Seasonal Affective Disorder
Keep mood steady
This time of year, a number of people suffer from symptoms of depression that can appear gradually or come on all at once. These symptoms often dissipate as spring arrives and stay in remission through the summer months. For some people, this is a sign that they suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD. SAD can affect adults, teens, and children. Between 4 and 6 percent of the people in the United States suffer from SAD. Another 10 to 20 percent may experience a mild form of winter-onset SAD. Although some children and teenagers get SAD, it usually doesn’t start in people younger than 20 years of age. For adults, the risk of SAD decreases as they get older. Winter-onset SAD is more common in northern regions, where the winter season is typically longer and more harsh. But don’t brush off that yearly feeling as a case of the “winter blues” that you have to tough out on your own. Take steps to keep your mood and motivation steady throughout the year.
Some more sensitive
Most people don’t get seasonal affective disorder, better known as SAD, even if they live in areas where days are shorter during winter months. Experts don’t fully understand why certain people are more likely to experience this depressive disorder than others. It may be that some people are more sensitive than others to variations in light, and therefore may experience more dramatic shifts in hormone production, depending on their exposure to light. Like other forms of depression, females are about four times more likely than males to develop SAD. People with relatives who have experienced depression are also more likely to develop it. Individual biology, family history, environment, and life experiences may also make certain individuals more prone to SAD and other forms of depression. Researchers are continuing to investigate what leads to SAD as well as why some people are more likely than others to suffer from it.
Two hormones
Most experts believe that seasonal affective disorder is somehow triggered by the brain’s response to decreased daylight exposure. Research has shown that two specific chemicals in the brain, melatonin and serotonin may be involved in SAD. These two hormones help regulate a person’s sleep-wake cycles, energy, and mood. Shorter days and longer hours of darkness in winter may cause increased levels of melatonin and decreased levels of serotonin, creating the biological conditions for depression. The body produces melatonin in greater quantities when days are shorter, causing a person to feel sleepy and lethargic. Serotonin production goes up when a person is exposed to sunlight, so it’s likely that a person will have lower levels of serotonin during the winter when the days are shorter. Low levels of serotonin are associated with depression, whereas increasing serotonin levels helps combat depression.
Less light
The symptoms of seasonal affective disorder usually appear during the colder months of fall and winter, when there is less exposure to sunlight during the day. Depression symptoms can be mild to moderate, but they can become severe. Those who work long hours inside office buildings with few windows may experience symptoms all year, and some individuals may note changes in mood during long stretches of cloudy weather. Some of the symptoms can include, but are not limited to, fatigue, lack of interest in normal activities, social withdrawal, craving foods high in carbohydrates and weight gain. Those with SAD may not experience every symptom. For example, a person’s energy level may be normal while their cravings for carbohydrates may be somewhat extreme. In some people, spring and summer can bring on symptoms of mania or a less intense form of mania. These can include elevated mood and rapid thoughts and speech.
Take a walk
Increased exposure to sunlight can improve symptoms seasonal affective disorder. This can be a long walk outside or arranging your home or office so that you are exposed to a window during the day. If your depressive symptoms are severe enough to significantly affect your daily living, light therapy has proven an effective treatment option. Researchers have proven that bright light makes a difference to the brain chemistry, although the exact means by which sufferers are affected is not yet known. This form of therapy involves exposure to bright, full-spectrum light between 30 and 90 minutes a day during the winter. Additional relief has been found with psychotherapy sessions, and in some cases prescription of antidepressants. If you feel you are suffering from SAD, seek the help of a trained medical professional. SAD can be misdiagnosed as infectious mononucleosis and other viral infections, so proper evaluation is necessary.These programs were first broadcast the week of December 28, 2015.
T. Glenn Pait, M.D., of UAMS is the host of the program.