Up until this last winter, I had never understood Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and how it affected people. The winter of 2010-2011 in the United Kingdom was particularly severe, with snow fall from mid November onwards. It lasted for weeks, but it felt like months. With sub zero temperatures that hadn't been recorded since records began, combined with the inability to move around freely, I started to feel trapped, depressed and longing for some sunlight.
What is Seasonal Affective Disorder?
Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD as it is more commonly known and as explained by Nosad, affects millions of people and can start at any age, but normally occurs between the ages of 18 and 30 years. It is found in both the northern and southern hemispheres, but is extremely rare within 30 degrees of the equator because of the long hours of sunlight and the sun's intensity.
A type of winter depression, it usually rears its ugly head between early autumn and early spring. The worst months seem to be December, January and February. Due to the lack of sunlight and daylight hours in the winter months, a biochemical imbalance occurs in the hypothalamus causing the symptoms of SAD.
Scientists have proved that the lack of light causes the production of melatonin by the pineal gland, a hormone that induces sleep and drowsiness. But unfortunately it doesn't stop here. When melatonin is secreted it is modified with serotonin, which stimulates several physiological processes such as temperature, blood-pressure and other processes like mood, memory and appetite.
However they do not work together. When melatonin is secreted, serotonin is suppressed, causing disorders such as chronic fatigue syndrome, mood changes and it can cause depression in some people. Often continuous medical help is needed to help a person function normally as SAD can be seriously debilitating.
Other Forms Of Seasonal Affective Disorder
Other people can suffer from sub-syndromal SAD, where depression and anxiety are mild or completely absent, but tiredness, eating problems, lethargy and sleep problems may occur. Sub-syndromal SAD is sometimes known as the winter blues. Some people suffer from a reverse summer version of SAD, although this is rare. The symptoms occur in the summer and disappear in the winter.
During the winter months a person suffering from SAD, will have a weakened immune system and will be more open to infections and illnesses.
The symptoms of SAD will disappear with the onset of spring. Sometimes the symptoms will go suddenly with a short period of hypo mania or hyperactivity e.g. spring cleaning. But depending on the amount and intensity of the sun in spring and early summer, the symptoms may only relinquish slowly.
Diagnosis and Symptoms
The diagnosis of SAD will normally only be considered after three or more consecutive winters suffering from the symptoms. As described by The Seasonal Affective Disorder Association, the sufferer may experience an array of symptoms, including the following.
- Sleep – This can vary from needing more sleep to disturbed sleep.
- Depression – including negative thoughts, low mood and feeling sad, and inability to have and show your feelings, despair and hopelessness, low self-esteem, apathy and guilt.
- Food Cravings – A need for sweet foods and food filled with carbohydrates, which in turn will lead to putting on weight.
- Brain and Memory – Concentration is poor as is the memory and the brain is slow.
- Fatigue – This can be to such an extreme that it becomes incapacitating and daily life becomes difficult. Socialisation – Mixing with people becomes a problem and the sufferer finds that they become irritable.
- Mood Changes – In the spring the sufferer will experience sudden mood changes. Some experience over activity, (spring cleaning). Whilst others will not suffer the dramatic mood change, but find that the change is gradual.
- Feeling Anxious – Anything stressful is harder to deal with and the sufferer often feels tense.
- Libido – The sufferer will have reduced interest in physical contact, and the individual's sex life may suffer as a result.
How To Treat Seasonal Affective Disorder?
As the condition is affected by the lack of light, then light therapy can help to combat the effects and symptoms of SAD. Light affects the body in two ways. Light enters through our eyes or through our skin. UV light (ultra-violet) is absorbed by the skin, this comes from the sun. However the light needed for the eyes is not UV light. The light needs to be bight to stimulate the production of serotonin, so the obvious choice is day light. Spending an hour or more a day outside in the natural light, where levels of light range from 1000 – 5000 lux, as explained by SAD.org will go a long way to avoiding SAD.
Obviously this is not always possible, due to the weather or other factors. An alternative would be some form of light therapy lamp. For the light to be effective it needs to be extremely bright, the equivalent to 5000 lux, or has to be in the blue range spectrum. Research has confirmed that although blue light doesn't produce such a bright light, it still has benefits. The majority of light bulbs produced for this purpose are made to full spectrum to replace sunlight.
Unfortunately the use of this artificial sunlight does have side effects. It can cause problems with sleep patterns, especially if used during the evening. In some people it may trigger bipolar disorder - manic depression.
The safest way to receive natural sunlight – UV light - is the natural way, out of doors. However you will need to take precautions against getting sunburned by using the appropriate protection.
Sources:
- Seasonal Affective Disorder Association – SAD Symptoms.
- Nosed – What is SAD?
- Sad.org – Seasonal Affective Disorder - Light Therapy.
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