Feeling Blue This Winter?

After the seasonal high of Christmas, it is easy to feel a little blue come January. The sky is grey, purses are lighter, scale numbers are higher, and it seems the next holiday is quite a long way off! Winter blues, a collection of symptoms including low mood, increased body weight, lower libido, sleep disruptions, and apathy most commonly occurs between October and March.

Lots of things can contribute to the winter blues such as less sunlight and shorter days, returning to work after the holidays, and decreased exercise. An increase in exercise and sunlight as well as the right foods in your diet may help raise your moods. Cottage cheese, peas, milk, brown rice, whole-grain breads and cereals, peanuts and fruit will all help raise the feel-good hormone serotonin.

But if low mood or depression persists it is important to take action and get some help. Homeopathy, the drug-free, holistic treatment of ailments, can be effective for people suffering with depression and low mood. Your homeopath is interested in looking at the whole picture of your health, which includes both physical and emotional symptoms. By looking at the big picture, rather than just the symptoms, a homeopathic medicine called a remedy can be chosen specifically for you.

Low mood or depression can be caused by emotional triggers. Some people find the holidays particularly difficult due to the loss of a spouse, parent, or other family member and they don’t feel well the entire holiday season. Others may feel anxious about spending too much time with their family over the holidays. Some may find things at home or work are more difficult in January and February and feel overwhelmed by the increased stress, work hours, or lack of time with family and friends.

While many people suffer from low moods or depression often the manifestation of symptoms varies person to person. This is why homeopathic treatment is so effective. A homeopath approaches each case individually and is interested in the symptoms rather than the common name of the ailments. Depression in itself isn’t a symptom, but a label for a collection of symptoms. During a homeopathic consultation, the patient is given the time they need to discuss how they are feeling in detail. Your homeopath will ask many questions about your symptoms and lifestyle habits in order to obtain a comprehensive picture of your health. Many patients find this part of the treatment therapeutic in itself.

Anti-depressants are commonly used to treat depression; and although the symptoms may be lessened or even alleviated, consistent us of the drug is necessary to maintain this lightened state. Homeopathy searches for the causation of the symptoms and then prescribes a remedy to help the body heal and restore its natural balance. It is the homeopath’s aim to stop the cycle of the symptoms persisting rather than masking symptoms with a drug.

Homeopathic remedies are not addictive. They are gentle, effective and safe to use on people of all ages. They can be particularly effective for symptoms that stem from emotions, like low mood and depression, as well as clearing up acute illnesses. Don’t suffer with winter blues every year; see your homeopath so you can start a new year with the right attitude!

Be well again!