Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) Winter Depression |
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What is Seasonal Affective Disorder? SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) is a type of winter depression that affects an estimated half million people every Winter between September and April and in particular during December, January and February. It is caused by a biochemical imbalance in the hypothalamus due to the shortening of daylight hours and the lack of sunlight in winter. For many people, SAD is a seriously disabling illness, preventing them from functioning normally without continuous medical treatment. For others, it is a mild but debilitating condition causing discomfort but not severe suffering. We call this subsyndromal S.A.D. or winter blues." As seasons change, there is a shift in our “biological internal clocks” or circadian rhythm, due partly to these changes in sunlight patterns. This can cause our biological clocks to be out of “step” with our daily schedules. The most difficult months for SAD sufferers are January and February, and younger persons and women are at higher risk. What are the sysmptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD, "Winter Blues")? The symptoms of SAD usually recur regularly each Winter, starting between September and November and continuing until March or April, and a diagnosis can be made after three or more consecutive Winters of symptoms, which include a number of the following:
Most sufferers show signs of a weakened immune system during the Winter, and are more vulnerable to infections and other illnesses. SAD symptoms disappear in Spring, either suddenly with a short period (e.g., four weeks) of hypomania or hyperactivity, or gradually, depending on the intensity of sunlight in the Spring and early Summer. In sub-syndromal SAD, symptoms such as tiredness, lethargy, sleep and eating problems occur, but depression and anxiety are absent or mild. SAD may begin at any age but the main age of onset is between 18 and 30 years. It occurs throughout the northern and southern hemispheres but is extremely rare in those living within 30 degrees of the Equator, where daylight hours are long, constant and extremely bright. How long do I treat Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD, Winter Blues)? Light therapy has been proved effective in up to 85 per cent of diagnosed cases. That is, exposure, for up to four hours per day (average 1-2 hours) to very bright light, at least ten times the intensity of ordinary domestic lighting. Ordinary light bulbs and fittings are not strong enough. Average domestic or office lighting emits an intensity of 200-500 lux but the minimum dose necessary to treat SAD is 2500 lux. The intensity of a bright summer day can be 100,000 lux! Light treatment should be used daily in Winter (and dull periods in summer) starting in early Autumn when the first symptoms appear. The user can carry out normal activity such as reading, working, eating and knitting. It is not necessary to stare at the light although it has been proved safe. Treatment is usually effective within three or four days and the effect continues provided it is used every day. |
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