Whether you think winter weather makes for a wonderland or not, the winter season is hard for many. According to the Anxiety Disorders Association of America, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) affected 15 million adults. That’s 7.1% of the population.
SAD is a type of depression happening, most often, in winter.
Symptoms may include:
- Increased sleep and daytime drowsiness
- Loss of interest and pleasure in activities formerly enjoyed
- Social withdrawal
- Irritability and anxiety
- Headaches
- Weight gain
- Decreased sex drive
Help is out there. Light therapy has proven effective for treating SAD, making up for lost sunlight exposure and resetting the body’s internal clock.
Through the Madison Public Library, you can now check out HappyLights therapy lamps, from branch locations.
There are also a handful of books you could check out from the library that might prove beneficial:
- The Light Book, by Jane Wegsheider Hyman
- Seasonal Affective Disorder for Dummies, by Charles Elliott and Laura Smith
- Winter Blues, by Norman Rosenthal
