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SAD should not be confused with mild winter blues. It can be as debilitating as other forms of depression. Conventional and non-conventional therapies are available and may be helpful. Read More
There are many ways to fight SAD!
This is a great article for the winter times! In addition to the non-conventional therapies mentioned, there are other ways to improve mood without taking anything, if that is a concern. According to the Natural Standard Comparative Efficacy Database, Music Therapy and Yoga are two options for mood enhancement or depression that are backed by scientific research. Getting active in general is important too. I find Natural Standard to be a great resource when it comes to looking for natural, alternative therapies. Definitely check it out!
I have a very good friend who
I have a very good friend who has suffered from Season Affective Disorder (SAD) for many years now. While she has found that regular sessions in the tanning bed have helped her symptoms, she is putting herself at risk for developing skin cancer. I am sure she is not the only person with SAD who has turned to tanning as a quick solution. However, it is extremely important that these individuals know that there are other options, such as supplements, that can provide relief without the risk of melanoma. I applaud Natural Standard for staying on the cutting edge of important issues and educating the public about alternative therapies available for conditions such as SAD.
Be gone SAD-ness!
It is nice to know there are ways to take charge of our lives rather than taking conventional meds. Personally, I prefer to "do" something to change my lifestyle. It gives me a sense of control and involvement. Working out and staying fit especially with Yoga releases those "feel good" chemicals. I find Natural Standard databases so helpful in my searches for alternative modalities. Intuitively, I knew Yoga would help, but it is nice to have the science behind it. I can go to my workout classes feeling reassured.
Light Therapy
It makes sense that light therapy is a first-line treatment for Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Not receiving enough light in the winter months can wreak havoc on the body's circadian rhythm. This not only affects our sleeping patterns, but the timing of secretions of various hormones in the body, which can throw our whole system off kilter.
It is important to note that patients opting for light therapy should place their light box above eye level to ensure that the sensors responding to light are stimulated and that they are not looking directly at the light. The distance at which one sits from the light box is also important. A dose of 10,000 lux may be optimal for SAD treatment, so be sure to read the instructions that came with the product to determine how far away one should sit.
Light therapy is very well tolerated, but some patients may experience transient nausea or diarrhea at the beginning of treatment. These effects are likely related to the serotonin boost that may occur with treatment, and should go away with consistent use of a light box. This serotonin boost may also cause a corresponding boost in mood and can really help patients struggling with SAD start their day off right!
SAD can really keep people
SAD can really keep people from living their lives the way they want to. Many people do joke about the winter blues but this is a great article to explain the truth behind them. There are mixed feelings about anti-depressants in the general population so it is really nice that this article lists non-conventional options for people who are nervous to take an anti-depressant. The Natural Standard Database is a great place to not only find more information about SAD, but many other disease states and therapies alike. Since many natural products are not regulated by the FDA as strictly as prescription products, it is also nice that Natural Standard names the particular products that have been studied. This can really put a patient's mind at ease.
This is definitely an
This is definitely an interesting article and it could not have come at a better time. I'm curious to find out if these "winter blues" peak more after the holidays. I have heard several patient's come into my pharmacy and mention in conversation that they feel "blue" after Thanksgiving and Christmas have passed. These feelings are understandable because during the holidays, people are very busy shopping, spending extra time with family and friends as well as enjoying the festivities of the season. When this time suddenly comes to an end, there is a definite adjustment that needs to be made. I feel that a very important step in dealing with the "winter blues" is keeping yourself active and remaining close to family and friends.
Hi Stephen
Keep in mind that there is a difference between the "winter blues," with its psychological aspects that you nicely outlined, and Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), which is a clinical illness that may require treatment. In my opinion, people suffering from the "winter blues" should engage in psychosocial interventions such as remaining close to family and friends like you suggested, not the therapies discussed in this article. Patients suffering from SAD, on the other hand, may want to give them a try. Patients should check with a healthcare provider before starting treatment, because it can be hard to tease apart SAD from the "winter blues."
Hi Daniel
Thank you for your response. According to the article, SAD is also known as "winter blues" but it can occur during any season. My original post was more questioning what time of year SAD is the most prevalent. I was curious to see if it heightened after the holidays. I do agree with your thoughts on psychosocial interventions for "winter blues" but keep in mind that they can also be beneficial in people suffering from many types of depression disorders. Depression actually runs in my family and even though medications and therapies like the ones that are mentioned in this article work, psychosocial interventions can really benefit a patient who is suffering from these conditions.
Hi Stephen
That is incorrect. The first line of the article says, "Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) should not be confused with mild winter blues." That is, they are NOT the same thing, which was my original point. In your post you said, "These (blue) feelings are understandable because during the holidays, people are very busy shopping, spending extra time with family and friends as well as enjoying the festivities of the season. When this time suddenly comes to an end, there is a definite adjustment that needs to be made." This implies that the sadness people feel is circumstantial; what I would call 'psychosocial'. Giving pharmaceuticals or nutraceuticals to patients with psychological problems should be avoided. This denies them the opportunity to develop coping skills.
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), in contrast, is characterized by a pathoneurophysiological process related to low exposure to sunlight, which is why it peaks in the winter time. Light therapy is the first line treatment for SAD because it actually aims to fix the underlying problem - not enough sunlight. SAD can happen at any time of the year because northerly regions get less light all year around and in most regions people spend all day inside at work. Anyhow, I agree that psychosocial interventions can help in depressive disorders, such as SAD, as well. They are one of the six pillars of depression treatment.
To be extra clear about what I am saying:
'Winter blues', which should not be confused with SAD, is a psychosocial issue that should be treated with psychosocial interventions, not the therapies in this article.
Seasonal affective disorder is a neurophysiological issue that needs to be addressed with interventions that that can alter physiology, such as light therapy, 5-HTP, St. John's, etc. Should SAD patients also receive psychosocial intervention? Yes, but it won't bring about remission of their illness all by itself.
Let me know if you have any additional thoughts. I have a sort of expertise in this area and we have only scratched the surface.
I think we are both just
I think we are both just interpreting the article differently. The first line that you mentioned is talking about the common MILD winter blues. The term "winter blues" can be used to describe this condition if people experience it in the winter time. Again, my original post was not intended to say that this "sadness" was circumstantial. I was simply curious if these symptoms peak more after the holidays...like an additive factor. I agree that research shows that light therapy is effective and considered first line therapy but almost half of people with SAD do not get better with light therapy alone. This is why I added my thoughts on psychosocial interventions, but nowhere did I say that it was to be used alone.
Yeah, we are talking past
Yeah, we are talking past each other a bit. I wasn't suggesting that you said winter blues are circumstantial or that psychosocial interventions are to be used alone. I am the one saying those things.
Yeah, we are talking past
Yeah, we are talking past each other a bit. I didn't mean to suggest that you were saying winter blues are circumstantial or that psychosocial interventions are to be used alone. I am the one saying those things.
I see what your saying now.
I see what your saying now. Being from Florida where it's sunny practically 24/7 I didn't really think about this much until my first year of pharmacy school. I go to school in Virginia and my first winter I experienced was definitely something to remember. It was very hard to get accustomed to the drab weather we had. I remember missing the sun so much that I would watch "Sunrise Earth" on the Discovery channel when I studied.
Happy there are remedies for SAD
This is such an interesting topic, particularly because I have a good friend who struggles with SAD every year. He receives light therapy from a box recommended by his doctor and says that it helps him. Spending time outside when the sun is up also seems to help. Maybe bundling up and taking a nice long walk during your lunch break can help you get much-needed vitamin D and get used to winter. I'm sure exercise helps keep your blood flowing and your mood positive as well, as does eating a diet with all the essential nutrients. Learning more about some of these coping strategies (i.e. the right foods to eat, types of exercises and their benefits, what nutritional supplements can help fill in gaps) could be really helpful. I find the Natural Standard database to be extremely useful when it comes to looking up this kind of information.
I went to college with
I went to college with someone who is from South America and every winter she dealt with SAD by going tanning. As Valerie said, this maybe helped with her SAD, but unfortunately it put her at a higher risk for developing skin cancer. Getting vitamin D naturally from sunlight during the winter months is very difficult. There are multiple outdoor activities for people to partake in during this cold weather (skiing, snow-shoeing, ice skating), however many individuals work during the few hours of sunlight we get daily during the winter as is discussed in this blog. Also, this seems like it would be especially difficult for those who suffer from SAD as it can cause lethargy/decreased amount of energy as is described on the Natural Standard Medical Conditions database. Therefore, it is nice to see these alternative therapies (light therapy, 5-HTP, vitamin D, St. John’s Wort) getting the right type of publicity. Light therapy seems like it might be a great alternative therapy for SAD. As Daniel said, the increase in serotonin might help better one’s mood. Once someone is in a better mood, this might also make them more inclined to exercise, whether it be via outdoor activities like skiing or indoor activities like yoga, thus helping even more. In reading more about alternative therapies for SAD, I came across psychotherapy as another possible option.
It feels good to share
It feels good to share personnel experience to people with similar interest, like you. Usually, it is the women who get this sort of depressive mood. But I was suffered form this particular mood disorder: Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), when I had been posted to Florida. My doctor introduced light therapy, medication, ionized-air administration and supplementation of the hormone melatonin to me. My colleagues did suggest me for using some tanning beds. All of these played vital role to cure me up-to some extent. But the syndrome didn't stop recurring till I returned my hometown (Bangalore) which is hot throughout the year. I don't know if it is the company of old friends, air and water that has improved my mental state of health. In fact it hasn't bother me since a decade! Yet, I am not sure and would welcome any feedback.
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