“Winter Blues”, or Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

“Winter Blues”, or Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

With the longer nights and cooler days approaching, you may be noticing a shift in your energy. Like most in the animal kingdom, you are hardwired to respond to the change in season. Energy turns inward, quiets. Sex drive diminishes. Glucose levels fluctuate. Joints swell. Lack of natural light impacts sleep cycles, resulting in fatigue. For some people, the changes are subtle and perhaps even offer a respite from more energetic periods. If you are one of many who notice that you are dreading the onset of the winter and wonder how you will get through it, you may have “winter blues”, or more technically, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

Most scientists believe that the problem is related to the way the body responds to daylight. Alison Kerry, from the mental health charity MIND, says: “With SAD, one theory is that light entering the eye causes changes in hormone levels in the body. In our bodies, light functions to stop the production of the sleep hormone melatonin, making us wake up.

“It’s thought that SAD sufferers are affected by shorter daylight hours in the winter. They produce higher melatonin, causing lethargy and symptoms of depression.” If you’re going through a bout of winter blues, lack of daylight is probably playing a part.

Technically, SAD is diagnosed after two consecutive winters of depression symptoms that lessen in the spring, including:
• low mood most of the day almost every day
• feelings of hopelessness
• sleep problems
• thoughts of death or suicide

If you anticipate becoming tired, lethargic, and irritable as winter trudges on, if you have “winter blues” or full-blown SAD, consider making some proactive changes.

DO NOT wait until Spring to feel better.

Exercising, healthy eating, and finding hobbies to enjoy all eradicate symptoms of SAD or the winter blues. Also, using a lightbox daily has been shown to decrease depression symptoms.

Get active

This is a great weapon against the seasonal slump. Exercise releases endorphins, allowing us to feel good.

Dr. Andrew McCulloch, former chief executive of the Mental Health Foundation, wrote, “There’s convincing evidence that 30 minutes of vigorous exercise three times a week is effective against depression, and anecdotal evidence that lighter exercise will have a beneficial effect, too. If you have a tendency towards SAD, outdoor exercise will have a double benefit, because you’ll gain some daylight.”

Activity is believed to change the level of the mood-regulating chemical serotonin in the brain. It can also help by providing a pleasant change of scene, and helping you to meet new people.

If vigorous workouts aren’t your thing, research has shown that a one-hour walk in the middle of the day is an effective way to beat the winter blues.

Eat yourself happier in winter

It’s also important to eat well during the winter. Winter blues can make you crave sugary foods and carbohydrates such as chocolate, pasta and bread, but don’t forget to include plenty of lean protein, fresh fruit and vegetables in your diet.

Commit to a hobby (or two)

• Take care of living things – plant an indoor garden, volunteer at a shelter, groom your pet, babysit, tutor or mentor a child…
• Make something – draw, bake, scrapbook, sew, create, write, sing, play an instrument
• Join a group – volunteer, join a book club (or create one), attend group meetings, join a league sports team, practice spirituality, take a class, invest in anything you believe in…
• Fix something – Make repairs or improvements in your living space, take a wood shop class, work on your car or bike, re-purpose, rebuild or cleanse…

Celebrate every victory, large and small.

Light Therapy

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) light therapy has been repeatedly shown as beneficial over multiple studies and multiple years and is now an accepted treatment. Most people using light therapy for SAD show improvement one week after starting treatment. One study of 100 people with SAD showed light therapy was equal in effectiveness to treatment with fluoxetine (Prozac), with light therapy producing results slightly faster.

What to Look for in Seasonal Depression Lights.

Lights for SAD come in many sizes and strengths. It’s important to know what kind of light box to buy. A doctor should be consulted before starting light therapy or buying a SAD lamp. Here are some things to keep in mind about specific seasonal depression lights:

• Evidence – is the light specifically designed for light therapy for SAD? Some lights have studies supporting their effectiveness while many do not.
• Intensity – it’s critical to know how much light a SAD light is producing. Light intensity is measured in a unit called “lux.” Patients typically want to receive 10,000 lux of light during treatment. However, each seasonal depression lamp can only produce a specific intensity at a given distance. For example, the patient may get 10,000 lux of light when sitting 18 inches away from the light, but will receive less if sitting farther away.
• UV light – UV light emitted should be minimized due to eye and skin damage risks.
• Blue light – there is some evidence to suggest that SAD lights emitting blue light are more effective; however, blue light may also pose a greater risk of harm to the eye.
• Design – can the light be positioned at the correct distance at a downward angle?