Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a form of clinical depression that strikes during the darker winter months and is now medically recognised. Most sufferers of this condition can be perfectly healthy during spring and summer, but as soon as the darker days arrive in winter they find they are unable to function properly.
The precise cause of SAD is not yet fully understood, but it is believed to be linked to the reduced exposure to sunlight during the shorter days of the year during the winter. The natural light we receive through our eyes controls our moods, sleep, appetite, temperature and sex drive. Throughout the winter months many people travel to and from work during darkness, literally not seeing sunlight for days on end. Research has now established that a lack of sunlight can disrupt the balance of the brains chemistry, and it is believed that the combination of long dark winter nights together with the colder temperature contributes towards this depressive disorder.
To help tackle seasonal affective disorder successfully we use the essential oils known to uplift and energise together with others that bolster the emotional system, and a few to help you get a good night’s sleep. Essential oils influence the limbic system which is the area of the brain responsible for controlling our moods and the body’s circadian rhythm. Citrus oils have a general cheering and uplifting action on the emotions as well as an energising action on the body whilst the floral oils work on the more subtle energies to help to fight feelings of sadness.