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Do you worry that your bout with wintertime blues has lasted longer, or has become more intense than normal? How can you tell whether this is merely a short-term issue, or whether you possibly be facing an actual condition called Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD? Do you need to seek treatment from a physician? Find out about the signs of this condition, how this problem affects sufferers, and those treatments that are most helpful.

Seasonal Affective Disorder is not just feeling sad when the weather is bad. This condition starts to develop when the fall season begins to change to winter and daylight hours are shortened. The majority of people experience symptoms at some point during late summer or early fall. Furthermore, because of the severity and consequences of SAD and other types of depression, doctors require extensive evidence of the condition before they are willing to make a definite diagnosis. Although signs may be quite serious, doctors do not usually diagnose a patient with this condition before he or she has experienced symptoms for at least three consecutive winters.

Individuals who are affected by this condition begin to have emotions of depression, reduced motivation, and often sleep for long periods. Furthermore, they develop a craving for carbohydrates or candy. Additionally, the majority of persons diagnosed with SAD also have poor immune system functioning. Often, they develop illnesses much more easily than those who do not have SAD.

This condition can seriously decrease a person's capability of functioning professionally or educationally. This lack of motivation often makes getting out of bed or engaging in one's usual daily activities difficult. Sufferers find it difficult to participate in social situations, or even at home. They frequently have times of intense anxiety and irritability. Sometimes, the problem becomes serious and disabling enough that people even consider suicide and have to be hospitalized for treatment.

Interestingly, females seem to have a higher rate of SAD than men do. Furthermore, this condition usually improves yearly at springtime. In fact, in March or April, symptoms usually subside or disappear completely - until the following autumn. This is true even in states that are frequently dismal all year long. In fact, as many as one-fifth of those who are treated for seasonal depression will eventually develop signs of bipolar disorder.

These people are usually depressed during wintertime, but report normal moods throughout the rest of the year. In some cases, however, they describe instances of unexpected mood elevation, which is also called mania. Like any other type of depression, this condition may become quite severe and even disabling if left untreated. Additionally, some people suffer from very low-grade forms of SAD; they may struggle with sleepiness, decreased vigor, and eating difficulties. Such people, however, rarely suffer episodes of depressed moods or anxiety.

This type of depression is fairly uncommon in sunny areas such as Florida, southern California, and even Colorado. Others, who reside in states with a large number of cloudy days, like Indiana, Illinois, or Oregon are much more likely to develop this disorder. Residents of countries such as Denmark, Germany, and England also face an increased risk of SAD.

Medical researchers have tried many alternative approaches to aid people recover from this debilitating condition. They have experimented with placing people under artificial light in an attempt to help them manufacture more serotonin and lessen depression symptoms. Scientists have also used medicines such as anti-anxiety drugs, as well as supplements, like melatonin, in an attempt to relieve these signs of depression. Often, persons who experience Seasonal Affective Disorder also visit psychotherapists during those times when their symptoms are at their peak.

All of these treatments result in with different degrees of effectiveness. Despite this, all are significantly more costly and time-consuming than two recently introduced, innovative methods. Hypnotherapists have refined the art of coaching clients to learn both NLP and self-hypnosis techniques for depression. Through self-hypnosis, individuals learn to talk themselves out of a depressive period and resolve their symptoms. These innovative therapies, hypnosis and Neuro-Linguistic Programming, have resulting in a phenomenal amount of benefit in assisting clients to heal from, and prevent future problems with SAD.

Summary: Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a type of winter blues that recurs every year at the same season. Only individuals who suffer from this illness are able to choose whether to continue to fight these symptoms on their own, over and over, or to look for assistance in resolving this disorder forever. Hypnotherapy and Neuro-Linguistic Programming to treat SAD are two helpful, innovative treatments that provide a rapid relief from depression without requiring excessive amounts of money or energy.

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