Story Highlights - 14.3% of Americans suffer from SAD
- SAD triggers anxiety, low energy and other symptoms
- Light therapy, medications and exercise can help
Do you find yourself eating or sleeping more when the temperature drops and darkness comes earlier? Many people who live in the northern latitudes experience Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) or Winter Blues to some extent. Connections between human mood and the seasons are well documented. Unfortunately, SAD is experienced by 14.3% of the U.S. population. The US National Library of Medicine notes that SAD in the shorter days of fall and winter can trigger anxiety, feeling overwhelmed, low energy, too much sleep, craving sweet or starchy foods, and reduced concentration. This can reduce our ability to function at work or home. There are a number of treatments for SAD, including light therapies with bright lights, anti-anxiety medications, exercise and increased outdoor activity, particularly on sunny days. Light Therapy Light therapy mimics outdoor light and causes a biochemical change in our brain that lifts our mood, relieving symptoms of seasonal affective disorder. Light therapy hasn't been officially approved as a treatment by the Food and Drug Administration because of a lack of definitive evidence about its effectiveness in clinical trials. There are many websites offering these types of lights. You can find them by searching for “light boxes.” Medications The Food and Drug Administration has officially listed Liddell’s OTC Anxiety + Tension and Overwhelmed medications for the treatment of stress, apprehension, worry, and mental and/or physical fatigue. We think it makes a lot of sense to try these side-effect free natural medicines before trying mainstream pharmaceutical antidepressants. If you decide on traditional pharmaceutical antidepressants, you should consult with your doctor prior to starting your anxiety treatment regime. Barbara Powers, founder of Liddell Laboratories, says: “I would never offer a product I wouldn’t use myself or give to my family. The important Anxiety + Tension and Overwhelmed medications were developed due to my deep concern about the ominous long-term side effects associated with over-prescribed mainstream antidepressants.” Unlike mainstream pharmaceutical drugs, these products are not habit forming, safe to take with pre-existing medical conditions, and will not interfere with other medications. Exercise Exercise and increased outdoor activity can be a great help when fighting anxiety and depression. Multiple studies have shown that exercise to be beneficial depression. In fact, a 2007 placebo-controlled trial out of Duke University -- the first of its kind -- found that exercise may be just as effective in relieving depression as the antidepressant Zoloft. Unfortunately the fatigue and lack of motivation associated with anxiety and depression can make it difficult to get started with an exercise program. Some tips to overcome these difficulties are: start small, do something you enjoy, get an exercise buddy, exercise outdoors, and/or join an exercise class. | 
