Seasonal Affective Disorder
SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) is a mood disorder that causes some people to suffer from symptoms of depression during the winter months but not in the spring and summer months. As seasons change, there is a shift in our circadian rhythm or internal clocks, due to the changes in sunlight patterns. This can cause our biological clocks to be out of step with our daily schedules. It is experienced in both the northern and southern hemispheres but is extremely rare in people living within 30 degrees of the equator, where daylight hours are long, constant and extremely bright. SAD appears to affect more women than men and mainly people between the ages of 18 and 30.
SAD is caused by a biochemical imbalance in the hypothalamus due to the shortening of daylight hours and the lack of sunlight in winter. Melatonin, a sleep-related hormone that is produced at increased levels in the dark, has also been linked to SAD.
Lethargy - Feeling of fatigue and inability to carry out normal routines.
Insomnia/Oversleeping - Usually desire to oversleep and difficulty staying awake but, in some cases, disturbed sleep and early morning wakening.
Overeating/Undereating - Craving for carbohydrates and sweet foods, usually resulting in weight gain, but may also include an absence of appetite.
Mood Swings - Irritability, anxiety, feelings of misery, guilt and loss of self-esteem, hopelessness and despair, apathy, low libido, and a weakened immune system. In some sufferers, short periods of hypomania (overactivity) in spring and autumn, but return to normal in spring and summer.
Phototherapy/Bright Light Therapy >has been shown to suppress the brain’s secretion of melatonin and has proven effective in up to 85 per cent of diagnosed cases. The device most often used today is a bank of white fluorescent lights on a metal reflector and shield with a plastic screen. The average home or office lighting emits an intensity of 200-500 lux but the minimum dose, necessary to treat SAD is 2500 lux. The intensity of a bright summer day can be up to 100,000 lux. For mild symptoms, spending time outdoors during the day or arranging homes and workplaces to receive more sunlight may be helpful. Light treatment should be used daily in Winter (and dull periods in summer) starting in early autumn when the first symptoms appear. It consists of sitting two to three feet away from a specially designed light box, usually on a table, allowing the light to shine directly through the eyes. Treatment is usually effective within three or four days and the effect will continue provided it is used every day.
Supplement with St.John's Wort
Diet is very important to the treatment of any type of depression. Increasing protein in the diet will supply and build necessary neurotransmitters. Eliminating salt, sugar and processed foods and increasing essential fatty acids (found in tuna, salmon and evening primrose) will all assist in alleviating symptoms associated with SAD.
Exercise can be as effective as anti-depressant drugs and the benefits of the release of neurotransmitters and hormones can be felt almost immediately.
Massage will assist in dropping stress levels, improving circulation and lymphatic flow.
There are several ways of overcoming the winter blues, but if it all becomes too overwhelming, don’t be afraid to consult with your health care practitioner.