S.A.D.ly, 'Tis the Season

Have you ever wondered why at the annual holiday gatherings of family and friends, you find yourself withdrawn, when you are normally vivid and outgoing? 

Has your appetite increased in the past month or two, and your desire to be socially active decreased? 

Do you find yourself sleeping longer each day, but continually feeling worn down regardless?

Find out below what lack of sunlight and the changing of the seasons could be doing to affect your physical and emotional health.

For those of us living in the northwest, spring and summer months can arrive after what feels like an eternity of fall and winter, and will be gone again all too quickly. Washingtonians know that it's always either raining, or if by some miracle it isn't, it's about to. Claims of getting "the blues" during the winter months have not been given much merit in the past, thankfully, due to more extensive research, there is now an abundance of available knowledge on causes, symptoms, and treatment behind the quiet terror that is Seasonal. Effective. Disorder. (S.A.D.)

Seasonal. Affective. Disorder.

(Seasonal Depression)

What causes SAD?

SAD has not long been recognized as a diagnosis and was first used in print in 1985. Due to there being no definitive tests for SAD, experts can not agree on exactly what causes it. It is suspected that SAD is caused by a lack of sunlight. Lack of light may upset your sleep-wake cycle and other circadian rhythms. It may also cause problems with a brain chemical called serotonin, which affects mood. Symptoms of SAD are less likely where there is snow on the ground. There is a less common form of SAD that occurs during the summer months, instead of the more typical winter months.

Other factors that put you at a higher risk of developing SAD:

- Women are at four times higher risk than men for developing SAD, as is common with all forms of depression

- Decrease in overall body temperature

- Genetic factors, like having a close relative with SAD can put you at a high risk of developing it.

- Hormone imbalances

-Living in an area where winter days are very short or there are big changes in the amount of daylight in the different seasons.

- People between the ages of 15 and 55. The risk of developing SAD for the first time decreases as you age.

Symptoms:

Symptoms include, but are not limited to:

- Increased appetite, with noticeable weight gain

- Increased sleep and daytime drowsiness and fatigue.

- Decreased energy

- Intermittent crying spells

- Increased body aches

- Loss of sex drive

- Decreased ability to concentrate, more pronounced in the afternoon.

- Loss of interest in work or other activities

- Slow, sluggish, lethargic movement.

- Social withdrawal

- Generalized unhappiness and irritability

In serve cases SAD can cause thoughts of suicide. Please contact your health care provider, or a hospital immediately if these or other thoughts of harming yourself occur to you.

Treatment Options:

Due to the increased research and information available about SAD there are a variety of options for treatment, including both pharmaceutical and holistic treatment options.

  Pharmaceutical:

The most common treatment for SAD with pharmaceuticals are with a type of anti depressants called Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI). These help to increase the amount of serotonin in the body by inhibiting the absorption of it. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Examples include: 

- Citalopram (Celexa),
- Fluoxetine (such as Prozac),
- Paroxetine (Paxil),
- Sertraline (Zoloft).

Antidepressants besides SSRI's that are used to treat SAD include, but are not limited to:

- Bupropion (Wellbutrin or Zyban),
- Desipramine (Norpramin),
- Tranylcypromine (Parnate),
- Venlafaxine (Effexor).

 Holistic:

-Taking regular doses of the compound 5-HTP, and Vitamin D3 can dramatically help alleviate symptoms common to depression.

- A study in 1993 shows that St. Johns Wort improved the condition of those who regularly experience winter depression. 

- Taking long walks during daylight hours has been show to help alleviate some symptoms.

- Exercising increases the body's production of serotonin, which is often in short supply in someone suffering from SAD.

Finally, Light therapy, of which there are two types:

Bright Light Treatment: this uses a special lamp with a very bright florescent light (10,000 lux) which mimics the light from the sun. For this treatment, you sit in front of a "light box" for half an hour or longer, usually in the morning.

Dawn Simulation:  For this treatment, a dim light goes on in the morning while you sleep, and it gets brighter over time, like a sunrise.

When used correctly and daily, light therapy has been shown to have very positive effects on those suffering strongly from the loss of light associated with the changing seasons. You may begin to feel better in about a week, but it is important to continue the therapy for as long as symptoms persist, if you don't, you risk your symptoms reoccurring. 

I hope that everyone can take something away from this stock pile of information that helps to add a little more cheer to this Christmas and holiday seasons to come. If nothing else, don't ever feel like you are a slave to your depression, or are stuck with the symptoms. There is always an alternative. Enjoy.

Sources:

http://www.webmd.com/depression/tc/seasonal-affective-disorder-sad-topic-overview?page=2

http://www.medicinenet.com/seasonal_affective_disorder_sad/article.htm

http://www.drozfans.com/dr-ozs-advice/dr-oz-seasonal-affective-disorder-light-therapy-food/

http://www.alternativementalhealth.com/articles/seasonal.htm

This blog is not intended to  diagnose , treat, prevent or cure any illness. Please take the information you find here and contact your local doctor to discuss concerns if you feel you might have S.A.D.