Sunshine....and Mood?
You may have heard of something called Season Affective Disorder (SAD), a condition in which the season/seasonal changes can have profound influences on one's mood. Typically, someone with SAD will feel depressed or anxious (or stressed, etc) in the winter, and will improve as spring and summer approach. Like any condition, it is difficult - if not impossible - to pinpoint just one cause for this condition. However, we DO know that the effects of light are heavily implicated in SAD. Exposure to light therapy seems to improve symptoms, as does the arrival of a bright, sunny day . (If you are interested in learning more, this article has more information). There are even specific lamps that one can buy to stimulate 'light therapy' and help with symptoms. Let's delve deeper into this. Sometimes, we all feel down when there isn't any sun around. Does this mean we all have SAD? No, of course not! There are specific criteria to diagnose SAD, along with proto...