The Seasonal Affective Disorder Toolkit

The toolkit

 

One of the things I have found that makes the months running up to winter easier is knowing that I have my toolkit in place ready for when I need it.  Rather than feeling anxious when the weather starts to shift into autumn I know I can fish out my light box and other tools and use them straight away.

 

Everyone is different in what they need, but in being prepared we can get ahead of the symptoms and avoid crashing.  Some sufferers are reporting that if they start their light therapy before they experience the first symptoms of SAD, and continue to use them religiously, they can stave off the symptoms completely.    Waiting until you crash often means it will take much more time and effort to get back to health. The same goes for supplementing Vitamin D3, if you wait until your levels are drastically low it will take longer to get back to normal levels.

Throughout this site I cover a wide range of tools that have been found to be helpful in reducing the effects of SAD.  First and foremost, before considering anything else though I would start with a 10,000 lux light therapy lamp and Vitamin D3 and Magnesium supplements.  Due to what is considered the causes of SAD these are the standard "go to" treatments.  Trying other options before these would be like trying to fix a broken arm with a sticking plaster.

 

Plan ahead and start early.