Seasonal Affective Disorder: Dark Moods & Bright Solutions Do you experience increased moodiness and a marked decrease in energy throughout the winter months? Is it difficult to relate these feelings to any specific reason or event? You may be suffering from winter depression, which is known in the medical field as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). What Is SAD And Who Is Affected? Seasonal Affective Disorder is a change in mood and behavior due to seasonal changes. An estimated 6% of the U.S. population suffers from serious depression related to the time of year. Researchers at The National Institute of Mental Health estimate that another 25% of the population suffers from a mild version of SAD. Also, SAD if four times more likely to affect women, and the condition is more common the further north you go. Research Findings and Possible Causes Research into the biological causes of SAD started thirty years ago with experiments on the effects of light-dark cycles on the body's internal clock. In research on animals, winter-type lighting schedules were shown to produce hibernation. We know that workers who move from day to night shift work experience a period of readjustment to light levels. There appears to be a direct correlation between diminished winter daylight and depressed moods. Researchers believe SAD is associated with the hormone Melatonin. In 1982, Dr. Alfred Lewy of the National Institutes of Mental Health discovered that Melatonin secretions in humans can be affected by the duration of light-dark cycles. Information about light levels travels along the nerve pathways to the hypothalamus, that part of the Brain's limbic system which regulates emotions. Lower levels of light cause a delay in the Melatonin supply. People who are sensitive to these effects often experience a full-blown depression without understanding why they feel depressed. How Do You Know If You Have SAD? The most pervasive symptom is fatigue accompanied by foggy-headedness for several hours each day. Symptoms may also include any or all of the following:
The difference between seasonal depression and the blues, or even chronic depression, is that recovery depends upon increased amounts of light. Just as winter darkness causes depression, bright summertime light levels may bring on an unusually elevated mood. Assessment and Treatment Since there is no laboratory test for SAD, diagnosis is based on your history of yearly mood changes. The symptoms typically occur during the same two or three month period each winter. The Seasonal Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) assesses sleep patterns, social activity, mood and weight changes and energy level variations. Treatment for SAD consists of sitting a specified distance from a bank of special fluorescent tubes for one to six hours each day. The light level is equivalent to standing next to an open window on a sunny spring day. A person receiving light therapy will report changes in mood within three to four days. Light therapy has few side effects. Some eye irritation may occur which can be reduced by sitting farther from the source or by using a diffusion screen to soften the glare. A person under treatment can carry on activities such as reading or writing during the period of exposure. The regimen can be followed at home with careful instruction and compliance. The results are liberating. Energy levels return and the depression lifts. The winter months are livable again. If you think you suffer from SAD and want more information, consult you family physician or contact your EAP counselor. Additional Resources National Institute of Mental Health 9000 Rockville Pike Bethesda, Maryland 20892 Call (301) 496-0500 for further information. Bantam paperback book: Rosentahl & Thomas - "Seasons Of The Mind"
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