Scientists now say that seasonal affective disorder is all in mind

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When I moved to the Western Highlands of Scotland about five years ago to live with my partner, a year old And with a year old friend, I focused on the perfect beautiful countryside, the bright wildlife and the peace and quiet.

I have never had the availability of winter light. But it should. Because although living in the North West of England for 45 years, I have always experienced less in the colder months and thirsty carbs, but until my first winter I never experienced the full effects of Seasonal Effective Disorder (SAD). North.

Arrive in Argyle in December, where we live, the sun rises at 9 a.m. and rises at 3.45 p.m.

Not surprisingly, in the first year of 2011 and every winter I suffer from SAD, citing almost every symptom listed by the NHS: ‘persistent low mood’, ‘loss of interest in normal activities’, irritability, frustration, lethargy, struggling with carbohydrates and cravings. .

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Flick Everett (pictured), who lives in Argyle, examines whether seasonal affective disorder is a real condition as a new study suggests that lack of sunlight does not affect mood.

I guess we all feel the same in the winter, but studies show that only a third of us suffer.

In the early 1980s, U.S. S.A.D. by scientists. Was first identified. Symptoms come on one spectrum, with energy levels at one end and severe depression at the other.

I’m somewhere in the middle. I’m not paralyzed by despair, but as the days get shorter, I struggle to get out of bed, and find myself forced to go out and absorb any available light (luckily, two insistent spells niels help).

Even though I know my partner hates puddings, I bake huge cakes to ‘cheer us up’; And I regularly feel poor pity without specifying anything on it.

My darkness is usually removed by walking in the sun, and in previous years I had booked a holiday abroad for sunshine in November before the darkness stopped.

This winter, though, like everyone else, I won’t be leaving home, so I’ve resigned myself to SAD symptoms starting in October and extending to March.

But now a new study of more than 5,200 people at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands has found that lack of sunlight does not affect mood. Research has shown that people with a ‘sunny nature’ are not affected by coming in at night.

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Flick said, according to new research, he thinks he has S.A.D. Is because he is already sad. Pictured: Flick and her husband with their dogs

The study’s leader, Wim Winthurst, predicted that some people would feel worse in the winter because ‘they attributed their negative mood to factors beyond their control. . . [but] Winter can serve as stressful for them, provoking an increase. . . Other depression related symptoms. ‘

Basically, according to Wim, I think I got SAD because I’m already sad.

However, the main finding of the study was that overall the amount of neurotoxicism is already high, which is likely to cause negative emotions such as anxiety, fear and worry – felt bad at the end of the summer ‘.

He told me. Not only have we faced terrible winters since the war, now 33 percent of us are diagnosed as ‘neurotic’.

D Online. Elena Touroni, a consultant psychologist and co-founder of My Theline Therapy, agrees: ‘People who are sensitive to emotional instability are more likely to be affected by the change.

‘SAD is definitely known as a real situation. However, I see a change in the lack of light and se tu because of the increasing vulnerability factors that can make people more susceptible to experiencing depression and low mood. I don’t see it as something different. ‘

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Clinical psychologist Dnick Johl told Flick (pictured), SAD is a real condition because a decrease in sunlight can affect the hypothalamus in the brain

While I don’t like to consider myself a ‘neurotic’, I’ve had anxiety since I had my first panic attack in a 15-year-old school assembly hall.

So, when the findings ‘do not support the widespread belief that mood tuo greatly influences mood,’ – in other words, it is in our minds – to be restless is surprisingly what makes SAD more probable.

So, yes, it may have been made by myself, but it doesn’t make it any less real; Restless or depressed people are more likely to get worse.

Thank you, Clinical Psychologist Dnick Johal for supporting me. ‘In my opinion, S.A.D. It is a real condition that is closely linked to depression. That said, a decrease in the availability of sunlight can affect the hypothalamus in the brain and cause us to produce too much melatonin (a hormone involved in our sleep patterns), which makes us more sleepy and lethargic. “Lack of sunlight can interfere with the brain’s production of the chemical serotonin. Without it, we can experience low mood and frustration. ‘

The severity of SAD can also be affected when you fall asleep and wake up.

Three years ago, I met a columnist named Michael. Spoke to Michael Mosley, who was watching the status of the TV documentary.

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Dr. Exercise to release feel-good hormones, endorphins and serotonin (file image) can benefit SAD sufferers, Touroni said.

He said, ‘In winter, in the Northern Hemisphere, we don’t get enough light to set the biological clock to synchronize our rhythm for more than 24 hours,’ he told me, ‘so they go back later, and if you have “late The clock When it comes to sleeping and waking, you are more susceptible to depression. ‘

I’m not depressed, but I can’t sleep until midnight or later, which means it usually starts late. But getting out early is the key to feeling better, said Dr. Mosley. ‘Recent research has found a photo receptor in a light-sensitive eye.

‘As light hits a specific cell in the retina, it transmits information that it is morning or evening, light or black, which is directly on the biological clock in the brain.

‘By absorbing the first thing of the morning light, you regulate the rhythm in your body. But without that trigger, the brain fails to receive the right signals, and you may struggle to wake up, crave carbs, and feel gloomy. ‘

Dr Brenda M. Cohen, a neurobiologist at the University of Copenhagen, was also found to be heading north, diagnosing SAD. While Scots may be worried about many things, we can’t all be neurotic. This condition is linked not to direct sunlight, but to the length of the day, whether sunny or not, probably various Why various studies have not found any commendable effect of vitamin D on SAD. Victims of SAD need real light.

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Dr. Joh Jolley revealed that SAD sufferers can benefit from having good sleep hygiene, ensuring there are not too many distractions in their bedroom (file image)

There has been compelling research to suggest that S.A.D. Exists – and the coming months are likely to be even more challenging, so I will be knocking on the door myself every morning, as the experts suggest.

‘When you exercise, your brain releases feel-good hormones, endorphins and serotonin, which give you a natural boost and stimulate positive emotions,’ says Dr Tour Ronnie. ‘Your body also gets better at managing the stress hormone cortisol.’

Dr. Joh Johl recommends practicing good .sleep hygiene: ‘Make sure your bedroom doesn’t have too many distractions, no stimulants before bed and keeps the room cool.’

I will do what I say – plus daily sessions with LightBox that produce bright, white light that mimics sunlight to stimulate the brain to produce serotonin and reduce melatonin. One study found that they also had a reduction in carb cravings.

So maybe by next winter I’ll be less dependent on cake – and even be able to look forward to a sunny holiday.

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