HealthAndSurvival.com

SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) is a type of depression that affects about 500,000 people during the winter months. Symptoms of SAD, as it is perhaps appropriately called, can begin as early as September and may last until April. For those with seasonal affective disorder, their symptoms usually peak between November and January.  The more northern a person is, usually the worse.

The holidays themselves usually present a difficult time for many. Whether the financial stress of spending more money while working less hours or the sadness associated with a missing loved one, depression can really become a difficult thing to deal with during the winter season.

Seasonal affective disorder is caused by the lack of sunlight during the the winter months. The short days and the cold temperatures can really cause a person to feel down. It is difficult for one to go weeks or months at a time without being able to enjoy the blue sky or sunshine beaming down on one’s skin. Perhaps this explains why 1 in 10 Amercians live in expensive California where many have a sunny yellow Christmas instead of White Christmas.

The cause of seasonal affective disorder is thought to be primarily caused by the underproduction of the brain’s endogenous hormones, specifically serotonin. When the level of serotonin is low, a person has more signs of depression. If you think that you may be depressed, please make an appointment with your healthcare provider to discuss treatment options. Depression and seasonal affective disorder, can be serious so close supervision is vital.

Treatment of SAD has traditionally been treated with light box therapy, which can simulate sunshine in your home. Many physicians recommend medications (i.e. prozac, zoloft, lexapro)which can be used by themselves or in addition to light therapy. These light boxes, also known as sun boxes by some, have a high intensity light which is specifically designed to emit a certain wavelength that will simulate sunshine. In addition to light boxes, Negative ion generators have been shown to be helpful in scientific studies, in the treating of seasonal affective disorder.