All About Seasonal Affective Disorder & How To Overcome it with CBT, Therapy & Counselling in Wolverhampton & West Midlands

What is Seasonal Affective Disorder?

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that has a seasonal pattern which tends to occur at the same time each year, usually during the winter time leading to it also being known as “Winter Depression.”

The symptoms often begin in the autumn as the days start getting shorter and become most pronounced during December, January and February.

In most cases the symptoms begin to improve in the spring before eventually disappearing.

As with other types of Depression, the two main symptoms of SAD are a low mood and a lack of interest in life.

Symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder

As with all forms of depression, the main symptoms include a low mood and a loss of interest in normal everyday activities.

Other symptoms can include:

• feeling irritable
• feelings of despair
• feelings of guilt or worthlessness
• low self esteem
• indecision
• crying, often spontaneously
• feeling stressed
• low sex drive

For many people, Seasonal Affective Disorder can be difficult to live with and it can have a significant effect on day-to-day life.

What Causes Seasonal Affective Disorder?

The exact cause of SAD isn’t fully understood, but it has been suggested that it is linked to reduced exposure to sunlight during the shorter days of the year.

One theory is that light stimulates a part of the brain called the hypothalamus, which controls mood, appetite and sleep.

Whilst this seems like a reasonable idea it doesn’t explain why some people are affected by the dark winter nights and others (in fact the majority) are not.

Seasonal Affective Disorder may be impacted as much by limiting beliefs as by the reduced amount of sunlight, indeed, SAD may be the product of unhelpful thinking in itself!

CBT for Seasonal Affective Disorder

If you’re committed to overcoming your SAD problems then we highly recommend following our Tranceformental CBT 10 session programme.

The Tranceformental programme is a highly successful & pragmatic course of CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) run over 10 sessions, that will teach you everything you need to know to understand the psychological aspects of your problem.

It can also help you to identify any unhelpful thinking styles or limiting beliefs that might be reinforcing the issue.

The programme is also available as an online self-help CBT programme. if you prefer not to consult a therapist directly.

CBT is an empirically supported approach used by mental health practitioners around the World.

Free Initial Consultations for Seasonal Affective Disorder

We offer all prospective clients a FREE initial consultation to discuss your Seasonal Affective Disorder prior to commencing any treatment plans.

The consultation is free and lasts around 50 minutes.

During this consultation we will discuss the various therapy options that are available to you and make a considered recommendation based on your individual personal circumstances.

Initial consultations are also available as part of our online therapy service.

At Tranceform Psychology we recognise the importance of the therapeutic relationship in helping people to bring about effective change, so its important to be able to ‘meet’ to discuss any therapy treatments BEFORE proceeding.

Our policy is to help people make a fully balanced & considered decision about undertaking work with us, including both the financial and personal implications.