Dealing with Winter Blues: Seasonal Affective Disorder

Seasonal Affective disorder (SAD) is commonly referred to as winter depression or winter blues. It is a depressive disorder that tends to occur in the fall or winter months when temperatures start to fall and the days get shorter. Those suffering with SAD are more likely to sleep and eat more. Common symptoms associated with other forms of depression may also occur such as lethargy, sadness, hopelessness, anxiety, trouble with concentration and social withdrawal. Symptoms may become severe enough that the person will have thoughts of death and suicide.The exact cause of seasonal affective disorder is not known but there are some factors that may be involved. It is thought that the reduced amounts of sunlight in the fall and winter months can disrupt our body’s internal clock (circadian rhythm) and lead to depressed mood. Less sunlight can cause a drop-in serotonin levels and thus trigger depression. Also, seasonal changes may alter melatonin levels which can affect sleep patterns and subsequently our mood.Women are more at risk for SAD than men. Those who already have clinical depression or bipolar disorder may see symptoms worsening in the fall and winter months. The incidence of SAD is greater among populations that live farther north.Treatments for seasonal affective disorder can include light therapy, medications and psychotherapy. For those with Bipolar disorder it is important that their doctor is aware of this diagnosis as light therapy and ant-depressants can trigger a manic episode.

Light therapy involves sitting a few feet in front of a special light therapy box to give you exposure to bright light. The light therapy acts to replace the amount of sunshine that is lost in the fall and winter months.  Antidepressants known as Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) are used to treat SAD. Talk therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) are known to be effective in the treatment of depressive symptoms.

Those with mild cases of winter blues would benefit from getting more sunlight by either getting outside more or sitting in a south facing winter. Getting regular exercise and keeping a regular sleep schedule can also be helpful.Consult your physician or a mental health professional if you believe you may be dealing with seasonal affective disorder. 

Steps You Should Take If Your Child Is Being Bullied

You do all you can as a parent to keep your child safe but how helpless might you feel to protect your child when you realize they are being bullied. There are steps you can take to support your child and intervene in productive ways.

• Listen carefully to your child when they report the bullying. Be supportive and thank them for sharing this.

• Don’t direct the child to ignore the behavior. This undermines the seriousness of the situation and ignoring is not an effective method for handling bullying.

• Don’t assume your child has done something to provoke the bullying.

• Find out as much as you can about the bullying. When and where did it happen? Who was involved and did any adults witness it?

• Don’t encourage physical retaliation. It could make matters worse and your child could get suspended or expelled.

• Keep your emotions in check. You don’t want to react in an emotional way but instead come up with a plan that is smart and rational.

• Report bullying to school officials as it is not likely to stop without their involvement.

•  Let school staff know that you want to work with them on a solution. If you feel their plan is not appropriate or adequate work with them to develop a plan of action that you are satisfied with. Ask for changes in your child’s schedule to reduce contact with the bully.

• If the bullying does not stop, contact school staff again. Be prepared to go to higher ups in the school district if necessary.

• Do not contact the parents of the bully(s). It can make matters worse. School administrators should contact those parents.

• Seek support from other parents. Consider working in the community to shed light on this issue. Perhaps an expert on bullying can speak at the school or the school can get involved in an anti-bullying program.

• Encourage your child to make contact with friendly students in their class. Help facilitate those friendships by inviting these positive friends to your home.

• Boost your child’s confidence by helping them develop their talents or positive attributes through music, art or athletic programs. These activities are good places for your child to meet like-minded peers.

• Talk to your child about seeking help from adults when bullying behavior occurs. Let them know that reporting bullying is not the same as tattling.

• If your child is being targeted because of a learning disability or lack of social skills, consider getting help through counseling and social skills groups so they can improve their interaction with peer groups. The bullying is still wrong in these cases but helping the child develop social skills can help them feel less set apart from peers.

•  Make sure that your child always feels safe and protected at home and keep lines of communication open.

Binge Eating Disorder

Binge Eating Disorder (BED) is the most common eating disorder. It affects 3.5% of women and 2% of men. Binge eating disorder (BED) is characterized by recurrent episodes of eating large amounts of food, quickly and to a point of feeling uncomfortably full. The person has a sense of loss of control during the binge. Afterwards they experience shame, guilt and disgust with themselves. Purging is not a part of the disorder. Those who suffer from BED may be secretive about their eating. They may not practice normal eating behaviors and instead skip meals or only eat small portions at a meal and may engage in sporadic fasting and repetitive dieting. There are health consequences associated with binge eating disorder. Many of these consequences are related to unwanted weight gain due to binge eating. These can include Type II diabetes, high cholesterol levels and heart disease as a result of elevated triglyceride levels. Binge eating disorder is strongly associated with depression, anxiety, guilt and shame. Possible risk factors include genetics, mood disorders, trauma, abuse and neglect and problems with family or other significant relationships. Effective treatments available for binge eating disorder include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT), dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) and psychotropic medications. A nutritionist can help those suffering with BED help regain normal eating patterns and learn about proper nutrition and having a balanced diet.

For more information on BED visit the following: 

BEDA Binge Eating Disorder Association www.bedaonline.com

ANAD (Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders) www.anad.org 

National Eating Disorder Association www.nationaleatingdisorder.org.