SAD (Winter Blues) and treatment

Main Category: Mental Health
Article Date: 27 Dec 2003 - 0:00 PDT

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USA - Seasonal depression result of short days; Sufferers can be health with lights, medication

While the entrance of fall and winter initiate thoughts of county fairs, football games, and family get-togethers around the dinner table, this time of year can also sneak in the back door a condition called Seasonal Affective Disorder.

For some, the shorter days of winter may ignite a new, temporal depression referred to as 'seasonal' depression which is characterized by recurrent episodes in certain months of the year, with symptoms often appearing in October or November and lasting through spring.
v 'SAD is only one sub-type of depression,' explained psychiatrist Patricia N. Watkins, the medical director of the Orangeburg Area Mental Health Center

According to the National Organization for Seasonal Affective Disorder, SAD is caused by a biochemical imbalance in the hypothalamus due to the shortening of daylight hours and the lack of sunlight.

People living in northern latitudes, such as Sweden and Alaska, may be more prone to the disorder because of the long dark days of winter they experience.

'It's the blues that people get who are quote, 'normal,'' explained Pam Phillips, a family volunteer with the National Alliance of the Mentally Ill of Calhoun, Orangeburg and Bamberg counties.

Because SAD is seasonal, sufferers may be perfectly fine in spring and summer. 'SAD symptoms disappear in spring, either suddenly with a few weeks of hypomania/hyperativity, or gradually, depending on the intensity of sunlight in the spring/early summer,' reports the NOSAD Web site.

At least one in every five persons will experience an episode of major depression, which is more common than SAD, explained Phillips and Watkins.

'We inherent a certain amount of tolerance for stress,' said Watkins. 'If we exceed that tolerance, our body will produce hormones. And when those hormones are out of whack, our bodies let us know when our ability to handle stress has exceeded. As with any illness, it is possible to experience some, but not all of the recorded symptoms.

The National Organization for Seasonal Affective Disorder has listed the following as symptoms of the disorder:

a desire to oversleep and difficulty staying awake, but in some cases, disturbed sleep and early morning wakening;

feeling fatigue and an inability to carry out normal routine;

a craving for carbohydrates and sweet foods, usually resulting in weight gain;

feelings of misery, guilt and loss of self-esteem, sometimes hopelessness and despair, sometimes apathy and loss of feelings;

an irritability and desire to avoid social contact;

tension and inability to tolerate stress;

a decreased interest in sex and physical contact;

and in some sufferers, extremes of mood and short periods of hypomania (over-activity) in spring and autumn.

Watkins explained that the symptoms will respond to standard antidepressants, but persons with the disorder may also respond to other treatments, which may be ineffective for persons with other types of depression.

SAD can also be treated with light therapy, which can also be prescribed the way you prescribe medication.

'Light therapy has been proven effective in over 80 percent of diagnosed cases, with exposure from 30 minutes to several hours per day to very bright light, at least 10 times the intensity of ordinary domestic lighting,' reports the NOSAD Web site.

'Virtually any depression requires simultaneous treatment with medication and counseling,' said Watkins.

If you or a loved one have experienced any of the above symptoms for a prolonged period of time, seek an evaluation from your primary care physician or call the Orangeburg Area Mental Health Center for an appointment.

'Sometimes your regular physician can rule out a physical problem and refer you to a mental health physician,' said Phillips.

While most people may not be diagnosed with depression, the holiday blues may still take some people on an emotional rollercoaster ride. 'People need to do things they enjoy and not get self-absorbed,' said Phillips. 'Try to do something for someone else.'

If you are unable to do anything for yourself or for someone else because of your mental state, you may need to seek assistance. While the local mental health center will be closed Dec. 24-Dec. 26, counselors will be available via telephone.

'Depression of any type can be a disability and a life-threatening illness,' said Watkins. 'It is an extremely treatable and often curable illness.'

Counselors at the Orangeburg Area Mental Health Center are on-call 24-hours a day and can be reached at 536-1571. You can also call this number during regular business hours to schedule an evaluation or learn more about their services.

For more information on the National Alliance of the Mentally Ill of Calhoun and Bamberg Counties, call 803-263-4448