that provide a quick relief from these feelings without consuming excessive resources in terms of money or energy.

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