It's that time again...SAD..Seasonal Affective Disorder

Posted by C.Worring

It is that time of the year in San Francisco...rain, rain everywhere.  I am proud to say that it is one of the best cities to live in that is why I am here.

As we all know, when we get rain in San Francisco, we get plenty of it.  Living things all react to the changing seasons with changes in mood, metabolism and behavior and we as humans react the same.  Most people find that they eat and sleep slightly more in the winter and dislike the dark mornings and short days.  This is referred to as "winter blues".  For some the symptoms are rather severe that it starts to disrupt their lives and cause distress.  This is the definition of SAD-Seasonal Affective Disorder

Symptoms tend to start in the fall and can last until the beginning of spring.  So, September to April.
The symptoms below illustrate that you may be experiencing -SAD...so read on...

• Sleep problems - oversleeping but not refreshed, cannot get out of bed, needing a nap in the afternoon
• Overeating - carbohydrate craving leading to weight gain
• Depression, despair, misery, guilt, anxiety - normal tasks become frustratingly difficult
• Family / social problems - avoiding company, irritability, loss of libido, loss of feeling
• Lethargy - too tired to cope, everything an effort
• Physical symptoms - often joint pain or stomach problems, lowered resistance to infection
• Behavioral problems - especially in young people

The problem stems from the lack of bright light in winter. Researchers have proved that bright light makes a difference to the brain chemistry but why some people suffer and others don't is not clear...

What treatment is there?

As the cause is lack of bright light, the treatment is to be in bright light everyday.  Going to a brightly lit climate, whether that's skiing or somewhere hot, will relieve symptoms but if that is not possible you can use bright light.  My mother, a practicing Psychiatrist, suggests  that the preferred level of light is about as bright as a spring morning on a clear day and for most people sitting in front of a light like this for around 30 minutes a day can be sufficient to alleviate symptoms.  Studies did show that  you don't have to stare at the light, so you can watch TV or read or similar, just make sure the light reaches your eyes somewhat.  I suggest having a nice bright screen saver of some bright tropical island scene would suffice.

Let's encourage people we know and love that there is a way out of this disorder...I suggest seeking a physician to make sure you really are suffering from SAD.

Like in anything, treatment is available, it's just knowing when to start seeking it....