Treat Seasonal Affective Disorder Naturally
By Carmela Damico
What it means to be SAD
Do you find yourself toward the end of fall dreading the short,
dark winter days ahead? If so, you're not alone. Distinct lapses
in motivation and energy are not uncommon with the onslaught of
winter, especially after the clocks are turned back. Most people,
however, adjust after a few days or weeks and ease back into their
usual selves and regular routines. But for a small percentage
of the population, this adjustment doesn't happen. The lag in
motivation and energy levels gives way to gloomy moods and fatigue,
disruption of sleeping and eating patterns and the possibility
of clinical depression. The effect such a dramatic change in behavior
has on a life can be devastating. In the worst cases, it can be
fatal.
Prior to 1984, this seasonal shift in mood was known simply as
the "winter blahs" or "holiday blues" and
was not yet medically recognized. After conducting a vast, ongoing
study of mood in relation to shortening days and lessening light,
Dr. Norman Rosenthal gave what he found to be a proven mood disorder
its name: Seasonal Affective Disorder, or what is more commonly
known as SAD. Dr. Rosenthal constructed a diagnostic list of the
most common symptoms of SAD and pioneered studies of treatment
with artificial forms of light.
What causes SAD?
Since Dr. Rosenthal's discovery, science has made great bounds
in determining what leads to SAD. On the surface, the cause is
simple: SAD is a result of lower amounts of natural light that
reach us during the late fall and winter months. But what physiological
effect does natural light have on human beings? And why does less
light induce mental and physical depression in some?
Most recent research has shown that people with SAD have over-functioning
pineal glands. When the body is exposed to less light than usual,
the pineal gland is designed to release more melatonin into the
brain's synapses. This is why most of us naturally feel the need
to sleep at night rather than in the morning or middle of the
day.
Our biological clocks are not mythical little tickers. They're
complex inner systems that science, at last, is learning to analyze.
According to Mark Caldwell, who wrote an extensive and highly
informative editorial for Discover Magazine on the causes of SAD,
says "In the brain, a recently discovered cluster of nerve
cells called the suprachiasmatic nucleus, or SCN, appears to be
at the heart of (biological) timekeeping. The SCN is actually
a pair of structures (as with most parts of the brain) in which
one half sits in the left hemisphere and half in the right, just
behind and a bit below the eyes. The SCN depends on light for
synchronizing the inner clock with the cycles of light and darkness
in the world outside."
In other words, without the forward push of light on the SCN,
the biological clock can falter and drag behind. That's how it
falls out of coordination with the pineal gland, which, in its
confused state, begins to produce an excess of melatonin.
Aside from the fact that melatonin is a hormone that helps induce
sleep, not all that much is known about it. Researchers pinpointed
melatonin as a causative factor in SAD because its production
peaks in the evening and wanes during the day and it is at its
lowest rate in the summer and highest in the winter.
Who gets SAD?
Certain groups are much more susceptible to SAD than others. The
further North you live, the more likely you are to acquire the
disorder. For example, SAD is seven times more common in Washington
state than it is in Florida. In Western Washington, where the
cloud cover hovers for months on end, it is three times more common
than it is just East of the mountains.
Women, more prone to depression in general than men, are diagnosed
with SAD four times more often than men. As with most forms of
depression, research conducted by the National Institutes of Health
has shown that genetics and family history also play an important
role in determining whether or not a person is prone to develop
SAD. One study also found that SAD patients were more likely than
not to have alcoholism in their families.1
How to stop being SAD, naturally
Because the research points to low levels of light as the primary
culprit for SAD, it makes sense that the most common form of therapy
used to treat this disorder is one that directly combats the cause.
Bright light therapy is by far the most common method used to
treat SAD. What bright light therapy consists of is sitting in
front of a full spectrum light for 15 minutes to three hours a
day, depending on the severity of the depression. Ideally, the
SCN detects the light, translates it and communicates it to the
pineal gland, which in turn slows down its accelerated production
of melatonin.
The Living Sunshine™ light-box-manufactured by Alpine Technologies-is
an excellent example of a full spectrum light. Designed to be
easily portable, it is capable of providing the user with the
same physiological benefits acquired after a day in the sun, minus
the body's absorption of ultraviolet rays! The output of the lamp
is 10,000 LUX, a standard measurement of light considered by researchers
to be a therapeutic level of illumination. Studies performed in
conjunction with this light indicate that melatonin levels in
the blood drop rapidly with exposure.
Certain herbs are also known to work well for people suffering
from SAD. St. John's Wort, taken in therapeutic dosages, boosts
serotonin levels and serves as a tonic for the nervous system,
aiding in a general sense of well being.
Insomnia, a prime symptom of SAD and a potentially debilitating
disorder by itself, can be treated with various herbs, individually
or in conjunction with one another. Valerian root is a long-trusted,
gentle but powerful sleep aid. Combined with herbs such as hops
and passionflower, valerian can be even more effective. Nights
on end of restless sleep can depress anyone's mental state. Ensuring
restful sleep is an imperative step to alleviating SAD.
As always, diet plays a crucial role in how we feel, mentally
and physically. When the days become shorter and the weather unfavorable,
many of us become less active. We also start to eat more starchy
and sugary foods. This combination of inactivity and increased
consumption of carbohydrates can have an impact on depression
and lethargy even when the sun is shining. Whole grains, especially
brown rice, oats, millet and barley, stimulate the nervous system
and are thought to be mood elevators. Exercise is a wonderful
remedy for reducing stress, too, raising serotonin levels and
relaxing muscles. Physical activity helps us sleep more deeply.
Combining proper diet with exercise is essential to mental well-being.
Perhaps the best bet to overcoming SAD is to combine therapiesfull
spectrum light, proper diet, herbs and exercise. Most natural
therapies for SAD have no side effects and can be blended to form
a system that works for you individually.
1 "Seasonal Affective Disorder", Current Opinion in Psychiatry, January 1994, Raymond W. Lan, M.D., The Institutes of Mental Health
Are You S.A.D.?
Sleep problems: unusual desire to oversleep and difficulty
staying awake but, in some cases, disturbed sleep and early morning
waking.
Lethargy: Feelings of fatigue and inability to carry out normal
routine.
Overeating: Craving for carbohydrates and sweet foods, usually
resulting in weight gain.
Depression: Feelings of misery, guilt and loss of self-esteem,
sometimes hopelessness and despair, sometimes apathy and loss
of feelings.
Social Problems: Irritability and desire to avoid social contact.
Anxiety: Tension and inability to tolerate stress.
Loss of libido: Decreased interest in sex and physical contact.
Mood Changes: In some sufferers, extremes of mood and short periods
of hypomania (overactivity) in spring and autumn.
Immune system: weakened during the winter, and are more vulnerable
to infections and other illnesses.