Seasonal Affective Disorder

Tanya Davis

Do you feel as if you have cabin fever? Are you exhausted all the time? Do you feel depressed or notice that you seem to have lots of headaches during the winter? If so, there could be a physical reason for your symptoms.
Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, is a sort of depression that affects people who are sensitive to light. Researchers say that there is no single cause; instead, there are many factors such as genetics, age, and the particular chemical makeup of a person’s body that may cause them to suffer from SAD. Sometimes it is called a mood disorder, but don’t let that description fool you into taking it lightly; the America Psychiatric Association describes SAD as a major depressive episode.

Causes of SAD may include:
Your Circadian Rhythm – that’s your body’s internal clock. Disrupting this clock through the sun’s changes may mix up your sleep/wake cycles, causing you to fall into a depression.
Melatonin production - Melatonin is a hormone that helps us sleep. As the days grow longer in the fall, people who suffer from SAD produce more melatonin in their bodies. So the SAD sufferers may oversleep, overeat, and have trouble concentrating or remembering things.
Serotonin production – serotonin is a neurotransmitter that plays a large part in creating our mood. If your serotonin is low, you may become depressed.
The main symptoms of SAD may be

 

• Feeling “low”
• Reduced interest in activities that are normally fun
• Loss of concentration
• Oversleeping by several hours each day
• Lack of energy
• Cravings for carbohydrates, sweets, and general weight gain
• Withdrawal from society
• Depression.

SAD is fairly uncommon in people younger than 20. It is diagnosed more often in women than men. Most people who have SAD exhibit a pattern over two or more years. A few of them may have bipolar or manic-depressive disorder. It is important not to try to diagnose or treat yourself; instead, allow a doctor to rule out clinical depression and treat your SAD.
The doctor will conduct a physical and psychological evaluation. There will be questions about your sleep and eating patterns, mood, and seasonal changes in your behavior and lifestyle. The doctor will also want to know whether you have experienced your symptoms for at least two weeks, and whether you’ve experienced them during the same season in the past. Another important question is whether your previous periods of depression were followed by periods when the depression has lifted.

SAD can be treated with Wellbutrin, or with SSRIs like Paxil or Zoloft. It is often treated with phototherapy, a bright light therapy that suppresses melatonin secretion. Some experts recommend just going outside for thirty minutes each day, plus doing aerobic exercise.

There is no way to predict whether you will develop another bout of seasonal affective disorder; however, it is possible to take steps early on, before your symptoms would normally appear, in order to head it off. If you have suffered from SAD, make a plan with your doctor that includes some or all of the following:
Light – make your home brighter by opening draperies or blinds, trimming back bushes that block out sunlight, and adding more windows or skylights to your home.
Exercise – physical exercise decreases SDAD symptoms, relieves, stress, and helps lift anxiety. Plus, getting in shape may make you feel better about yourself, which in turn will lift your mood.
Go outside -- even in the winter time. Take a walk or simply sit outside in the sun.
Care for yourself -- rest, eat right, relax, and manage stress.
Socialize -- be sure that your support system includes friends you can talk to, cry on, and those who you simply enjoy being around.
Plan a winter vacation – if it is at all possible, get out of your dreary winter locale and visit someplace that is sunny and warm.
Is it SAD, or just the holiday blues? Find out here