The Good Old Winter Blues....

 
The days are now getting shorter, it's still dark outside when you get up to go to work and it's getting us down! Personally I think animals have the right idea by hibernating in the winter, unfortunately that isn't possible for us (what I'd do to be sleeping for 6 months!). Some people find it even harder to cope at this miserable time than most though; this is called S.A.D. or Seasonal Affective Disorder. When researching about this disorder I found it rather interesting so let me explain a bit more about it.
 

S.A.D!

 
Symptoms tend to start from around September each year lasting until April, but are at their worst in the darkest months. Symptoms include:

• Sleep problems - oversleeping but not refreshed, cannot get out of bed, needing a nap in the afternoon
• Overeating - carbohydrate craving leading to weight gain
• Depression, despair, misery, guilt, anxiety - normal tasks become frustratingly difficult
• Family / social problems - avoiding company, irritability, loss of libido, loss of feeling
• Lethargy - too tired to cope, everything an effort
• Physical symptoms - often joint pain or stomach problems, lowered resistance to infection
• Behavioural problems - especially in young people

Here's the bit I found most interesting, it's caused by not enough light! Yes that's right it's not the cold that we all hate it's just the lack of bright light. This means you are less likely to get SAD if you live somewhere that snows all the time as the light reflects of the snow and, amazingly, makes you happy! Bizarre right? So how do we treat this? Well apart from turning all your lights on in the house, building up an amazing electricity bill and chancing blinding yourself from staring at it too long there are solutions. One of which is 'Ultima 4' Light Box, this is provided at the Medely Clinic in Thurrock. Medely Clinic provides a range of different therapies that will leave you feeling refreshed and happy again! The 'Ultima 4' Light Box is the biggest and brightest currently available on the market, providing 10,000 Lux of Full Spectrum Natural Daylight. It will fill the whole room with light and is specially designed to help tackle Seasonal Affective Disorder. Click here if you would like to find out more about this treatment or other treatments the Medely Clinic have to offer.