Seasonal Affected Depression

Seasonal Affected Depression Basics

SAD was once thought to be a figment of an individual’s imagination but what research now tells us is that SAD is a real disorder that has an actual clinical diagnosis. Women are largely at risk and make up over 70 percent of SAD cases. However, men and even children and teens can be affected. The older you get the less likely you are to develop SAD.

Some basic criteria for being diagnosed with SAD include:

• Depression that arrives as days (and daylight time) shorten in autumn and winter yet vanishes in the spring and summer when longer days of sunlight resume.
• Depression may also occur if the characteristics of light exposure change drastically; unrelated to seasons. For instance New Mexico is sunny most of the year, even when it’s cold. A move to Oregon where gray days are typical even in summer can result in SAD symptoms because of the light reduction.
• Cycles that continue each year. Such as someone who had winter depression both this year and last year may be diagnosed with SAD.
• Depression characterized by issues such as; fatigue, increased anxiety, weight gain, increased carbohydrate cravings, hypersomnia, and lethargy. Someone can experience all of some of these issues and be diagnosed.

This is one of the more clear-cut depressive disorders being that the changes in moods correlated with the seasons make it easy for doctors to spot. If you experience any of the above criteria your first stop should be your doctor’s office.

Dangers of SAD

Seasonal Affected Depression is easy to spot but it’s still a dangerous depression. SAD can result in reduced productivity in all aspects of life; work, relationships, emotional, etc. SAD can also result in serious consequences when left untreated such as poor to violent behavior towards others and suicide.

A visit with your doctor is important because it allows you to have a depression test to rule out other disorders and allows you to gain access to treatment and support. Following are some of the most common SAD treatment options.

Medications for Treating SAD

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI), like Paxil are effective depression medications for treating SAD. SSRI medications block the reuptake of serotonin into the nerve terminal of your central nervous system which in turn prevents SAD symptoms.

The problem with SSRIs is that there are other, non-medication treatments available to treat SAD. SSRI treatment, like all medications come with some fairly icky side effects while the following treatment options below come with few side effects and cost less. SSRIs have the benefit of being easy. However, since there are other treatments available it would be smart to try them first and then move to SSRIs if the natural treatments fail to help.

You can learn more about SSRIs at the Mayo Clinic.

Light for Seasonal Depression

A lack of light causes Seasonal Affected Depression so it makes sense to assume that light exposure will treat SAD. In the early 80s Norman Rosenthal, a famous psychiatrist, wrote and published a report about the use of bright light therapy. Since then, many studies have been conducted related to light therapy, and most find that light therapy is a highly effective SAD treatment option.

A common light treatment is with use of a light box. You have to make an appointment with your doctor if you’d like to use light box therapy because boxes come in various light intensities and costs. Your doctor can help you decide which is best for your personal situation.

Light box therapy has some negatives. For one thing it takes time and regular use. It’s not as easy as popping a pill and some people can’t commit. Another problem is cost. Light boxes can cost hundreds of dollars. Although, a good light box will last for years where as medications must be bought each year.

Another light treatment includes outdoor light. During the winter, even though the sun is not as visible, it’s still there. Overcast winter light has been shown to be just as good as light box light. One reason people are thought to get SAD in dreary climates is because it’s colder and darker so they don’t get outside as much. However, getting outside is exactly what someone with SAD does need.

Various studies show that one hour spent outside daily is beneficial for treating SAD symptoms. Negatives of course include the fact that it is cold, it may be rainy, and also, not everyone can make it outside for one full hour a day. If you work nine to five in the winter it’s likely dark when you head to work and dark when you emerge. For people in this situation light box therapy is a good alternative.

Other Effective Treatments

There are a couple other ideas that have been found useful in treating SAD which include:

• Regular exercise – by regular that means almost every day.
• Therapy is useful but not as a stand alone treatment. Counseling or therapy does need to be in conjunction with light therapy or medication. It is something that can work over time to elevate symptoms though because it can teach you to focus on positives and how to deal with the negative winter blues.
• Limiting sweets and eating an overall healthy diet.
• Getting regular sleep.

If you combine the above; exercise, healthy eating, sleep, with light box therapy you’re looking at a treatment plan for SAD that is highly effective for most people yet has almost no side effects (a small number of eye strain cases are mentioned with light box use but it’s rare). This treatment is actually a very healthy lifestyle. The bonus is that it treats SAD. This is something to consider before going straight for medications. At the very least discuss the above with your doctor.