If winter makes you eat too much pasta, sleep late, take daily naps, yell at everyone around you and feel like hiding from the world, you might have SAD. Seasonal Affective Disorder turns up about this time every year. SAD usually starts when the days get shorter in October or November and turns into pervasive fatigue by late December and January. Anxiety, irritability, inability to concentrate and weight gain round out the symptoms that strike people who live at some distance north or south of the equator.
Seasonal Affective Disorder Strikes in Fall
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. Though children can have SAD, it usually begins to occur 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. More women get SAD than men. A few, rare people experience a type of SAD with opposite symptoms during summer months.
Is there a cure, besides 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. Don’t be fooled by fake claims. Medically developed light boxes are safe and work with daily use. They deliver 10,000 lux (normal room light measures from 50 to 300 lux), contain a UV filter or screen, and are certified electrically safe. If your doctor prescribes one for treatment of SAD symptoms, some insurance plans even help to pay for them.
Extra Light Eases Winter Sadness
Some women use tanning beds to combat SAD, but this is a bad idea because tanning beds have been proven so harmful to health. Besides, they offer neither the kind of light nor the delivery method that is useful for light therapy. First, the UV rays in tanning beds cause harm including increased risk for skin cancer, decreased immunity to disease, and premature aging. Second, for light therapy to work, it must reach the eyes at an angle like that of the sun. Eyes covered with cotton or sunglasses in a tanning bed cannot receive the useful treatment. Finally, the spectrum of light from a tanning bed is not the most effective in decreasing SAD symptoms.
White light, usually from fluorescent bulbs, is considered to be the safest. Avoid UV rays and always check with your ophthalmologist if you have any concerns about the condition of your retina or have other vision problems that might be harmed by incorrect exposure to bright light. LED lights are being used in some of the newer light boxes, but the retina is highly sensitive to blue light, which could have harmful long-term side effects. It’s best to consult with your doctor before investing hundreds of dollars in a light box.
Light Therapy Treatment for Seasonal Affective Disorder
Even though light therapy is the generally accepted treatment, doctors don’t really know why it works or how effective it really is. To reduce SAD symptoms, light boxes must be used every day. Some professionals recommend at least 30 minutes twice a day throughout the fall and winter—every fall and winter. Once SAD appears, it returns each year.
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.
Behavioral Treatments for SAD
Another approach focuses on changing attitudes, behaviors and routines that may contribute to the SAD symptoms. 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. If you are wallowing in SAD, go see a funny movie, treat yourself to a comedy club outing or just force yourself to socialize with entertaining friends. Traditional mind-body relaxation techniques may also alleviate SAD symptoms. These include Yoga, meditation, guided imagery, Tai Chi, acupuncture, and massage. Herbal treatments and dietary adjustments might help some people. St. John’s Wort has shown to increase light sensitivity and reduce mild symptoms of depression, as have Omega 3 fatty acids, found in fish oil, flaxseed oil, walnuts and coldwater fish.
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.
What Can You Do for Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)?
Of course, people who can afford it often take a winter Caribbean cruise or vacation in a southern state with a tropical climate. Snowbirds increase by the thousands every year for a reason. Some studies show that as many as half a million people in the United States alone suffer from SAD. The most important thing to keep in mind is: If you have seasonal depression, you can do something about it. Consult with your doctor before investing money in something you saw on TV. But if you have SAD symptoms –– and especially if they are causing you severe disabling depression––get help before SAD harms your career, relationships and your physical health.