Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

Look around you.... very gradually, there will be more daylight in our dark winter days. Listen... the birds are singing... they feel that we're on our way to Spring. Winter certainly has its charms, we snuggle up in front of the fire place, light some candles, or hide in our winter coats and behind our scarves and go out for a brisk walk to inhale the crisp winter air.

But did you know that millions of people from Northern European countries are suffering from seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a disorder that is caused by lack of sunlight...? Usually the symptoms will show as from the end of October, but may appear earlier after a "bad" summer, which we definitely had last year, and they may continue until April!

The first reportings about SAD apparently came from Northern Scandinavia, where some areas have only a few hours of daylight during the long, cold winter months.

The cause of SAD is a biochemical imbalance in the hypothalamus gland at the base of the brain. This imbalance occurs when too little sunlight reaches the brain via the eyes. This disorder can directly affect your behaviour and moods, since the hypothalamus gives you a signal when you should sleep and when to wake.

In our part of the world, about 20% of the population is thought to suffer from SAD to some degree. Most people have a mild form, but it can still have a nasty impact on their daily life.  It is estimated that about five per cent of "us Northerners" suffer from a far more serious form of SAD, where medical treatment is required. Apparently, if you have experienced the symptoms of SAD for three consecutive winters, the disorder is likely to recur every year.  It can have both psychological and physical effects. Severe cases can lead to hospitalisation and even suicide attempts.

To find out whether you could be suffering from SAD, have a look at the following list of main symptoms:

• Most common symptoms are sleepiness, difficulty to stay awake and an urge to oversleep.
• Furthermore, very early morning wakening and disturbed sleep could also be signs of SAD.
• Lack of energy, fatigue, lethargy; having trouble to carry on with the normal daily routine.
• Feelings of misery, guilt, apathy; depression, loss of self-esteem.
• Overeating, cravings for sweet foods and carbohydrates (which will boost your energy level, but only very temporarily). As this can easily cause weight gain, the mood will definitely not improve!
• Mood swings
• Frequent illness; SAD sufferers are more vulnerable to colds and flu during the winter months because of a weakened immune system.
• Tiredness, stress, irritability, which can lead to anxiety.
• Loss of sex drive

Lighten up!

Most important aspect in the treatment of SAD is light intensity; "copying" the sunlight. Ordinary light bulbs are not an option, they emit about 200 to 500 lux average (lux is a measurement of the light intensity). The minimum dose for the treatment of SAD is 2,500 lux. There are special light boxes on the market with a light intensity four times as strong as this minimum dose and nowadays, both mild and severe SAD can be treated with a special light therapy, where the sufferer's face is exposed to very bright light from this special light box. This therapy takes from 20 minutes to up to 2 hours a day. Bearing in mind that "real" sunlight reaches up to 100,000 lux, this "artificial sunlight" is not very powerful, but it seems to be doing the trick. This light therapy should be followed daily in the autumn and winter months. This therapy can easily be done at home since the special daylight lamps are available at a reasonable price. You can just place it on a table or desk, and even continue working, reading, eating, etc. It takes a couple of days for the effect of the treatment to show.

Eat happy food!

SAD - like other forms of depression - is thought to be linked to serotonin deficiency, and it is believed that including serotonin boosting foods in your diet may help ease the symptoms. Nutritives like turkey, nuts, cheese, bananas and dates all contain a lot of natural serotonin. Furthermore, experts assume that omega-3 fatty acids are important for relieving mild depression associated with SAD. One of these omega-3 fatty acids is eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, which is essential for a healthy brain functioning. EPA is to be found in oily fish like herring, wild salmon, sardines and macherel. You could also take fish oil supplements; have yourself advised by an expert in this field. (Health shop, chemist).

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 | Posted in: Miscellaneous | Posted by: Georgette Henson

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