Emotional Eating and Seasonal Affective Disorder

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Emotional Eating and Seasonal Affective Disorder Emotional eating and seasonal affective disorder are two different things. Emotional eating is characterized by a sudden feeling of hunger, craving for specific foods, mindless eating and there is no feeling of satisfaction even if you’re already full. This is usually triggered by certain emotions that can be only satisfied by eating a certain food. On the other hand, seasonal affective disorder or SAD is a recurrent depression that is usually experienced during winter. Symptoms are usually mild and moderate but it can be severe sometimes. This may include appetite changes, weight gain, hopelessness and anxiety. Emotional Eating Here are several factors that can trigger emotional eating: Emotions - Emotional changes can prompt emotional eating. This includes boredom, anger, depression and loneliness. Social - Being with people that encourage you to eat can sometimes do more harm than good. You may tend to continue eating despite being full just to fit in or just pleased everyone. Situational - Eating is associated with certain activities that provide opportunity to eat. For example, watching television while eating can make you lose your focus on how much you’re actually eating. How to overcome emotional eating Identifying the things or situations that trigger emotional eating is the first step in overcoming this behavior. These factors are usually habitual thus having the willpower and determination to break it is definitely needed. Here are several activities that can keep you from overeating: Make time for relaxation Read a good book Have a massage Exercise regularly Communicate with friends Do housework, laundry, or wash the car. Seasonal Affective Disorder Seasonal aff... ... middle of paper ... ...ty. However, it has been found effective for short term treatment. Light therapy involves sitting in front or beneath a light box that simulates the sunlight, which is missing during the darker winter months. Cognitive behavioral therapy - This involves multiple sessions with a specially trained therapist that may last for several weeks or months. It works by changing your mindset about certain things that usually triggers the disorder. Supplements - Supplement and herbal remedies are commonly used in relieving depression, though it is not really clear how effective they could be. One example is St. John Wort, which is an herb that has been found effective for mild and moderate depression. Other remedies include SAMe, Melatonin and Omega-3 fatty acids. Mind-body therapy - This includes meditation and breathing exercises like yoga, massage therapy or acupuncture.

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