Winter blues or SADness?

The Sheaf
Written by Crystal Clarke
Thursday, 27 January 2005
There are many reasons to get down in January. Whether it is a post-Christmas debt or because you are just plain miserable due to the cold temperatures and lack of sunlight, many people become depressed this time of year. However, there may be something more to the “winter blues” than just being a little less energetic because Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is being diagnosed more often.

SAD has only been diagnosed since the 1980s, even though it has been noticed since the early 1800s. Some research has shown that there is a lot of similarities between SAD and atypical depression and the methods for diagnosis are still being worked on. Diagnosis seems to be the most difficult part of the disorder because of the ambiguity of some of the symptoms. The symptoms include sadness, anxiety, irritability, inability to concentrate, withdrawal into solitude, and loss of interest in life, which are common amongst diagnosis of depression.

However, SAD also includes unusual sleep patterns, increased appetite, weight gain, and lethargy. The important part of diagnosis is that SAD follows a predictable pattern year after year, with symptoms starting in the fall and becoming more severe in January and February, followed by a lessening of symptoms in the spring, as the light increases.

There are three common theories as to why SAD occurs, but research is ongoing to determine the actual cause. The first theory suggests that the body overproduces melatonin, a hormone, during the long winter, which is supported by studies showing that light therapy inhibits its flow. Another theory proposes that the body produces less serotonin, a chemical produced by the brain that is commonly associated with causing depression, in the winter months. Thirdly, there is evidence that people with SAD have less sensitivity to light and never fully adjust to dim winter days, which could disrupt the body clock by making short days seem even shorter.

The most ambiguous part of the disorder is the fact that there is no treatment that is guaranteed to cure SAD. In fact, there have been few studies to find something that can cure SAD and what has been researched doesn’t seem to work all the time, let alone some of the time.

Light therapy is the most prominent method of treatment that is shown to work sometimes, but one should see results fairly quickly from using it. Some research say that just becoming more active, even going for a 20-minute walk, can bring positive results. There are also skeptics that think the disorder doesn’t exist and that making positive changes through diet and overall health will decrease the symptoms that become more prominent with the “winter blahs.”

Over-diagnosis can be problematic with the disorder, so when one is diagnosed with SAD he or she should probably seek out a second opinion from a different doctor. Women are seemingly most affected by SAD. No matter what, overall health should be looked at as an important part of treatment, with other methods examined after one’s lifestyle has been looked at.

Winter is a hard time for most people in the northern hemisphere, but for some this season is seemingly more difficult. There is definitely something about the darkness and cold temperatures causing people to remain indoors that can be looked at. However, reoccurring symptoms can suggest that there is more to the “winter blues” than just “cabin fever.”