Welcome to my website! This is a work in progress so, please contact me with any questions or comments.
The intention of this page is to provide you with information that you can use. At times, I will touch on questions of general interest that current clients have raised. I will also provide some basic health tips pertinent to the season.
Fall 2008
The transition of the season from summer to autumn can be taxing to our health. Summer vacations and relaxation give way to work and school. Fall allergy season and the beginnings of the cold and flu season begin. Indian Summer days can turn breezy and cold throwing additional immunity challenges our way. For specific hints of how to "weather" the challenges of the cold-flu season, allergies, and environmental challenges, please refer to the information in the "Archived Newsletters" section of this website.
Depression
In addition to cooler weather and its challenges to our immunity, autumn brings longer nights and the "darkening" of days.Less sun exposure of the fall and winter months can lead to Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), even here in “Sunny California.” People with this mood disorder can suffer from depression, fatigue, they may wish to withdraw from social activities and have difficulties working.Changes in appetite and food cravings may also result.Symptoms can be debilitating.
Possible causes for SAD may be due to and increase in melatonin levels (a hormone that relates to sleep) and/or a drop of serotonin levels (a neurotransmitter that affects mood). Also the changes in light may throw your body’s internal clock and in turn your sleep and mood.
Traditional treatments can consist of light therapy, antidepressants, and or psychotherapy depending on the severity of the symptoms.
Additional non-traditional therapies include acupuncture and Chinese herbs.
An acupuncturist/herbalist may evaluate two people suffering from SAD or depression and come up with two different diagnoses, two different sset of acupuncture points, and two different herbal formulas.Some people suffering from depression lack an appetite, others suffer from intense cravings, still others may experience an increase in appetite; some suffer from insomnia, others from too much sleep.In short, just as no two people suffering from depression are exactly alike, no two Chinese medical treatments for depressions are exactly alike.If wish to discuss this at greater length, please do not hesitate to contact me.
So whether you are suffering from SAD or a case of “winter blues” because of spending more time indoors doing indoor activities under artificial light. I encourage you to take measures to break your “cabin fever” and seek advice/assistance from your General Practitioner (MD), acupuncturist/herbalist, or other qualified medical practitioner.
If you feel you are suffering from severe depression: do not hesitate to call 911, go to your nearest hospital, or call 1-800-SUICIDE .Seek professional help immediately.
