Winter
will be here soon. The beautiful color of the autumn leaves have disappeared,
and have been replaced by barren tree limbs and icicles sharp and brittle. The
harsh winds rattle the window frames and the cold air seems to sing a cruel
song that frightens away birds to warmer climates. The daytime gives way to the
moon, and darkness sets in before supper.
While
some perceive winter as a festive time when their worlds are blanketed by the
purity of snow, others feel that they are being suffocated by a colorless
existence. Life naturally slows down in winter. The days grow shorter. Light
becomes scarce, and you respond by planting yourself in front of the television
or hiding under covers to stay warm. How do you know when a seasonal slump is a
more serious problem?
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is
a category of depression that emerges in particular seasons of the year. Most people
notice SAD symptoms starting in the fall and increasing during the winter
months, but a few people experience a spring/summer version. People with SAD feel
depressed during the shorter days of winter, and more cheerful and energetic
during the brightness of spring and summer.
SAD has been linked to a biochemical imbalance in the brain prompted by shorter daylight hours and less sunlight in winter. The symptoms can be distressing, overwhelming, and can interfere with daily functioning. About 5 percent of adults in the U.S. experience SAD and it typically lasts about 40 percent of the year. It is more common among women than men. As seasons change, people experience a shift in their biological internal clock or circadian rhythm that can cause them to be out of step with their daily schedule. SAD is more common in people living far from the equator where there are fewer daylight hours in the winter.
SAD can be effectively treated in a number of ways, including light therapy, antidepressant medications, talk therapy, or some combination of these. While symptoms will generally improve on their own with the change of season, symptoms can improve more quickly with treatment. Light therapy involves sitting in front of a light therapy box that emits very bright light (and filters out harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays). It usually requires 20 minutes or more a day, typically first thing in the morning, during the winter. Most people see some improvements from light therapy within one or two weeks of beginning treatment. To maintain the benefits and prevent relapse, treatment is usually continued through the winter. Because of the anticipated return of symptoms in late fall, some people may begin light therapy in early fall to prevent symptoms.
What signs and symptoms should you look out for as it
relates to SAD?
Alcohol
or Drug Abuse Similar
to food, alcohol is a common way of coping with depression for some
individuals. The use of alcohol to ‘medicate’ someone’s neurochemical changes
or challenges during an episode of SAD can mask a diagnosis and provide a false
sense of normalcy. Similar to weight gain or weight loss, if you notice a
friend or family member drinking heavily during the darker months, she may be
coping with SAD, and not even know it. Encourage a visit to their family
physician, with information about SAD’s causes and symptoms.
Feeling
Guilty or Worried As
with most forms of depression, feelings become triggered or exaggerated and a
sense of anxiety that all is not well, might surface. Panic attacks or feelings
of failure are common. The cluster of changes in the life of a person spiraling
into a seasonal depression can trigger feelings of guilt and shame. The
inability to sleep, work, or socialize, mixed together with neurotransmitter
changes, can create a sense of alienation and the associated feeling of doom,
failure, or feeling like an outcast. The combined result can create or
contribute to a sense of failure and alienation.
Irritability
Through
the malfunctioning of the body’s regulatory systems, including hormones,
neurotransmitters, and other messenger chemicals in the body, can affect one’s
ability to cope with everyday levels of stress. What was manageable during time
of non-depression can cause an overload during times of depression. That
lowered threshold for being “ok” with daily stressors causes disturbances such
as impatience and crankiness. One way that some try to battle this symptom of
SAD is through some sort of daily exercise routine. It can be a 30-minute walk,
some yoga, or even a fitness class at the local gym. A little exercise will not
only help this symptom of SAD, but it can also help battle some of the others.
Lack of
Concentration All
mental disturbances cause interruptions in a person’s ability to focus clearly
on even the most mundane of tasks. Related to irritability, when matched with a
set of tasks that require calm focus, patience, and attention to detail, SAD’s
effect on mental functioning can derail a person’s ability to stay on task and
attend to the specific or intricate parts of their responsibilities; as well as
all the little things that combine to complete daily tasks.
Lack of Energy The winter season has
a profound effect on certain people, which leads to depression. Paying
attention to the tasks of your daily routine may become more difficult if you
suffer from SAD. It could take longer than usual to do certain day-to-day task,
you may feel sluggishness, find chores more difficult to complete, and a person
may have a general lack of energy (on a regular basis) when it comes to getting
up and starting their day.
All these signs may just mean you have the SAD condition, and it is important to note, that if you are noticing an overall feeling of tiredness, an appointment to visit your family doctor is encouraged. Lack of energy can not only be tied to SAD, but also a wide range of other ailments as well. Speaking to a medical professional about your lack of energy is the best option to keep you healthy, both mentally and physically.
Overeating
and Weight Gain How
each individual copes with an illness also has consequences in connection with
the condition. Eating is a common escape and pleasure provider for people, and
can be used to mask the hardship or avoid sadness elsewhere in one’s life.
Depression for some means either using food as a comfort escape from bad feelings,
or in some, results in a loss of appetite due to the metabolic and
neurotransmitter slowdown which occurs in many types of depression.
A craving, especially for carbohydrates as
comfort foods, is common during episodes of seasonal depression. Sometimes a
loss of appetite goes along with winter depression, though that is less common
than overeating. If someone has a habit of gaining or losing weight noticeably
during the dark winter months, your friend may have SAD.
Reduced
Libido They
say good sex starts in the mind. When the mind is overwhelmed by feelings of
pessimism, failure, and hopelessness; it’s not hard to understand how that
affects feelings of attractiveness, affection, and a connection to all things
necessary for a healthy and dynamic sexual drive, intimacy bonds, and sexual
activity. As the mind is plagued with negative thoughts, the last thing anyone
who suffers from SAD can think about is getting intimate.
In fact, even when they do try to engage in
these acts, it can take a lot of effort for them to climax, as their mind is
boggled with other thoughts. Add in the extra hours needed to sleep, mixed in
with a withdrawal from being social or even wanting to engage in a conversation
- and it is not alarming how heavily SAD affects an individual’s sexual drive
as well.
Sleeping
Issues Interruptions
in restful sleep and sleep patterns are present with many forms of depression.
SAD may be accompanied by a disruption in body regulatory systems and
biochemical factors such as melatonin, an important part of creating a sense of
relaxation and sleepiness. The failed or imbalanced regulatory activity which
prepares the body and mind for sleep can leave a SAD sufferer sleepless and
stressed. The self-fulfilling cycle of poor quality or quantity of sleep and
negative mood patterns is cyclical, and self-reinforcing with this condition.
Social
and Relationship Problems Low mood and feelings of sadness directly affect a
person’s motivation to interact socially. A low feeling of self worth, fatigue
and an absence or disruption of positive mood neurotransmitters like serotonin
also combine to leave a person feeling lost, inadequate, and alienated from
others during periods of winter depression.
A general sense of disconnection from time
and task - a kind of zombie-like state of flat affect - also contributes to
failure in an individual’s work life and social connections during episodes of
SAD. Many attribute this to the lack of vitamin D in the winter. To battle this
symptom, it is advised to get as much natural sunlight as possible; which may
mean heading outdoors in and around the lunch hour, or during a bright winter
day. Even on the coldest of days, if the sun is out, bundling up, and heading
outside for a least an hour, can improve SAD symptoms significantly.
Weakened
Immune System Poor
mental health often goes hand-in-hand with poor physical health. Depression
forms such as SAD can affect not only the mental state and wellness of an
individual, but can also filter through to other body systems. Changes or malfunctioning
of the regulation of neurotransmitters such as serotonin, or the release of
stress hormones such as cortisol, can weaken the body’s immunity to infections
and the ability to cope with exposure to various pathogens. Another reason why
some people tend to get sick with the common cold or flu, significantly more,
during the colder months of the year.
“What good is the warmth of summer without the
cold of winter to give it sweetness?” (John Steinbeck)[i]
[i] Sources used:
·
“10 Symptoms
of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)” By: Dorathy Gass
·
“10 Things You Didn’t Know About Seasonal Affective Disorder” By
·
“Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)” Reviewed by Ranna
Parekh
·
“Seasonal Affective Disorder” by Arnold Lieber
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