Does A Change In The Weather Give You The Blues? Here’s Why

Weather you are happy or weather you are SAD

One form of Depression is or “Seasonal Affective Disorder”(SAD), and is also known as “Winter Depression, or “Winter Blues”. It usually occurs during winter months, however, extended rainy weather can instigate onset of SAD depression, too. SAD is thought to be caused from increased secretion of melatonin to the brain, and this occurs during the ‘darker’ months.Brain imaging studies on SAD patients found abnormalities in the prefrontal and parietal cortex areas.

Therapists often prescribe light therapy to slow the brains production of melatonin, and thus treat the illness. If you suffer from SAD, you may find that lack of sunlight during the day, or the change in the amount of sunlight during the winter months can affect your mood and cause you to feel depressed. Many folks who are already depressed take a nose-dive with the additional SAD symptoms.

Affecting an estimated 35 million Americans to varying degrees, Seasonal Affective Disorder can disrupt many lives - those of the depressed person and their surrounding loved ones. More people call in sick to work, too, when they are suffering from SAD, so it has an economic impact as well. It is estimated that at least 10 million persons experience a serious disruption in their lives due to SAD. Most likely to be affected by SAD are: children, adolescents, and women. In fact, 75 to 80 percent of those who suffer from seasonal affective disorder are women; the majority of women affected by SAD are over age 30. More men are being diagnosed with SAD in recent years, though.

Symptoms of SAD

- Lack of energy including increased fatigue,
- Increased “need” for sleep (melatonin causes you to become sleepy)
- Lethargy - lack of energy to do chores, or an inability to get interested in hobbies
- Increased appetite, possible weight gain, and increased cravings for sugar and carbs.
- Withdrawal from friends and family,
- Relationship problems,
- Loss of libido (Can’t tonight, Honey, I have had a SAD attack!)
- Increased anxiety, sometimes unexplained anxiety or panic
- Increased Crying or bursts of anger

Treatment:

1) See a professional to get properly diagnosed

2) People who suffer from SAD often use Phototherapy or UV light treatments to help combat the depression. Light therapy seems to work by resetting your “biological clock” (circadian rhythms), which controls sleeping and waking. Spending 15 minutes with 10,000 Lux of light has been shown to help with winter depression.

3) Antidepressants can be used along with light therapy or alone. The most common antidepressants used to treat people with seasonal affective disorder include the following:
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), such as citalopram (Celexa), fluoxetine ( Prozac), paroxetine (Paxil), or sertraline (Zoloft) .
Other antidepressants sometimes used are Wellbutrin, Zyban.Norpramin, tranylcypromine (Parnate), or venlafaxine (Effexor).

4) Counseling, such as interpersonal therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy, may help with your treatment for SAD. Group therapy - meeting with others who are victims of SAD - may also help. During counseling, you will learn about SAD, ways to handle the symptoms, and how to help prevent future depressive episodes. If you have had SAD for an extended time, your family members may also benefit from counseling.

Books and Book Chapters that might help you, the SAD- sufferer:

Winter Blues: Seasonal Affective Disorder: What It Is and How to Overcome It (Paperback)
by Norman E. Rosenthal

Thompson C, Silverstone T (eds): Seasonal Affective Disorder. London, CNS (Clinical Neuroscience) Publishers, 1989.

Winter Depression, by Angela Smyth in consultation with Professor Chris Thompson. London, Unwin Paperbacks, 1990

The Light Book, by Jane Wegscheider Hyman. Toronto, Random House, 1990

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