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Beat the Winter Blahs
What you need to know about seasonal affective disorder
If you feel blue this winter, it might be more than the rising cost of heating oil that’s got you down. Nearly ten million Americans — most of them women — suffer from seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, a type of depression that tends to come on during dreary fall and winter months and subside during sunnier ones.
“Lack of sunlight in the winter can disrupt certain people’s sleep-wake cycle, or circadian rhythm, and negatively affect their overall mood,” explains Alexander Obolsky, M.D., a Chicago psychiatrist.
Because SAD can be mistaken for other ailments such as hypothyroidism or mononucleosis, understanding the illness is key. Here’s what you need to know.
Why do some women experience SAD? The brains of SAD sufferers may produce more melatonin, a chemical linked to sleep, and not enough serotonin, a mood regulator, during darker winter days. Women who live in northern states where sunshine is scarce in the winter are more likely to be affected than their sisters in sunnier areas.
Are you afflicted with SAD? Symptoms include lack of energy, irritability, depressed mood, difficulty concentrating and excessive sleeping. “Women with SAD often gain weight because their low serotonin levels make them crave sweets and starchy comfort foods,” Obolsky says. Many people experience one or more of these symptoms every now and then, but the symptoms are constant and chronic for people with SAD. “If you feel this way every day for two consecutive weeks, you need to see a doctor,” Obolsky adds.
How is SAD treated? Catching more rays is the best way to feel better. Sitting in front of a specially designed light box every day helps suppress melatonin production and boosts the moods of approximately 85% of SAD sufferers. Other options include taking walks outside, opening curtains, sitting near windows and replacing some of your home’s standard light bulbs with full-spectrum ones that give off additional ultraviolet (UV) light similar to the sun’s. Just remember: Not all light is healthful. Those used in tanning beds, for instance, don’t filter out UV rays and increase your risk of skin cancer.
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