If You are Feeling SAD this Season, You Have Company

    When daylight is at the nadir of earth’s orbit around the sun, many people feel SAD, or experience Seasonal Affective Disorder. The lack of sunlight, time spent indoors, and actual chemical changes in the brain can bring the onset of this seasonal depression. As many as half a million people in the United States have been identified with S.A.D., and many more go undetected.

Although the exact causes of S.A.D. are still being researched, the basic changes in the winter daylight to night ratio of hours may disturb the human circadian rhythm. The circadian rhythm is the physiological process that regulates the body’s internal clock and sleep patterns. Many researchers have noted that melatonin, a sleep-related neuro-chemical, has been linked to this type of seasonal depression, as the body produces more melatonin during the long periods of winter darkness. Other research has shown a link between a lack of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that effects moods, in the brain that occurs when people are not exposed to light and sunlight.

Some of the risk factors associated with S.A.D. include age, gender, geographical location, and family history. Seasonal Affective Disorder seems to be an adult depression most often found in people over the age of 20, and it decreases in the elderly. Although it more often diagnosed in women, men seem to have more severe symptoms. The farther one lives away from the equator, the more likely S.A.D. is to occur as the daylight is lessened considerably in northern locations. There is some history that points to a genetic component for S.A.D., but that could also be linked with other forms of depression that are not seasonal.

Not everyone who experiences S.A.D. will have all of the symptoms, the same symptoms, or experience the symptoms to the same degree. Common symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder include:

Changes in appetite

Weight gain

Drop in energy level

Fatigue and lethargy

Tendency to oversleep

Difficulty concentrating

Anxiety

Irritability

Increased emotional sensitivity

Avoidance of social situations

Lack of sex drive

Of course, a professional diagnosis needs to be made by a physician, psychiatrist, or psychologist to make sure that a person is experiencing S.A.D. and not another syndrome. After the diagnosis confirms this type of seasonal depression, there are several methods of treating S.A.D. The most effective treatment is light therapy which can come in the forms of spending more time outdoors during daylight hours, or time spent under specific light therapy machines that mimic outdoor light and trigger the neuro-chemicals needed in the brain. Other treatment modalities include medication and psychotherapy.

The best approach to managing S.A.D. is to prevent the occurrence. Some strategies for managing the change in sunlight hours are to:

Make your space sunnier, lighter, and brighter

Spend time outdoors during sunlight hours

Exercise regularly

Take good care of yourself

Practice stress management

Socialize with friends and family

Take a trip to a sunny location

Stick to your regular sleeping and eating routines

If your symptoms seem severe, or you are unable to manage them yourself through preventive measures, then go to see a professional for help. Keep your mood happy during the winter months, and enjoy the seasonal changes in nature.

Hats Off to Oprah- Charities and Clarities

    I cannot imagine what it must be like to be Oprah Winfrey, even for a day, but it would probably be an extraordinary experience. As a hard-working professional woman, financier and money manager of her phenomenal wealth, magazine editor, multiple home owner, entrepreneurial expert, philanthropist for over $200 million in charitable organizations, family woman, and the many other daily activities and obligations that she must have, the hours for attending to everything must seem inadequate and short. Why is it, then, that the media insists upon focusing on her weight?

    As the numbers of U.S. children, women and men who have eating disorders exponentially grow every year, the truth and honesty of Oprah regarding her recent weight gain is refreshing, but unnecessary. Why is her weight, or anybody else’s weight, the yardstick upon one being measured for self-worth?

Of course, a healthy weight, exercise, and a good nutrition are healthy habits for all to have, but gaining weight over time does not necessarily mean that Oprah is failing to live a good life, or even not attending to her health, although I am sure that is challenging given her schedule. She has been honest about certain health problems, such as hypothyroidism, that plague her.

I applaud her honesty in dealing with the media blitz over any five pounds gained, and her tenacity in dealing with any health issues that surround her body. However, that is a small fraction of Oprah’s life commitments and accomplishments. I want the media to give extensive coverage of her charities such as the Angel Network and the Oprah Winfrey Foundation, not her weight. I want to hear more about the Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa that she opened this week, and the Oprah Winfrey Operating Foundation. Her charitable organizations distributed millions in funding to more than 40 organizations for programs covering education, the arts, medicine, and needy children. Last year alone, Oprah gave $36 million dollars of her own money to charities as well! I want to hear more about those endeavors.

I want to learn more about all of her charities, programs, schools, and thoughtful giving that Oprah has done over many years. The thoughtless and shallow focus of the media on her weight only promotes and reinforces the development of eating disorders in men, women and children, and sets a low and incorrect standard for people’s self-esteem.

As a psychologist, woman, mother, and media person, I am appalled at the stupidity of focusing on Oprah’s weight. Let’s have the correct issues, perspectives, and coverage of what is really important from Oprah, and so many other celebrities like her who have their weight under constant scrutiny by the media.

By the way Oprah, you look great at any weight! Thank you for your charitable work, and for making a huge difference in improving this world and the lives of so many here and in other countries.

How to Stay Safe at the Malls Over the Holidays

    This is the holiday season when most people will do more than their usual shopping in daunting crowds. Amidst the splendor of the holiday decorations, the festive atmosphere of holiday smells and sounds, and the excessive displays of gifts waiting for buyers, there are possible dangers. The crowds and spending furor bring out some of the worst predators of the human race, the thieves and muggers, who look to take money and bags of purchased gifts from unsuspecting shoppers. Each year tens of thousands of shoppers are mugged, stolen from, and relieved of their gifts and shopping bags. Here are a few tips that can keep you safer and out of harm’s way.

1. Be aware of your surroundings. Most people live in a state of unconscious functionality, thinking about what they need to buy and where they next need to shop. This allows the thieves and muggers to prey on the unsuspecting, as they are functioning in a state of heightened awareness. Keep in the “here and now”, be aware of your surroundings, and look around to see if anyone is suspiciously looking at you.
2. Keep your shopping bags, and purse or wallet close to you. It seems common sense to keep your money somewhere close to your body, but many people will leave their purse in a shopping basket, or open, and put down their shopping bags full of gifts to look at other items. A couple of seconds of inattention are all a thief needs to pick up your money and gifts and run away with them. Men need to keep their wallet in their breast pocket, and women need to always keep their purse securely tucked under their arm. Shopping bags should be held close to the body and never left unattended.
3. Shop in a group or with another person. Thieves and predators often work in groups, and much like hunting animals, they will work together to make the heist. One thief may bump into you while the other partner takes your wallet or purse. If you are in a group, then you are much less likely to be bumped or jostled by thieves since the getaway within a group of people will be much more difficult. The old adage “there is safety in groups” applies well in this situation.
4. Be vigilant in the parking lot. If possible, park close to the stores, close to a security booth, and under lights at night. Since premier parking isn’t always available during the holidays, be extremely vigilant while walking back to your car, and while putting bags into the car. If you are shopping with a friend or in a group, have one person go get the car and the other person hold the bags at a highly visible spot while waiting to be picked up. Often the security guards will be on the sidewalk outside of the stores, so stand near them if possible. Have your keys ready and lock the doors immediately after you get in the car.
5. Do not talk to strangers. Often the thieves will work in pairs to distract you with questions and by asking for help. While the seemingly nice person is asking you a few questions, their partner is relieving you of your money and goods. Politely tell the person that you do not have time to answer questions and refer them to a salesperson.
6. Do not shop with children. Taking children holiday shopping can be tiresome, but it can also be a liability. Thieves look for people with small children as the children often need attention, they may be crying, they want to look at the displays, and so forth. The attentive adult is distracted by the commotion and needs of the children. This situation is an easy “mark” for thieves and predators. Leave the children at home when you are shopping, and just take them to the mall to have their pictures taken with Santa.