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What is winter blues?
Now that it is getting dark, many people are beginning to notice winter blues, which are a type of seasonal depression. Some people also suffer from something called spring depression, but the most common is that linked to winter.
Some of the symptoms of winter depression are tiredness that won’t go away, trouble falling asleep, depression and anxiety, and a strong craving for sugar, which causes many people to gain weight during the winter, not just from Christmas food. . Although there is no clear reason why some people suffer from this type of depression, it probably has to do with a lack of natural light.
If you suffer from winter depression, you can get antidepressant medications from a doctor or undergo cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to learn how to better manage it. In some cases, it is also recommended that you get a light therapy lamp, which simulates natural sunlight and can trick your brain into thinking it is summer. Many also take vitamin D supplements to meet that need during the winter months.
Other methods of alleviating depression may include exercising regularly so that the brain secretes endorphins, trying to sit near windows and have open spaces around you to increase the feeling of space and light, and avoiding stressful situations as much as possible.
Depression and the endocannabinoid system
A newer method of alleviating depression that more and more researchers have begun to look at is how our body’s endocannabinoid system can affect our mood. Depression rarely occurs on its own, but is often accompanied by anxiety and stress. The endocannabinoid system, which can be thought of as a variant of the nervous system or the circulatory system, is already known to play a role in how we deal with stress and anxiety. When activated, it can reduce the activity of neurons in the amygdala, making us feel calmer and more relaxed.
People with depression are also believed to be deficient in dopamine and serotonin, two hormones that act as neurotransmitters in the brain and are associated with mood and feelings of happiness. Researchers believe that when the receptors that receive these signals are depleted, it can lead to depression. By activating the endocannabinoid system, these receptors are also activated and you can regain a feeling of balance and mental harmony.
And what is it that activates the endocannabinoid system? Well, they are cannabinoids like CBD.
Even if the body itself produces a small amount of cannabinoids, it is not always enough, and then you can get more through plant supplements. The cannabinoids found, for example, in hemp, nettles or hops, are very similar to those found in mammals and can activate the endocannabinoid system as well as the cannabinoids that we produce ourselves.
Scientific studies have been conducted in recent years to see what the connection is between CBD and reducing stress and anxiety. The results have shown promise, but much more research is still needed before anything can be said for sure.
