24th November 2015

AXA PPP healthcare advice tackles seasonal affective disorder (SAD)

SAD is a type of depression that affects around two million people in the UK each year. With the clocks going back and winter just around the corner, AXA PPP healthcare offers advice on identifying and dealing with this type of depression.

“Many people don’t consider SAD to be a real form of depression due to its seasonal nature. But the symptoms and feelings that people experience are very real and just as severe as other types of depression. SAD presents most commonly in women and occurs from October through to January,” says AXA PPP healthcare’s Director of Psychological Services, Dr Mark Winwood.

The exact origin of SAD is still not understood but reduced exposure to sunlight during the shorter days of the year during the winter months is thought to be the likeliest cause. It’s believed that the lack of sunlight affects how the neurotransmitter serotonin works in the brain and that this affects mood, sleep and appetite.

The symptoms can be hard to identify. Like many other types of depression, the main symptoms include low mood and a lack of interest in life. Additional symptoms often include:

•          Being less active than normal

•          Feeling tired and sleeping more than normal (hypersomnia)

•          Feeling lethargic

•          Finding it difficult to concentrate

•          Weight gain through a higher intake of carbohydrates and sugar.

Dr Winwood continued: “Walking and exercising outside in daylight hours, eating a diet rich in fresh vegetables and seeking support from friends and family are all ways you can help to ease the symptoms of SAD. If these don’t help, then it is important to seek advice from your GP.”

Find out more about working with AXA PPP healthcare: http://www.panaceaadviser.com/main/p178/healthcare+tools+resources.htm

Protection, Healthcare