Pocket Sky Wearable For Seasonal Affective Disorder, Jetlag, and Shift Work Disorder
Active Wearables, a medtech startup based in Austria, has released Pocket Sky, a wearable designed to combat conditions resulting from time shifts and poor access to sunlight. The device can be worn like a pair of glasses and emits blue light to emulate sunlight, supposedly suppressing the production of melatonin. The company claims that the technology can help with conditions that are based on limited sunlight, such as seasonal affective disorder, or issues with circadian rhythms, such as jetlag or shift work disorder.
People with seasonal affective disorder can suffer depression during the winter. The disorder is linked ...
Source: Medgadget - February 6, 2019 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Neurology Psychiatry Source Type: blogs
7 Winter Depression Busters
We’ve entered the “dark ages” as the midshipmen at the Naval Academy say — the weeks between Christmas break and Spring break when everyone turns a pasty white and the sidewalks are full of ugly slush. The lack of sunlight and the shorter days don’t help the pursuit of sanity. However, if you approach this time of year with a dose of creativity and enthusiasm, you need not fall down the rabbit hole of depression.
Here are some ideas to keep your mood sunny when the weather is anything but.
1. Go to the light.
I start using my light lamp in October. However, in January, this fixture becomes my best friend. Br...
Source: World of Psychology - January 18, 2019 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Therese J. Borchard Tags: Creativity Depression General Mental Health and Wellness Motivation and Inspiration Source Type: blogs
The Best Way To Beat The Winter Blues (S)
The most effective way to tackle Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
→ Enjoying these psych studies? Support PsyBlog for just $4 per month (includes ad-free experience and more articles).
→ Explore PsyBlog's ebooks, all written by Dr Jeremy Dean:
NEW: Accept Yourself: How to feel a profound sense of warmth and self-compassion
The Anxiety Plan: 42 Strategies For Worry, Phobias, OCD and Panic
Spark: 17 Steps That Will Boost Your Motivation For Anything
Activate: How To Find Joy Again By Changing What You Do (Source: PsyBlog | Psychology Blog)
Source: PsyBlog | Psychology Blog - January 14, 2019 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Jeremy Dean Tags: Depression subscribers-only Source Type: blogs
Psychology Around the Net: September 22, 2018
Sometimes when you’re stuck in your own stuff, you forget that the world is changing outside you. You zoom into what’s going wrong and that narrow focus prevents you from seeing what’s going right.
Like this week, I learned that we’re predisposed to forgive, which one of four personality types I might be, and the innovative ways colleges are trying to reach students grappling with mental illness.
It reminded me things are always improving. We’re getting closer to understanding ourselves and each other a little better. Isn’t that exciting? I hope you enjoy this sample of psychology offeri...
Source: World of Psychology - September 22, 2018 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Brandi-Ann Uyemura, M.A. Tags: Best of Our Blogs Source Type: blogs
The Effects of Sunlight on OCD Symptoms
When my son Dan was dealing with severe OCD, he would often be awake all night, pacing throughout the house. It was not unusual for me to get up in the morning and find him fast asleep on the living room floor, or wherever else he happened to finally collapse from exhaustion.
Even when his symptoms began to improve, he still could not seem to fall asleep at a normal hour and would be awake until 4:00 am or so. Not surprisingly he’d then sleep half the day away. His sleep cycle was all out of whack.
It turns out that this abnormal sleep pattern is not unusual in those with OCD and has warranted the attention of researche...
Source: World of Psychology - July 27, 2018 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Janet Singer Tags: Habits OCD Personal Research Sleep Circadian Rhythm Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Seasonal Affective Disorder Sunlight Sunshine Source Type: blogs
Bummer in the Summer: How to Deal with Summertime Seasonal Affective Disorder
As I write this, sunlight glares off the pavement outside my window, the sky remains a plain of ceaseless blue, and the air is so bogged down with heat that the usual cheery birdcalls trilling through the neighborhood now sound shrill.
It is summer; I am sad and annoyed — and there’s not a big overreaching reason why (not any more than all the other seasons, at least). I haven’t always been a “bummer in the summer” kind of person; in fact, it used to be my favorite time of year. All the way through childhood and even past my college years, I relished long days swimming in the ocean and countless nights sitti...
Source: World of Psychology - July 2, 2018 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tracy Shawn, MA Tags: Depression Sad Seasonal Affective Disorder summer Summer Blues Source Type: blogs
Managing sleep problems – a medication-free approach (iv)
The fourth step in learning to sleep well within an ACT framework, is build. My previous posts were: Discover and Accept and Welcome.
In build, we’re beginning to build new practices. This is about learning how much sleep you need, and when you need to head to bed and wake up again.
I know when I had trouble sleeping at night (I refused to call it insomnia, but it most definitely was!), I thought I’d tried everything to help. I had used all the sleep hygiene strategies like no devices in bed, no TV in bed, do some relaxation as I lay down, have a regular bed-time and wake-up time – and one of the things I...
Source: HealthSkills Weblog - July 2, 2018 Category: Anesthesiology Authors: BronnieLennoxThompson Tags: Coping Skills Clinical reasoning ACT - Acceptance & Commitment Therapy Science in practice Health healthcare Resilience Therapeutic approaches biopsychosocial coping strategies Source Type: blogs
How can you manage seasonal affective disorder (SAD)?
12/21 is the Winter solstice. In the Northern Hemisphere it is the shortest day of the year. Some people are affected more than others with the fewer hours of day light and they experience a mild depression. How can you best manage it?Click hereEditor's note: When my clients complain to me about what sounds like seasonal affective disorder we explore what outdoor activities they might enjoy in the winter time like skiing, ice skating, snow shoeing, hiking, snow mobiling etc. Exposure to day light even when the days are short is the best remedy.Sitting in a window during the daylight especially a window with a southern expo...
Source: Markham's Behavioral Health - December 5, 2017 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: David G. Markham Source Type: blogs
OCD and Seasonal Affective Disorder
This article on SAD describes it as follows:
Seasonal affective disorder is characterized by feelings of sadness and depression that occur in the fall or winter months when the temperatures begin to drop and the days grow shorter. The depressive episode is often associated with excessive eating, sleeping, and weight gain. Depressive symptoms begin in the fall or winter and persist until the spring. Women are twice to three times more likely to suffer from the winter blues than men.
Seasonal affective disorder can also impact people during the summer months (“the summer blues”), too, but it is less common. People suffer...
Source: World of Psychology - November 23, 2017 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Janet Singer Tags: Depression OCD Research Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Sad Seasonal Affective Disorder Source Type: blogs
6 Kinds of Light Therapy to Treat Seasonal Depression
It’s that time of year again when the highly sensitive types among us who thrive with lots of sunlight begin to wither with the plants as the sun begins to hide.
Not only do we get less vitamin D (and deficiencies have been linked to depression), but the change in sunlight affects our circadian rhythm — the body’s internal biological clock that governs certain brain activity and hormone production. In some people, the change of mood-related chemicals can cause seasonal affective disorder (SAD), also known as winter blues or seasonal depression.
For an episode of major depression to be classified as SAD, a pers...
Source: World of Psychology - November 3, 2017 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Therese J. Borchard Tags: Alternative and Nutritional Supplements Bipolar Depression Holiday Coping Mental Health and Wellness Roundup Self-Help Light therapy Sad Sadness Seasonal Affective Disorder Seasonal Depression seasonal depressive disorder Vitamin Source Type: blogs
New study suggests people with OCD are especially sensitive to the seasons
By Christian Jarrett
The clocks have gone back and there’s a chill in the air. It’s well known that during these darker months, a significant minority of us experience unwelcome negative changes to our mood (at least if you believe in the notion of Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD, which not all experts do). Now an intriguing study in Psychiatry Research has explored the link this condition may have with another psychiatric diagnosis, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).
The results suggest that people with OCD are more likely than average to experience seasonal effects on their mood, and that for these seas...
Source: BPS RESEARCH DIGEST - November 3, 2017 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: BPS Research Digest Tags: Mental health Source Type: blogs
Psychology Around the Net: October 21, 2017
Happy Saturday, sweet readers!
It’s a gorgeous day here in my neck of the woods, and trust me when I say we’ll be taking full advantage of it! After all, the days are getting shorter and soon there won’t be as many warm and sunny days (at least, not here) until spring. Many people begin experiencing seasonal affective disorder (SAD) as fall really kicks in. As many of you know, for a lot of people light therapy is an effective way to treat SAD.
However, did you also know light therapy might be able to help with bipolar disorder? That’s just one of the topics we’re covering in today’s Psy...
Source: World of Psychology - October 21, 2017 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Alicia Sparks Tags: Bipolar Brain and Behavior Celebrities Disorders Industrial and Workplace Policy and Advocacy Professional Psychology Around the Net Research Self-Esteem Stigma Treatment Bipolar Disorder Defense Mechanism Denial Depression Source Type: blogs
Seasonal Affective Disorder: The Silent Season
It’s that time again. The days are getting shorter and the air is getting colder. The leaves are beginning to change colors and delicately fall. We pull out our scarves and gloves and drink warm cider. To many, the change in season is received with a warm welcome and open arms. To others, they begin to settle into the knowledge that their least favorite season is among them.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that emerges during autumn and well through the winter months. Some commonly mistake SAD with the general feeling of laziness during the winter months as symptoms tend to include increased...
Source: World of Psychology - September 21, 2017 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Silvi Saxena, MSW, LSW, CCTP, OSW-C Tags: Depression General Happiness Inspiration & Hope Motivation and Inspiration Psychology autumn Depressive Episode fall Melancholy Mood Disorder Sad Sadness Seasonal Affective Disorder Seasonal Changes Winter Blues Source Type: blogs
How to Chase Away Your Summertime Blues
Does your stomach turn when the thought of summer begins? Do you feel lonely, sad, or depressed in the summer months? Is it hard for you to plan a vacation, or get some good shut eye? If so, don’t feel bad, because you are not alone. In fact, reverse SAD occurs in about less than 10% of the population during the summer months.
Most people experience Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD when winter rolls around, the more common form of SAD. But summertime reverse SAD, while temporary, and short lived, can still be very emotionally taxing for the summer months that are endured.
Some of the triggers are listed below, so it...
Source: World of Psychology - August 22, 2017 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Emily Waters Tags: Alternative and Nutritional Supplements Anxiety and Panic Depression Eating Disorders Family Friends Happiness Medications Money and Financial Self-Help Sleep Stress Body Image Circadian Rhythm Exercise Financial Worries He Source Type: blogs
10 Summer Depression Busters
Although my mood seems to be better with more sun, I understand why a substantial number of folks get more depressed in the summer. Extreme heat is hard to tolerate. In fact, in a study published in Science in 2013, researchers reported that as temperatures rose, the frequency of interpersonal violence increased by 4 percent, and intergroup conflicts by 14 percent.
There are four distinct types of people when it comes to weather and mood, according to a study published in Emotion in 2011.
Summer Lovers (better mood with warmer and sunnier weather)
Unaffected (weak associations between weather and mood)
Summer Hater...
Source: World of Psychology - June 28, 2017 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Therese J. Borchard Tags: Alternative and Nutritional Supplements Bipolar Depression Personal Research Self-Help Sleep Bipolar Disorder Depressive Episode Dysthymia Major Depressive Disorder Mood Disorder Ruminating Sadness Seasonal Affective Disorder Source Type: blogs
