Teens Born in the Spring are More Likely to Suffer From SAD

1 in every 10 people suffer from depression in the United States, with the numbers rising substantially each year. Seasonal Affects Disorder or SAD is a common disease afflicting even more American’s. SAD is a kind of depression that occurs during the late fall and winter months. Like most other forms of depression, SAD occurs in women more often than men, and is thought to begin in the early years of adulthood

A new study just released shows that teens born in the spring are more likely to suffer from SAD than those born in the winter or autumn months.

Teens Born in the Spring are More Likely to Suffer From SAD

Happier Teens are born in the Winter!

The reason, scientists say, may be something to do with the way exposure to natural light in the very early days of life programmes the nervous system.

Exposure to longer hours of daylight appears to make summer-born children more prone to Seasonal Affective Disorder, a condition which affects an estimated four million people in the UK every winter.

The research, by a team of psychologists at the University of Bologna in Italy, is the latest in a long line of studies to find that season of birth can have a strong influence on mental and physical health later in life. Article Here

So if you suffer from SAD, weather you are a teen or not there are are some things that can be done to alleviate your winter blues.

Natural Healing for SAD

Light Therapy
Light therapy can be a mood-booster for people who suffer from seasonal affective disorder.  This condition causes people to feel more depressed during certain times of the year – usually winter.

A “light box” works by exposing sufferers to brightness, which has been shown in numerous studies to help boost people’s spirits.

Massage
Massage hasn’t been researched extensively in treating depression, but one study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry suggest that massage therapy may have “potentially significant effects” in alleviating depression and anxiety.

Supplements
Various herbal supplements, such as St. John’s Wart, may help with depression.  Increasing your intake of omega-3s and vitamin D could also be effective.

But before taking new supplements, make sure to discuss them with your doctor first, because they may interact with other medications.

Talk Therapy
Talk therapy has been well-studied in the treatment of depression and has been shown to have extremely positive effects in some people.

Talk with your doctor about your options and find out what works best for you.  Always tell your doctor if you plan on adding any herbal supplements to your diet.  Article Here

For all of us, but especially for adolescents understanding what is going on in your body is such an important step to being able to deal with it.   Finding that  teens born in the spring are more likely to suffer from SAD, can be helpful, simply because now that you know the problem you can find solutions.

Join the conversation, have you ever suffered from SAD. What helped?