Summer, for the UK, is officially over and as the northern hemisphere heads slowly into autumn and winter, it can be a depressing time for many.
For those who suffer from Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), this is not a time of year they eagerly anticipate as their depression has a seasonal pattern. The episodes of depression tend to occur at the same time each year, usually during the winter.
The NHS points out that, as with other types of depression, the two main symptoms of SAD are a low mood and a lack of interest in life. People with SAD may also be less active than normal and sleep more.
Sometimes known as ‘winter depression’ because the symptoms are more apparent and tend to be more severe at this time of the year, SAD’s symptoms often begin in the autumn as the days start getting shorter. They’re most severe during December, January and February.
But, while debilitating for some, SAD can be beaten. Besides medication and light therapy, people with this depression can be successfully treated with hypnotherapy, and the National Council for Hypnotherapy has qualified therapists who can make the onset of winter a less depressing event.
Treatment sessions with a professional hypnotherapist have been proved to help people overcome depression. Part of the reason for its success is that hypnotherapy look at people as a whole, instead of merely addressing the symptoms.
Hypnotherapy for depression works with both the conscious and the subconscious mind in order to help you achieve the results you want.
Depression is a medical illness that causes a constant feeling of sadness and lack of interest. Depression affects how the person feels, behaves and thinks. But hypnotherapy can help identify the causes and origins of the depression and also help the sufferer recognise any patterns of negative thinking they may be caught up in.
When experiencing depression it can feel as if there is nothing that will make a positive difference. This is not true. The very decision to do something is a significant one. For those who have SAD, the symptoms begin to improve in the spring before eventually disappearing. But they will be back, and as with any type of depression, SAD can be difficult to live with. It can make a person feel tired, stressed and unhappy.
However, it can usually be treated successfully, especially with hypnotherapy.
According top the Seasonal Affective Disorder Association (SADA), we are all affected to some extent by changes in light and the seasons.
For about 20% of the UK population, mildly debilitating symptoms of SAD cause discomfort but not serious suffering. But for about 2%, SAD is a seriously disabling illness which prevents normal function without appropriate treatment.
If you find the seasonal changes depressing and feel you might have SAD, contact one of the 1800 NCH-registered therapists spread across the UK who is near you by using the Council’s directory and make your winter a brighter time of the year.