Treating Cyclic Blues With Hypnosis - written by Alan B. Densky, CH

Do you worry that your struggle with wintertime blues has lasted longer, or is more severe than normal? How can you tell if this is just a short-lived issue, or if you possibly be dealing with a serious condition called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)? Ought you to look for treatment from a physician? Learn about the symptoms of this condition, how this problem can affect you, and those treatments that are most useful.

Seasonal Affective Disorder is not just feeling "down" after summer has gone. This disorder begins when fall heads toward winter and the days become shorter. Symptoms usually start at some point during late summer or early fall. Moreover, since SAD and other types of depression are so severe, doctors need extensive evidence of the condition before they are willing to make a definite diagnosis. Despite the fact that symptoms may be quite serious, doctors almost never diagnose a person with this condition before he or she shows symptoms for a minimum of three winters in a row.

Those who suffer from this condition begin to have emotions of depression, reduced enthusiasm, and tend to sleep for long periods. Furthermore, they report a craving for carbohydrates or candy. In addition, most people who experience SAD also have immune systems that do not function adequately. Often, they develop illnesses much more easily than those who do not suffer from SAD.

This disorder can negatively affect a person's ability to function at work or educationally. This lack of motivation can make it difficult for a person even to get out of bed and tend to normal activities. People with SAD have trouble participating in social situations, or even at home. They frequently have episodes of intense panic and irritability. Sometimes, the problem becomes serious and distressing enough that people even think about suicide and have to be hospitalized for treatment.

Interestingly, females seem to experience SAD more frequently than men do. Additionally, this disorder usually improves each year at springtime. Indeed, by March or April, symptoms typically decrease or resolve completely - until autumn returns again. This remains the case even in states that are frequently dismal all year long. In fact, as many as twenty percent of those who are treated for seasonal depression will at some point exhibit symptoms of bipolar disorder.

These sufferers are usually depressed during wintertime, but have normal moods during the remainder of the year. At times, however, individuals describe instances of uncontrollable mood elevation, which is also called mania. As with other types of depression, this condition can become very serious and even disabling if left untreated. Moreover, some persons experience very low-grade levels of depression; they may experience exhaustion, decreased vigor, and loss of appetite. Such people, however, rarely suffer instances of depressed moods or anxiety.

This kind of depression is fairly rare in sunny regions such as Florida, Arizona, and Texas. Others, who reside in places with a large number of cloudy days, such as Indiana, Michigan, or Oregon are much more likely to develop this disorder. Citizens of countries such as Denmark, Germany, and Ireland also face an increased risk of SAD.

Medical researchers have used a number of different approaches to assist clients recover from this debilitating problem. They have tried exposing people to artificial light in an attempt to help them produce more serotonin and reduce depression symptoms. Scientists have also used medicines such as anti-anxiety drugs, and supplements, such as melatonin, trying to treat these symptoms of depression. Many individuals who have depression also visit counselors during those times when they are suffering most greatly.

All of these techniques have been used with varying amounts of success. Despite this, all are definitely more expensive and time-intensive than two recently introduced, innovative techniques. Hypnotherapists have refined the art of coaching clients to learn both NLP and hypnotherapy techniques for depression. Using hypnosis, people learn to talk themselves out of a depressive period and resolve their symptoms. These innovative treatments, hypnosis and Neuro-Linguistic Programming, have proven to have an astonishing amount of success in assisting people to heal from, and prevent future occurrences of SAD.

Summary: SAD is a type of depression that reappears every year at the same season. Only individuals who face this illness can choose whether they wish to continue battling these symptoms on their own, over and over, or to look for assistance in healing from this condition once and for all. Hypnotherapy and Neuro-Linguistic Programming to treat SAD are both beneficial, innovative therapies that provide a rapid escape from these feelings without consuming enormous amounts of money or energy.