Stop Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) Before it Starts

HealthyPlace Mental Health Newsletter

Here's what's happening on the HealthyPlace site this week:

• Stop Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) Before it Starts
• Most Popular HealthyPlace Articles Shared by Facebook Fans
• From the HealthyPlace Mental Health Blogs
• Stand Up for Mental Health
• Latest Mental Health News

Stop Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) Before it Starts

This is the time of year when seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, begins to insidiously slip in. So now is the best time to stop SAD before it fully starts (Ways to Prepare for Winter Depression).

The first step in stopping seasonal affective disorder is to know the signs of SAD. Among the most disruptive:

• Fatigue, lack of energy and drive
• Extended periods of sadness
• Irritability
• Difficulty sleeping

Even before you begin to notice the signs of SAD, you can do things that could reduce their severity or prevent them altogether.

• Develop, and keep, a soothing sleep routine that involves a regular bedtime.
• Create a consistent exercise routine. Like sleep, exercise positively impacts the brain and mental health.
• Compile a list of things you enjoy doing that lift your mood. When SAD strikes, it's hard to think of anything positive or motivating, so having a pre-made list will help you get moving despite SAD.

Taking preventative action can drastically reduce the effects of SAD on your life this winter.

Other Articles Related to SAD

• Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) Symptoms — Who's at Risk?
• Preparing for Seasonal Affective Disorder: Recovery Defined by the Seasons
• SAD Light: Seasonal Depression Light Therapy for SAD
• Seasonal Affective Disorder Videos

Your Thoughts

Today's Question: How do you prevent symptoms of seasonal affective disorder from completely disrupting your life? We invite you to participate by commenting and sharing your feelings, experiences and knowledge on the HealthyPlace Facebook page and on the HealthyPlace Google+ page.

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Share our Stories

At the top and bottom of all our stories, you'll find social share buttons for Facebook, Google+, Twitter, Pinterest and other social sites. If you find a particular story, video, psychological test or other HealthyPlace feature helpful, there's a good chance others in need will too. Please share.

We also get many inquiries about our linking policy. If you have a website or blog, you can link to any page on the HealthyPlace website without asking us beforehand.

Most Popular HealthyPlace Articles Shared by Facebook Fans

Here are the top 3 mental health articles HealthyPlace Facebook fans are recommending you read:

1. Stop Worrying About Mistakes
2. I Have Dissociative Identity Disorder: Disclosure DOs and DON’Ts
3. Avoid Political Stressors, Stay Happy

If you're not already, I hope you'll join us/like us on Facebook too. There are a lot of wonderful, supportive people there.

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From the HealthyPlace Mental Health Blogs

On all our blogs, your comments and observations are welcomed.

• Police De-Escalation Is Not ‘Hug a Thug’
• The Restriction and Binge Cycle of Binge Eating Disorder
• What to Do When Anxiety Says You’re a Failure
• Understanding a Friend with Depression and How to Help
• Borderline Drama, Learning to Engage the Observer Self’
• Avoid Political Stressors, Stay Happy
• Suicide Risk in Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)
• An Active Lifestyle Improves My Depression
• Overcoming Social Isolation Caused by Mental Health Stigma
• Schizophrenia or Schizoaffective Disorder and Prayer
• The Person You Meet in Eating Disorder Recovery
• How to Talk to Your College Student about Mental Illness

On all our blogs, your comments and observations are welcomed.

Feel free to share your thoughts and comments at the bottom of any blog post. And visit the mental health blogs homepage for the latest posts.

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Stand Up for Mental Health

Thousands Have Joined the Stand Up for Mental Health Campaign

But we still need you. Let others know there's no shame in having depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, trichotillomania, OCD, ADHD, schizophrenia or any other mental illness.

Join the Stand Up for Mental Health campaign. Put a button on your website or blog (buttons for family members, parents, mental health professionals and organizations too). We also have covers for Facebook, Twitter and Google+.

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Latest Mental Health News

• Mindfulness Meditation Helps To Control Emotions, Says Study
• Hormonal Contraceptives May Raise Depression Risk
• Hunger May Motivate Us More Than Thirst, Fear, or Anxiety
• Alcohol And Rapid Antidepressants Have Same Effects On The Brain
• Hypertension In Children, Teens Linked To Poorer Cognitive Skills
• A Variant Of The Enzyme ACMSD Is More Prevalent In Patients With Suicidal Behavior
• Rare Damaging Mutations Increase Risk For Schizophrenia And Decrease Educational Attainment In Healthy Individuals
• Medication Against Schizophrenia Inhibits Pancreatic Cancer

These stories and more are featured on our mental health news page:

That's it for now. If you know of anyone who can benefit from this newsletter or the HealthyPlace.com site, I hope you'll pass this onto them. You can also share the newsletter on any social network (like facebook, stumbleupon, or digg) you belong to by clicking the links below. For updates throughout the week:

• circle HealthyPlace on Google+,
• follow HealthyPlace on Twitter
• follow HealthyPlace on Pinterest
• or become a fan of HealthyPlace on Facebook.

back to: HealthyPlace.com Mental-Health Newsletter Index