Are You SAD? Use Your Jeep!

If you live in the mid-to-upper part of the United States and you've been feeling lethargic, depressed, craving large amounts of carbohydrates, and having a problem leaving your home, you have some of the many symptoms of SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder).

This is a type of winter depression that affects an estimated half a million people every Winter between September and April, in particular during December, January and February. It was once called the "Holiday Blues" and thought to stem from the stress and non-stop activity that occurs during the holiday season. However, it know known to be a true biochemical imbalance in the brain (at the hypothalamus) due to the shortening of daylight hours and the lack of exposure to sunlight in winter.

Once you have suffered a cycle of SAD you will quickly recognize the symptoms coming on. You can break the cycle of SAD by exposing yourself to natural light or investing in a spectrum light that uses the same white light intensity as sunlight. Another way to break the cycle is grab a friend and take a road trip in your Jeep and go day hike in a local forest area. A few hours exposure to natural light will do you a world of good towards ridding yourself of your SAD symptoms.

If you feel that you may be suffering from sad, talk to a friend or a professional and set up a support network for yourself of people that will not allow you to sit in the house in the dark. You need people that will poke and prod you to get out of the house and get sunlight; once you do, you'll find you days of suffering from SAD will be behind you.
 posted by Just for Jeeps