Seasonal Affective Disorder (Sad)

Seasonal Affective Disorder (Sad)

Few people look forward to the gray days and long, dreary nights of winter. In fact, most people feel better in the summer, when the days are longer, sunnier, and warmer. We get out more, exercise harder, and eat less. But for some people, the transition from summer to winter is much more than a slight disappointment. It is nothing short of a nightmare. For these individuals, the change in seasons signals a marked change in personality from happy and relaxed to depressed and tense. Getting out of bed in the morning becomes a major effort, food (especially carbohydrates) becomes a major attraction, depression looms constantly, concentrating becomes all but impossible, and irritability runs rampant. Then, just when they think life isn't worth living any more, spring comes along and they are suddenly back to their old selves again.

Until ten years ago, people suffering from this seasonal change in personality had no idea what was wrong with them. But then Norman E. Rosenthal, M.D., author of Seasons of the Mind, made the connection between the shorter, darker days of winter and the onset of seasonal depression. He and his colleagues began studying this phenomenon and gave it the name seasonal affective disorder (SAD). As for what actually causes SAD, the experts aren't exactly sure. "Just what it is about the light deficiency that creates the low mood is the question. And while we don't have a final answer yet, we do have several theories," says David H. Avery, M.D., associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of Washington School of Medicine, Harborview Medical Center, in Seattle. "One such theory suggests that there is a delay in the timing of the body clock in sad patients that causes their temperature minimum to occur at 6:00 A.M. rather than at the normal time of 3:00 A.M. As a result, they are attempting to wake up when physiologically it is the middle of the night," Avery says. "When we treat these people with bright light from 6:00 A.M. to 8:00 A.M., we not only improve their mood, we also see a shift in their temperature minimum to an earlier time. Using the light in the morning creates a phase advance," he adds.

Another theory is that the secretion of the hormone melatonin is responsible for the low mood and lack of energy. "It is known that the hibernation and reproductive cycles of animals are regulated by the secretion of melatonin. Melatonin is only secreted in the dark and is very light sensitive," says Avery. "During the long summer days, melatonin secretion is markedly reduced because the nights are shorter. But during the long winter nights, melatonin secretion increases," he explains. "Human melatonin production is also responsive to light, but it takes much more light to stop that production than it does in animals," says Raymond Lam, M.D., a psychiatrist in the Mood Disorders Program at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver.

"When melatonin is administered to normal individuals, it tends to lower their body temperature and cause drowsiness. So one initial thought about winter depression is that people who have it are secreting a lot of melatonin during the winter and not much during the summer," adds Avery. With this theory, the light therapy is thought to work because it shuts off the melatonin production. Still, these and other theories have yet to be proven. And sad can hit in varying degrees. In one study, 75 percent of the subjects had sought treatment for their depressions. "I have even had patients who have been hospitalized every winter," says Avery. Still, others say that they don't feel all that depressed, they simply have such low energy that they aren't able to accomplish the things they would like to accomplish. For most people with SAD, it takes two or three jays of bright sunshine to elicit a reversal of symptoms. And, consequently, a tip off that you may have it is if you find great relief in your symptoms when traveling toward the equator.

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Causes Of Seasonal Affective Disorder

Causes Of Seasonal Affective Disorder

Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD is a condition that is brought on by lack of adequate sunlight. Individuals who suffer from this condition experience major depressive episodes during the fall and winter months, when the daylight hours are shorter. These acute symptoms abate in during the spring and summer months when the days are longer. Geographical location, age and genetics are all contributory factors to the onset of seasonal affective disorder in an individual.

Symptoms of Season Affective Disorder

Some of the symptoms of seasonal affective disorder include memory loss, lack of energy, sleep disturbances, inability to concentrate, change in appetite, body aches and pain, change in weight, low self-esteem, diminishing sex drive, suicidal thoughts and lack of interest in any activity.

How Light Therapy helps

The hormone melatonin, which is produced in the hypothalamus of the brain during the hours of darkness, plays a vital role in SAD. Extra hours of darkness during fall and winter cause the production of excessive amounts of melatonin, leading to the onset of severe depression symptoms. Exposure to a source of bright light, such as that emitted from a light box can help reduce the melatonin production, thus alleviating the severe symptoms.

How the Light Box works

The light box is a specially designed box that provides a precise amount of balanced spectrum light that is of the same intensity and quality as the light an individual would normally receive by spending time outdoors in the sun. This light from the box helps regulate the production of melatonin in the brain and normalizes the internal body clock functions.

How a Light Box is used

The individual is required to sit directly in front of the light box facing the source of light. The eyes have to be kept open as UV rays are known to enter the body through the eyes and not the skin or any other part of the body. However care should be taken to keep the face averted as looking directly into the source of light could cause damage to the eyes.

The recommended distance for each individual is different and depends upon the desired intensity for that particular person. The duration of each individual's session is also different.

Light therapy is most effective if it is done at the same time and for the same duration every day, at least till the symptoms disappear. After that, the doctor could decide to reduce the duration of sessions or sometimes even split the session into two sessions of shorter duration each.

Individuals who suffer from seasonal disruptive disorders should commence their light therapy treatment as soon as the symptoms are obvious and begin to get distressing. Light therapy sessions can be discontinued with the onset of spring, when individuals are likely to receive adequate amount of natural sunlight. Seasonal disruptive disorder symptoms are also aggravated during cloudy and rainy weather and could necessitate the use of light therapy.

Excessive use of light therapy could cause adverse side effects and it should only be resorted to on the advice and recommendation of a qualified doctor.

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Identify Symptoms Of Seasonal Affective Disorder

Identify Symptoms Of Seasonal Affective Disorder

Seasonal Affective Disorder is not an easy disorder to diagnose because most of the time it passes as light depression. However, if it is left untreated for a long duration, the possibility of its getting worse cannot be overruled. It may start off slow with the person feeling a little low during certain seasons but may grow gradually into a disabling disorder affecting one's normal life to a very large extent. It can throw one's life out of gear.

Generally, those suffering from this disorder feel that what they are feeling is nothing more than helplessness of a temporary kind. Then, gradually it gets serious and the season starts making them increasingly depressed. It is only when the problem becomes unmanageable that the experts are approached.

Many of the studies on the subject have shown that one out of every ten of us has suffered from the disorder in some form though it cannot be considered a disorder because it occurred once in a while. It becomes a disorder only when it starts affecting a person regularly and its impact disrupts one's normal life.

The disorder is indicated by extreme sluggishness. So much so that people tend to sleep for more than 10 hours everyday, and even after that feel tired on getting up. It is true that the disorder can cause depression, but it is equally true that it might also be a contributing factor. Studies have shown that those who are suffering from depression of some kind are more susceptible to the disorder. The studies connect the disorder to lower exposure to the sun because a lack of sun makes the body to produce lesser amount of vitamin D, which can be a cause of the disorder.

The disorder is found to affect people of all ages but is not found in young children and tends to dig its claws on women of above 35.

If there are symptoms indicating Seasonal Affective Disorder, it is advisable that you seek expert assistance immediately because it can sometimes be cured simply by a making a little alteration in one's diet. The treatment for the disorder is relatively easy and quite effective. So, there is no point in continuing to suffer from it.

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Seasonal Affective Disorder

Seasonal Affective Disorder

Millions of people across the world are affected by seasonal affective disorder (SAD syndrome) every year. It is best described as a change in mood, behaviour and metabolism of a person in winter. Sufferers have a great dislike of the shorter days and the dark mornings that winter brings and this affects their mood, bringing on a period of depression.

First described by the 6th Century Goth scholar Jordanes when he described the people of Scandinavia, SAD syndrome has been found to affect 20% of the Swedish population, giving wintertime a higher occurrence of depression related sleep loss, anxiety and lethargy. Most cases are mild but some people do require treatment in hospital for their disorder.

The strongest theory put forward as to the causes of SAD syndrome is lack of bright light throughout winter. Bright light has been proven to change the chemistry in the brain even though the exact method used to create this effect is not known At times sufferers may not feel depressed but do feel in a state of lethargy when approaching tasks that require effort.

Another theory into the causes of the disorder is that SAD is directly linked to an imbalance of serotonin in the brain although this particular theory is heavily disputed in the medical profession.

Even though it sounds bleak, sufferers do not need to give up hope on a treatment. There are a broad spectrum of treatments to help even the most severe case of seasonal affective disorder which include medication, light therapy and ionized-air reception. The most common treatment is however, light therapy. This effectively entails either going to sunnier climes or sitting in front of a light box each day. For most people sitting in front of a light box for 15-45mins a day is enough to get rid of their symptoms. The best advice on treatment for SAD syndrome is by talking to your doctor who will be able to discuss your individual needs and treatment.

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Light Therapy- An Effective Remedy For Seasonal Affective Disorder (Sad)

Light Therapy- An Effective Remedy For Seasonal Affective Disorder (Sad)

Light, like every other thing in this world, is meant for a purpose; not only is it the indirect source of providing essential nutrients to our body but has also been researched to be a major factor affecting our mental well-being. Human moods are said to be very well influenced by the impact of sunlight. The glee on every other person's face on a bright sunny day after prolonged cold days is no surprise. It comes in naturally and has been the subject of study by many medical practitioners since ages.

Light deprivation is usually experienced by people living in areas where the nights are longer and colder than the days. Statistics show that as much as 10% of the population in the north show symptoms of lethargy or lassitude due to the lack of exposure to sunlight. Moreover it has also been found out that women as compared to men are more likely to get affected by almost a 3:1 ratio1. When at a milder stage, light deprivation can be termed as ''Winter Blues''; a condition that results in restrained energy levels, depression and slower reflex actions. Not that the list ends over here, but the incremented cravings for sweet and carbohydrate rich foods makes the patient put on weight, hence adding up to the complexities. A more pronounced form of the just mentioned condition is what we term as Seasonal Affective Disorder aka SAD. With double the level of depression, it is usually accompanied by lack of concentration and even memory loss!

But as the adage goes, ''Necessity is the mother of invention''; there arose the need of producing artificial light, as much effective as the full spectrum sunlight, to serve people being deprived of the natural blessing and useful light boxes came into being! What a light box or more specifically a light therapy box does is that it mimics outdoor sunlight in a way that it contains high output fluorescent bulbs, shielded by a filter that acts as a UV light protector. The light box is then positioned carefully so that it is tilted and placed a little above your eyes, minimizing any unpleasant glare. The patient is then exposed to this artificial light for a time duration that depends on the demand and lifestyle of the affected person. Usually for a beginner, a 15-20 minutes' exposure is said to be enough, however the span may be extended when needed.

Light from a light box when hits the retina in the eye, gives the brain a stimulus to release certain ''active hormones'' that bring about a biochemical change in the body lifting your mood and reducing the symptoms of SAD. Not only does light therapy aid in resolving core SAD issues, it improvises one's wake-sleep cycle as well. This add-on benefit has its' roots lying in the research made by scientists that SAD is related to an imbalance in the body's natural circadian rhythms or the body's inner clock. The latter term is responsible for governing the timing of our sleep. Hence when we repeatedly try to sleep out of sync with our circadian rhythm, depression occurs; a continued condition like this might even lead to SAD. Light therapy, however, alleviates every affected person of such prevailing conditions.

To sum up, Light therapy is a simple, effective and medically recognized way to beat these symptoms and live a normal, healthy life.

Reference

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Seasonal Affective Disorder (sad) ? Try Light Therapy

Seasonal Affective Disorder (sad) ? Try Light Therapy

Thousands of people every year go into a sort of depression, once fall comes. This is called SAD (seasonal affective disorder). Thousands more suffer from jet lag which is the curse of modern day travel. These two problems are closely related in that their causes are similar. There is one solution for both problems and that is the use of light therapy.

How can a light therapy lamp help in getting over jet lag or indeed in help a person to overcome SAD? As the days get shorter and shorter as winter approaches, the SAD sufferer will go into a sort of depression because s/he needs light. When there is snow, people tend to suffer less from SAD as there is so much more light.

The precise cause of seasonal affective disorder isn't known, but genetics and your age may be factors. In fact most sufferers are women around the age of thirty but it can strike anybody in the age range 15 -55.The general recommendation for most people with seasonal affective disorder is to begin treatment with light therapy in the early fall, as soon as the earliest symptoms start. Light therapy in seasonal affective disorder is independent of time of day or circadian phase.

Sunlight and natural light are essential to our natural biological rhythms. Once there is a change in these rhythms, then our bodies have difficulty in adjusting. Shorter days and long haul flights upset our natural clocks. Table-lamps are ideal at twilight when the light begins to fade.

If your doctor suggests you try light therapy, you may use a specially made light box, or a light visor that you wear on your head like a cap. Generally, light therapy takes about 30 minutes each day throughout the fall and winter, when you're most likely to be depressed. If light therapy helps you, you'll continue using it until enough sunlight is available, typically in the springtime.

How many times has a holiday or a business appointment been ruined by jet lag ? It can last for days after arrival. Every time we cross a few time zones quickly, then we are likely to suffer from this condition. It can have negative effects on your judgement in a business deal and can also make you feel even more depressed when you are trying to get used to your normal routine, once back at home.

Your body clock will not be able to keep with the plane as it crosses several time zones very quickly so it will end up out of sync with the destination time. In addition changes to night and daytime come very quickly and the rhythms which normally decide our eating and sleeping routine are all out of gear. In addition, the rhythm of our body temperature will be skewed as well.

The best way to recover from jet lag and a SAD, is to invest in a sad light box or table lamp. No faddy anti-jet lag diets which you have to start way before the journey and continue afterwards. Some people take sleeping pills which can lead to fatal blood clots. Melatonin has been known to be effective. But the best, most natural way is the sad table lamp.

CBT works well for seasonal affective disorder. (Comparable to Light Therapy).(cognitive-behavioral therapy): An article from: Clinical Psychiatry News

CBT works well for seasonal affective disorder. (Comparable to Light Therapy).(cognitive-behavioral therapy): An article from: Clinical Psychiatry News

This digital document is an article from Clinical Psychiatry News, published by International Medical News Group on February 1, 2002. The length of the article is 521 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: CBT works well for seasonal affective disorder. (Comparable to Light Therapy).(cognitive-behavioral therapy)
Author: Carl Sherman
Publication: Clinical Psychiatry News (Magazine/Journal)
Date: February 1, 2002
Publisher: International Medical News Group
Volume: 30 Issue: 2 Page: 40(1)

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