Change mental outlook to combat seasonal affective disorder

People with seasonal affective disorder must change their way of thinking to combat the disease, according to medical experts.

Speaking about the condition, Professor Geoffrey Beattie of the University of Manchester, explained that there are a lot of preconceptions about the disorder and this is fuelling the problem.

"If people expect to have seasonal affective disorder than they probably will," he stated.

In actuality, seasonal affective disorder is a type of winter depression that affects an estimated seven per cent of people in the UK between September and April.

Patients will often experience symptoms of depression, sleep problems, lethargy, over-eating, loss of concentration, social problems, anxiety, loss of libido and mood changes.

The condition is caused by a biochemical imbalance in the hypothalamus of the brain, due to the shortening of daylight hours and the lack of sunlight in winter.

Professor Beattie claims that to combat the problem "people need to think more about how they spend their days and what kind of activities that people should be engaged in".

Ensuring that you get exercise and go out and have social interaction with people that you care about is important to protect against the condition, according to the professor.

Read about support and personalised care at Barchester care homes for anyone with mental health concerns.