- Early Darkness Winter Blues - Creative Commons
Some people refer to their worn out feelings and the drabness of the short, dark days as "the winter blues". The clinical name is Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD-- the feelings that accompany this disorder are extreme bouts of seasonal depression or the blues. Depression is more than feeling sad or feeling grief. It is more than feeling blue periodically. It's when these feelings hang around for long periods of time that the blues become clinical depression. It's when a lack of external reasons cause the changing of moods.
Symptoms of SAD
SAD symptoms tend to be mild to moderate in severity. Patients may experience daytime fatigue and lethargy, excessive sleep, weight gain and a strong desire for sugary or starchy foods. Patients who have summertime depression – also known as “reverse SAD” – may experience anxiety, decreased appetite, insomnia, irritability and weight loss.
People who feel depressed for any length of time or who feel that life has gradually become less pleasurable should see a physician. Before diagnosing SAD, the physician will rule out other medical conditions that cause similar symptoms.
Treatment of SAD
Light therapy is the chief treatment for SAD. In this therapy, patients sit before bright, fluorescent bulbs that are designed to concentrate the light on the lower half of the retina, an area of the eye that has photoreceptors involved in antidepressant response. Sessions typically last for 30 minutes or longer and are extremely effective for most patients.
Listening to music is a good way to set your mood and lift your spirits. The different seasons bring to mind different songs, one such song is " Four Seasons in One Day" by Crowded House.
Antidepressants and psychotherapy are also used to treat SAD. Patients with mild forms of SAD may benefit from preventative measures such as taking an hour-long walk in bright winter sunlight, increasing the amount of light that enters the home, exercising regularly and performing other stress-reduction techniques.
Prevention Methods for SAD
People who have mild symptoms of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) may find that certain actions can help ward off depression. Studies have found that people who take an hour-long walk in bright winter sunlight can significantly reduce their risk of SAD.
Patients can also try to boost the amount of light that enters their homes through opening blinds and adding skylights to their homes. Regular exercise and other stress-reduction techniques can help patients to feel more relaxed, making them less vulnerable to SAD.
Trips to sunny, warm-weather locales during winter – or to cool-weather places for those with reverse SAD – can help improve SAD symptoms.
In addition, the Food and Drug Administration recently approved the first medication (bupropion HCI extended-release tablets) for the prevention of depressive episodes in patients with SAD.
Source:
Your Total Health, *"Seasonal Affective Disorder" (accessed February 14, 2010)
Cher'ley Grogg - Cher'ley Grogg has specialized in freelance writing for seven years. She has written articles, interviews, essays and blogs. Among other ...
