Cherry Hill Sun

Author: cbarcia

  • SAD is more than just the winter blues

    While many joyfully await the change of seasons from summer to fall, others dread it.

    As the days get shorter and daylight hours are reduced, many people enter a state of depression called Seasonal Affective Disorder – or SAD. The disorder is a type of depression that typically occurs during the fall and winter months when there is less natural sunlight, according to Frank A. Ghinassi, chief executive of Rutgers’ Behavioral Health Care.

    “While anyone can experience SAD, it is most common in people who live in regions like New Jersey with long winters and shorter daylight hours,” Ghinassi explained. “SAD is thought to be linked to the lack of sunlight, which can disrupt the body’s internal circadian rhythm and lead to decreased levels of serotonin, a brain chemical that affects mood.”

    About 5% of the U.S. population experiences SAD and 10 to 20% experience the milder version of “winter blues,” according to the Cleveland Clinic website. The symptoms of SAD often present in late fall and early winter and last for four or five months. They include “feelings of sadness, fatigue and gloom,” said Lynn Morgan, a psychotherapist with Virtua Behavioral Health in South Jersey.

    Other symptoms Morgan describes include loss of interest in activities, fatigue, social withdrawal, difficulty concentrating and sleep problems. An “insatiable appetite for carbohydrates” is another symptom of those affected by SAD, noted Debra L. Wentz, president and CEO of the New Jersey Association of Mental Health and Addiction Agencies Inc.

    “People with SAD have reduced levels of vitamin D and serotonin, both of which contribute to feelings of happiness,” explained Morgan. “As sunlight plays a key role in the production of both serotonin and vitamin D, fewer daylight hours can affect how you feel.”

    People with SAD also produce too much melatonin, a hormone important in maintaining a normal sleep routine, she added. Ghinassi pointed out that women are more likely than men to experience SAD, and it is more prevalent in areas farther from the equator, where daylight hours are shorter during the winter.

    While depression lasts all year long, most people with SAD will see their symptoms end in the spring and return in late fall, said Wentz.

    The symptoms of SAD can be managed with a variety of approaches, according to Ghinassi:

    Maintain a routine: Keeping a regular routine for sleeping, eating, and exercising can help stabilize your mood and energy levels. Try to wake up and go to bed at the same time each day and eat a balanced diet to keep your energy consistent.

    • Exercise and outdoor activities: Regular physical activity can boost mood and energy levels by increasing serotonin and endorphin production. Even during the winter, try to get outside for a walk or engage in activities that expose you to natural light.
    • Vitamin D supplementation: Because sunlight helps the body produce vitamin D, lower levels of the nutrient are common in people with SAD. Taking a vitamin D supplement, along with consuming vitamin D-rich foods like fortified dairy products, can help.
    • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): CBT can help individuals identify and change negative thought patterns that contribute to feelings of depression. This form of therapy is effective in managing symptoms of SAD by teaching coping strategies for dealing with the darker months.
    • Light therapy: Light therapy is one of the most common treatments for SAD. It involves sitting near a specially designed lightbox that mimics natural sunlight for about 20–30 minutes each morning. This exposure to bright light helps regulate your body’s circadian rhythm and increase serotonin production.
    • Medications: In some cases, antidepressant medications may be prescribed to help balance the chemicals in the brain that affect mood. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are often used to treat SAD.
    • Professional support: A mental-health professional can provide a diagnosis and develop a treatment plan.

    SAD is more than just the holiday or winter blues.

    It is a “real diagnosable mental-health disorder that should be taken seriously,” Wentz emphasized.

  • SAD is more than just the winter blues

    While many joyfully await the change of seasons from summer to fall, others dread it.

    As the days get shorter and daylight hours are reduced, many people enter a state of depression called Seasonal Affective Disorder – or SAD. The disorder is a type of depression that typically occurs during the fall and winter months when there is less natural sunlight, according to Frank A. Ghinassi, chief executive of Rutgers’ Behavioral Health Care.

    “While anyone can experience SAD, it is most common in people who live in regions like New Jersey with long winters and shorter daylight hours,” Ghinassi explained. “SAD is thought to be linked to the lack of sunlight, which can disrupt the body’s internal circadian rhythm and lead to decreased levels of serotonin, a brain chemical that affects mood.”

    About 5% of the U.S. population experiences SAD and 10 to 20% experience the milder version of “winter blues,” according to the Cleveland Clinic website. The symptoms of SAD often present in late fall and early winter and last for four or five months. They include “feelings of sadness, fatigue and gloom,” said Lynn Morgan, a psychotherapist with Virtua Behavioral Health in South Jersey.

    Other symptoms Morgan describes include loss of interest in activities, fatigue, social withdrawal, difficulty concentrating and sleep problems. An “insatiable appetite for carbohydrates” is another symptom of those affected by SAD, noted Debra L. Wentz, president and CEO of the New Jersey Association of Mental Health and Addiction Agencies Inc.

    “People with SAD have reduced levels of vitamin D and serotonin, both of which contribute to feelings of happiness,” explained Morgan. “As sunlight plays a key role in the production of both serotonin and vitamin D, fewer daylight hours can affect how you feel.”

    People with SAD also produce too much melatonin, a hormone important in maintaining a normal sleep routine, she added. Ghinassi pointed out that women are more likely than men to experience SAD, and it is more prevalent in areas farther from the equator, where daylight hours are shorter during the winter.

    While depression lasts all year long, most people with SAD will see their symptoms end in the spring and return in late fall, said Wentz.

    The symptoms of SAD can be managed with a variety of approaches, according to Ghinassi:

    Maintain a routine: Keeping a regular routine for sleeping, eating, and exercising can help stabilize your mood and energy levels. Try to wake up and go to bed at the same time each day and eat a balanced diet to keep your energy consistent.

    • Exercise and outdoor activities: Regular physical activity can boost mood and energy levels by increasing serotonin and endorphin production. Even during the winter, try to get outside for a walk or engage in activities that expose you to natural light.
    • Vitamin D supplementation: Because sunlight helps the body produce vitamin D, lower levels of the nutrient are common in people with SAD. Taking a vitamin D supplement, along with consuming vitamin D-rich foods like fortified dairy products, can help.
    • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): CBT can help individuals identify and change negative thought patterns that contribute to feelings of depression. This form of therapy is effective in managing symptoms of SAD by teaching coping strategies for dealing with the darker months.
    • Light therapy: Light therapy is one of the most common treatments for SAD. It involves sitting near a specially designed lightbox that mimics natural sunlight for about 20–30 minutes each morning. This exposure to bright light helps regulate your body’s circadian rhythm and increase serotonin production.
    • Medications: In some cases, antidepressant medications may be prescribed to help balance the chemicals in the brain that affect mood. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are often used to treat SAD.
    • Professional support: A mental-health professional can provide a diagnosis and develop a treatment plan.

    SAD is more than just the holiday or winter blues.

    It is a “real diagnosable mental-health disorder that should be taken seriously,” Wentz emphasized.

  • ‘Meet your loved one where they are that day’

    While many think of fall colors like orange and red in fall, others think of teal.

    The blue-green shade with calming characteristics is the chosen color of the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America for the nationwide observance of Alzheimer’s Awareness Month in November. In New Jersey, support to fight Alzheimer’s is strong.

    “Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month is a time to raise awareness about the impact of Alzheimer’s disease in New Jersey,” said Ken Zaentz, president and CEO of Alzheimer’s New Jersey. “Our education programs and outreach focus on the impact of the disease on New Jersey families and on our communities, our health-care system and our economy.”

    The obervance also highlights the effort to “continue helping families challenged by Alzheimer’s get the support they need, including education about Alzheimer’s and important care strategies, access to Alzheimer’s New Jersey programs and services and other community resources,” Zaentz continued.  

    Ted Doyle, spokesperson for LCB Senior Living – with five locations in New Jersey – said his company partnered with the Alzheimer’s Association on walks, car washes and even an Oktoberfest in Cherry Hill to raise awareness and funds. He claimed there is a “growing public awareness” about Alzheimer’s.

    “Everyone knows somebody who is touched by it,” he added.

    Alzheimer’s is a degenerative brain disease that is caused by complex brain changes following cell damage, and it leads to dementia symptoms that gradually worsen over time, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. There are more than 55 million people world-wide living with the disease or a related dementia.

    The number is expected to almost double every 20 years, barring treatment or a cure, according to Cole Smith, corporate director of dementia care at Brightview Senior Living.

    In the U.S., there are currently 6.9 million people living with Alzheimer’s or a related dementia, a number likely to double by 2050. That number, Smith explained, is largely due to the “silver tsunami” of aging Baby Boomers. About one in nine people 65 and over have Alzheimer’s or dementia in the U.S., and roughly one in two people 80 and over have the illness.

    “As the numbers of people living with Alzheimer’s grows, the need for increased public awareness and community support has never been greater,” Zaentz noted.

    “Alzheimer’s disease is not a normal part of aging, but aging is the biggest risk factor for developing dementia,” Smith pointed out, noting that while there’s no cure for the progressive brain disorder, treatments have improved lives.

    “Medication has made great strides in symptom management,” he added. “We now have medications to slow the decline of early-stage Alzheimer’s disease.”

    The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists 10 warning signs of Alzheimer’s. People with one or more of these 10 warning signs should see a doctor to find the cause:

    1. Memory loss that disrupts daily life.
    2. Challenges in planning or solving problems.
    3. Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, at work, or at leisure.
    4. Confusion with time or place.
    5. Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relations.
    6. New problems with words in speaking or writing.
    7. Misplacing things and not being able to retrace steps.
    8. Decreased or poor judgment.
    9. Withdrawal from work or social activities.
    10. Changes in mood or personality.

    According to the Mayo Clinic, more research is needed before experts know specific ways to prevent Alzheimer’s disease, but the following factors will improve overall brain health:

    • Avoid smoking.
    • Control vascular risk factors, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.
    • Lower your low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels if they’re high. Do this with treatment recommended by your health-care professional and lifestyle changes such as exercising and eating a healthy diet.
    • Eat a balanced diet — such as the Mediterranean diet — that’s rich in vegetables, fruits and lean protein, particularly protein sources containing omega-3 fatty acids.
    • Be physically and socially active, including engaging in aerobic exercise.
    • Maintain a healthy weight.
    • Take care of your mental health.
    • Use thinking (cognitive) skills, such as memory skills.
    • Avoid head injury.
    • Treat hearing loss.
    • Treat vision loss.
    • Limit alcohol consumption.

    “At Brightview Senior Living, we have a program called Bright Minds that supports brain health through social engagement, nutrition, physical exercise and mental exercises,” Smith offered. “We use a SPICE model for caring for individuals holistically: Spiritual, Physical, Intellectual, Cultural and Emotional needs are met through this program.”

    For the newly diagnosed person, as well as for family and friends of a loved one diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, the journey is difficult. The diagnosis is both “overwhelming and isolating,” said Smith.

    He further explained that at the time of diagnosis, there is an overwhelming amount of information and decision-making, and the world shrinks around the disease. Smith’s advice for those affected by dementia is “to meet your loved one where they are that day.”

    For more information about the Alzheimer’s Association New Jersey chapter, visit www.alz.org/nj/events or https://www.alznj.org/.

    For more information about Alzheimer’s, visit The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America at https://alzfdn.org/ or The Alzheimer’s Association https://www.alz.org/.

  • ‘Meet your loved one where they are that day’

    While many think of fall colors like orange and red in fall, others think of teal.

    The blue-green shade with calming characteristics is the chosen color of the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America for the nationwide observance of Alzheimer’s Awareness Month in November. In New Jersey, support to fight Alzheimer’s is strong.

    “Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month is a time to raise awareness about the impact of Alzheimer’s disease in New Jersey,” said Ken Zaentz, president and CEO of Alzheimer’s New Jersey. “Our education programs and outreach focus on the impact of the disease on New Jersey families and on our communities, our health-care system and our economy.”

    The obervance also highlights the effort to “continue helping families challenged by Alzheimer’s get the support they need, including education about Alzheimer’s and important care strategies, access to Alzheimer’s New Jersey programs and services and other community resources,” Zaentz continued.  

    Ted Doyle, spokesperson for LCB Senior Living – with five locations in New Jersey – said his company partnered with the Alzheimer’s Association on walks, car washes and even an Oktoberfest in Cherry Hill to raise awareness and funds. He claimed there is a “growing public awareness” about Alzheimer’s.

    “Everyone knows somebody who is touched by it,” he added.

    Alzheimer’s is a degenerative brain disease that is caused by complex brain changes following cell damage, and it leads to dementia symptoms that gradually worsen over time, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. There are more than 55 million people world-wide living with the disease or a related dementia.

    The number is expected to almost double every 20 years, barring treatment or a cure, according to Cole Smith, corporate director of dementia care at Brightview Senior Living.

    In the U.S., there are currently 6.9 million people living with Alzheimer’s or a related dementia, a number likely to double by 2050. That number, Smith explained, is largely due to the “silver tsunami” of aging Baby Boomers. About one in nine people 65 and over have Alzheimer’s or dementia in the U.S., and roughly one in two people 80 and over have the illness.

    “As the numbers of people living with Alzheimer’s grows, the need for increased public awareness and community support has never been greater,” Zaentz noted.

    “Alzheimer’s disease is not a normal part of aging, but aging is the biggest risk factor for developing dementia,” Smith pointed out, noting that while there’s no cure for the progressive brain disorder, treatments have improved lives.

    “Medication has made great strides in symptom management,” he added. “We now have medications to slow the decline of early-stage Alzheimer’s disease.”

    The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists 10 warning signs of Alzheimer’s. People with one or more of these 10 warning signs should see a doctor to find the cause:

    1. Memory loss that disrupts daily life.
    2. Challenges in planning or solving problems.
    3. Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, at work, or at leisure.
    4. Confusion with time or place.
    5. Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relations.
    6. New problems with words in speaking or writing.
    7. Misplacing things and not being able to retrace steps.
    8. Decreased or poor judgment.
    9. Withdrawal from work or social activities.
    10. Changes in mood or personality.

    According to the Mayo Clinic, more research is needed before experts know specific ways to prevent Alzheimer’s disease, but the following factors will improve overall brain health:

    • Avoid smoking.
    • Control vascular risk factors, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.
    • Lower your low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels if they’re high. Do this with treatment recommended by your health-care professional and lifestyle changes such as exercising and eating a healthy diet.
    • Eat a balanced diet — such as the Mediterranean diet — that’s rich in vegetables, fruits and lean protein, particularly protein sources containing omega-3 fatty acids.
    • Be physically and socially active, including engaging in aerobic exercise.
    • Maintain a healthy weight.
    • Take care of your mental health.
    • Use thinking (cognitive) skills, such as memory skills.
    • Avoid head injury.
    • Treat hearing loss.
    • Treat vision loss.
    • Limit alcohol consumption.

    “At Brightview Senior Living, we have a program called Bright Minds that supports brain health through social engagement, nutrition, physical exercise and mental exercises,” Smith offered. “We use a SPICE model for caring for individuals holistically: Spiritual, Physical, Intellectual, Cultural and Emotional needs are met through this program.”

    For the newly diagnosed person, as well as for family and friends of a loved one diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, the journey is difficult. The diagnosis is both “overwhelming and isolating,” said Smith.

    He further explained that at the time of diagnosis, there is an overwhelming amount of information and decision-making, and the world shrinks around the disease. Smith’s advice for those affected by dementia is “to meet your loved one where they are that day.”

    For more information about the Alzheimer’s Association New Jersey chapter, visit www.alz.org/nj/events or https://www.alznj.org/.

    For more information about Alzheimer’s, visit The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America at https://alzfdn.org/ or The Alzheimer’s Association https://www.alz.org/.