"I knew it was good to help my children to learn orderliness, but my energy to teach them good habits was fueled by my own feelings and beliefs. At times I interpreted every toy, dirty sock, jacket, and backpack left on the floor as a personal attack on me. I believed that everyone thought that keeping the house clean was my job, and that the kids' messes meant I was failing."

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Seasonal Affective Disorder: Less Light, Less Energy

Early this month while attending the Nobel Conference at Gustavus Adolphus College, I visited the college library. I noticed therapeutic light boxes in several study carrels on each floor, along with a posting giving the symptoms of SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder), and advice and ways to seek help for SAD.

With the reduced sunlight during the fall and winter months biochemical changes of the brain may occur to your serotonin and melatonin levels. SAD can effect anyone, but is four times more common in females and reported most in 18-­30 year-olds.

SAD Symptoms:

• Irritability
• Tiredness or low  energy
• Problems getting along with other  people
• Difficulty concentrating, thinking clearly or   decisively
• Hypersensitivity  to rejection
• Heavy, "leaden" feeling in the arms or legs
• Oversleeping
• Appetite changes, especially a craving for foods high in carbohydrates
• Weight gain or weight  loss

It's normal to have some days when you feel down. But if you feel down for days at a time and you can't get motivated to do activities you normally enjoy, see your doctor. This is especially important if your sleep patterns and appetite have changed or if you feel hopeless, think about suicide, or turn to alcohol for comfort or relaxation.

Light therapy, a daily 30- minute exposure to a light box that simulates high-intensity sunlight, has been shown to be helpful in treating SAD -- and that is why we find them on a college  campus.

Let the sun shine in. Health and Blessings,




Susan Path
Parish Nurse