| Washington University School of Medicine |
Environmental Health & Safety |
The Winter Blues
10 to 25 million Americans experience depression
that recurs in seasons with less daylight. Most affected people are women, although
SAD may occur in men and children. "Affective" means "emotional," and
some of the primary effects of SAD relate to feelings. Yet SAD affects behavior as
well.
Signs and symptoms of SAD include:
| Depression |
| Loss of energy |
| Anxiety |
| Irritability |
| Increased sleep |
| Loss of interest in sex |
| Overeating, especially foods high in carbohydrates |
| Weight gain |
| Difficulty concentrating and processing information |
Treatment:
Light therapy is currently the treatment of choice. This involves exposing people to special lamps that are 10 to 20 times brighter than ordinary indoor lights. Three studies published in the October 1998 issue of Archives of General Psychiatry concluded that such light therapy is most effective when administered as the first thing upon waking up in the morning.
If you're diagnosed with SAD, you can also make lifestyle changes.
For example:
| Increase the amount of light in your home. Add lamps or skylights. |
| Walk outdoors on sunny days, even during winter. |
| If possible, take winter vacations in a sunny, warm location. |
| Exercise regularly. |
| Experiment with sleeping less and eating fewer carbohydrates. |
| Learn ways to manage stress. |
Information provided from the following website
| Mayo Clinic http://www.mayohealth.org/mayo/9602/htm/sad.htm |
| Internet
Mental Health www.mentalhealth.com/book/p40-sad.html |
| @health.com http://athealth.com/Practitioner/Newsletter/FPN_3_2.html |
| Alaska Currents http://www.go2net.org/health/sad.html |
| Lycos health with
webnet MD http://webmd.lycos.com/content/dmk/dmk_summary_account_1173 |
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