It wasn’t long ago that if someone felt down
through the winter months, those around them were more likely to
accuse them of laziness than to offer them a sympathetic ear. After
all, is it any surprise that with the arrival of winter, its colder
shorter days and the stresses that Christmas and the New Year
bring, many people feel a bit down and struggle to keep their
spirits up?
Most of us feel a little low at this time of year but for around
half a million people in the UK it can be particularly difficult
because they suffer with seasonal affective disorder, or SAD. This
now well recognised form of depression means during the cold, dark
winter months someone with untreated SAD feels more severely down
all the time.
Come the winter
During the spring and summer months those with SAD usually feel
fine, but some time between September and November they begin to
experience many unpleasant symptoms. They may feel miserable,
tired, depressed, lethargic, lacking in energy and irritable, for
example. Some find their sleep is disturbed, that they oversleep or
can’t get off to sleep. It’s common for people with SAD
to eat more than usual, craving carbohydrates and sweet foods. A
lack of sex drive is commonplace, activities usually enjoyed no
longer provide pleasure and relationships are put under
strain.
In March or April, with the arrival of more daylight hours, the
symptoms of SAD spontaneously disappear. It’s this recurring
pattern that helps confirm the diagnosis and once someone has
experienced two or three winters of symptoms, they can be said to
be a sufferer.
Lack of daylight
The reduction in daylight exposure is believed to be the trigger
for symptoms to re-appear each year. Although the mechanism for
this is not exactly clear, it’s thought that lack of daylight
disturbs the balance of chemicals within the part of the brain that
regulates the body’s internal clock. This lack of light may
cause the body clock to malfunction such that during the day
there’s too much melatonin and not enough serotonin, leaving
someone with SAD feeling tired, lethargic and depressed.
Light is believed to trigger production of serotonin, the brain
chemical that helps us to feel happy’, whereas darkness and
overcast days cause a lack of serotonin. In research, serotonin
levels have be shown to be lower in depressed people in the winter.
Another hormone felt to play a part is melatonin, which makes us
feel tired and ready for sleep. Darkness causes melatonin
production in the brain to be switched on, whereas light stops
production, of melatonin enabling us to wake up. Those with SAD
have been found to produce greater amounts of melatonin during the
winter.
Who suffers?
Although Winston Churchill and Abraham Lincoln were said to have
suffered SAD being a world leader isn’t a pre-requisite
although being under great stress makes SAD more likely. Women are
at least twice as likely to suffer as men and SAD is most likely to
appear between the ages of 18-30 years old. Life events such as
bereavement and serious illness may trigger its onset.
As the distance someone lives from the equator increases and the
winter days become shorter, a person’s risk of suffering SAD
increases. People who have spent time living in the tropics and who
then move to the UK are more vulnerable to SAD.
Until spring arrives
A number of treatments can successfully treat SAD. Those who
suffer often know when their symptoms may begin and commence
treatment a while before this, which often means they don’t
experience symptoms at all. Prescribed antidepressant medication,
with or without counselling therapy, effectively treats SAD.
Light therapy has been shown to be very beneficial. It involves
sitting in front of a light box for a couple of hours each day and
is believed to boost serotonin levels.
The herb St John’s wort has been shown in clinical studies
to be an effective anti-depressant. It is thought to help prolong
the action of serotonin as well as helping to reduce the stress
response. It can also help to improve the quality of sleep. It
should be taken every day throughout the winter until the arrival
of spring. Always check with your doctor or pharmacist that it is
safe for you to take it, particularly if you are taking other
prescription or non-prescription medication.
Stress needs to be kept in check and relaxation-breathing
exercises, reading and listening to music help achieve this.
Lavender is very relaxing used in an aromatherapy burner or added
to a handkerchief to inhale. Camomile is relaxing when taken as a
tea.
5-HTP is a natural precursor to serotonin in the body and can
help to lift mood. B vitamins are used up quickly during periods of
stress and a lack of these can exacerbate symptoms of anxiety,
irritability and fatigue. Some sufferers find taking extra B
vitamins, in particular B12, helpful. Ginseng can also help the
body adapt to physical and emotional stress and fatigue as well as
helping to improve energy levels.
Getting enough rest, reducing stress and eating a healthy diet
help boost energy levels and lift mood. Bananas, for example, can
help because they contain tryptophan that the body converts into
serotonin. Exercise and spending more time outdoors during the
daylight hours may be all that are needed to overcome mild SAD
symptoms. When indoors, it’s a good idea to sit near the
window and if you can get away for some winter sun, this can
help.
9 possible symptoms of SAD
- Tiredness
- Depressed mood and mood swings
- Lethargy
- Lack of energy
- Irritability
- Often increased sleep
- Often increased appetitie and weight gain
- Anxiety
- Avoidance of social contact
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