Synopses & Reviews
Review
"This is the book I recommend to all who struggle beneath the weight of winter. It is highly authoritative yet lively, warm, and quite personal. Dr. Rosenthal is an unsurpassed expert in the field and he lays out exactly what you need to do to feel more like your 'summer self.'"--Michael J. Norden, MD, University of Washington, author of
Beyond Prozac"This is a 'must' read for all who suffer from seasonal affective disorder--and for their parents, spouses, and significant others. Illustrated with a rich mixture of case histories and the latest research results, the book does a masterful job of describing the history, origins, and treatment of SAD. This is painless medicine indeed!"--Dean Hamer, PhD, coauthor of Living With Our Genes; Chief of Gene Structure and Regulation at the National Cancer Institute
"Written to introduce both health professional and the lay public to the topic of seasonal affective dissorder (SAD), this book succeeds in providing the essentials about the diagnosis and treatment of SAD while engaging the reader in literature and thought-provoking discussions of the broader role of seasonality in our culture and our lives. The text is very well written and the case vignettes are illuminating and often touching....The book helps make sense of a puzzling and potentially incapacitating illness and offers explicit hope for a better future."--Michael E. Thase, MD, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
"Winter Blues is a fascinating and authoritative account of what science knows about our vital relationship to light. Dr. Rosenthal, an internationally recognized expert in the field of mood disorders, vividly describes the intriguing seasonal pattern in our moods, energies, and behaviors, as well as the recent treatments that have evolved to help mitigate the suffering experienced by the many individuals who have seasonal affective disorder. Winter Blues is an excellent and highly readable book."--Kay Redfield Jamison, PhD, Professor of Psychiatry, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, author of Touched with Fire: Manic-Depressive Illness and the Artistic Temperament
"Wonderfully written and full of vital information by an unequaled expert on the subject. I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who, like myself, has the winter blues. Read and heed Dr. Rosenthal's advice. It can change your life."--Jean Carper, syndicated columnist and author of Food--Your Miracle Medicine
"An elegant book....An enlightening work....Combines the tradition of doctor as humanist with an exciting new science of the mind."--Judith Rapoport, MD, author of The Boy Who Couldn't Stop Washing
Synopsis
The book features revised chapters on antidepressant medications and light therapy; a new chapter on coping with SAD all year round; details on St. John's wort and on a nutritional regimen; a self-test to help clients evaluate their level of SAD; and a list of SAD resources.
Synopsis
Completely updating and expanding his immensely popular guide, Norman E. Rosenthal has written a veritable survival kit for anyone who suffers from the winter blues. This authoritative and engaging book presents the very latest information on the many dimensions of SAD, including the newly recognized distinctions between various degrees of the disorder, from "winter blues" to full-blown SAD. The book features revised chapters on antidepressant medications and light therapy, a new chapter on coping with SAD all year round, details on St. John's wort and on a helpful nutritional regimen, a self-test to help readers evaluate their own level of SAD, and a list of SAD resources. Also discussed is the use of light therapy in treating problems whose symptoms mirror those of SAD, including jet lag, sleep disorders, premenstrual syndrome, and the effects of shift work. A concluding chapter illustrates how those with SAD can enjoy even the darkest of seasons.
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. 335-339) and index.
About the Author
A pioneer in the field of seasonal studies, Norman E. Rosenthal, MD, is Chief of the Section on Environmental Psychiatry at the National Institute of Mental Health. He is internationally recognized for his outstanding contribution to the understanding and treatment of depression. Widely published, he is the author of
St. John's Wort: The Herbal Way to Feeling Good.
Table of Contents
I. Seasonal Syndromes
1. Introduction: Discovering SAD
2. All About SAD
3. How Seasonal Are You?
4. The Causes and Symptoms of SAD
5. SAD in Children and Adolescents
6. "Summer SAD" and Other Seasonal Afflictions
II. Treatments
7. Light Therapy
8. Beyond Light Therapy: Other Ways to Help Yourself
9. Psychotherapy and SAD
10. Antidepressant Medications, Herbs, and Vitamins
11. How Can I Help?: Advice for Family and Friends
12. Step by Step through the Revolving Year
13. Research on SAD and Light Therapy
III. Celebrating the Seasons
14. A Brief History of Seasonal Time
15. Polar Tales
16. SAD through the Ages
17. Creating with the Seasons
18. Words for All Seasons
19. Winter Light: Life beyond SAD
IV. Resources
Where to Get Further Help for Seasonal Problems
Dietary Advice, Menus, and Recipes
Further Reading
Appendix A: Self-Assessment Mood Scale for SAD (SAM SAD)
Appendix B: The Columbia Eye Checkup for Users of Light Therapy