Getting Proactive on Seasonal Affective Disorder

pexels-photo-103127‘Tis the season for many of us to begin feeling SAD. Seasonal Affective Disorder usually starts when the days get shorter in October and turns into pervasive fatigue by late December and January. It was called “the winter blues” before it became a recognized disorder in the 1980s. Now, medical and mental health professionals recognize it as very real depression, sometimes accompanied by decreased sexual interest, hopelessness, social withdrawal and even suicidal thoughts. Add in a healthy dose of anxiety, irritability, inability to concentrate and weight gain and you have all of the ingredients in place for a rough winter. Though children can have SAD, it usually begins in our 20s and appears every year in fall and winter, especially in people who have a relative with clinical depression, bipolar disorder or alcoholism.
About 1 out of 5 women in America will experience depression in her lifetime. Some are depressed throughout the course of their lives, others following a big change, and some slip into depression mainly during the winter months. Depression isn’t limited to women though. Statistics show that men suffer depression too, albeit much less often than women. In 2014, 4.8% of men aged 18 or older in the U.S. had at least one major depressive episode during the year, compared with 8.2% of women in the same age group, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
The numbers don’t necessarily tell the whole story. Depression for women is often a signal for needing help, but men are much less likely than women to report feeling depressed or to seek treatment. According to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, women frequently internalize depression—focusing on emotional symptoms, such as worthlessness or self-blame, experts say, while men externalize it– concentrating on the physical ones. Men typically don’t get weepy or say they feel sad. They feel numb and complain of insomnia, stress or loss of energy and often become irritable and angry.

Treatment for SAD

Is there a cure, besides medication or waiting for spring? No, but there is treatment, the most common being light therapy or “phototherapy.” Ordinary light bulbs won’t do the job; the light must mimic sunlight. Medically developed light boxes are safe and work with daily use and must be used every day. Some professionals recommend at least 30 minutes twice a day throughout the fall and winter.
Why do light boxes work? Doctors think SAD might be caused by changes in the way the body reacts to light and its own biological rhythms. Everyone has a natural biological clock, called “circadian rhythm.” The decreased light during winter months can confuse your internal clock, and causes your brain to produce different chemicals. Medications that produce serotonin (the body’s mood elevator chemical) and melatonin (the body’s calm or sleep inducer) have both been used with some success to adjust these rhythms and chemistry to help reduce the symptoms of SAD. Anti-depressants also reduce symptoms for some people.
Another approach focuses on changing attitudes, behaviors and routines. Opening your blinds to increase the amount of light in your house or going for walks in the middle of the day can help mild cases. Regular exercise is a proven mood elevator and also helps you deal more effectively with stress, prevent seasonal weight gain and generally feel better about yourself. Other proven mood elevators, especially laughter, can also help. Traditional mind-body relaxation techniques may also alleviate SAD symptoms and herbal treatments and dietary adjustments have also proven to be effective.
Recently, cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) was tested in a small group of people diagnosed with SAD. Some of these people were given CBT alone and others were given CBT with light therapy. A third group was given only light therapy: three hours over a six-week period. Early results show CBT may have more long-term positive effects than light therapy. The CBT focused on changing attitudes and behaviors, acquired through years of dealing with SAD, which may contribute to the severity of symptoms.

Take Back Winter

If your SAD symptoms are causing you severe disabling depression––get help before SAD harms your career, relationships and your physical health. Bottom line, if SAD is your winter guest, you’re not alone. Some studies show that as many as half a million people in the United States alone suffer from SAD each year. The most important thing to keep in mind is: If you have seasonal depression, you can do something about it. It all starts with shining a little light on the situation.
 
 
 
 

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