What is SAD?
Fall is officially here and winter is well on its way. There are definitely days of gray and cold ahead of us for the next couple of months. Vitamin D levels may dip and noses are sure to drip. The fall and winter may be more than just fighting colds for some. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a mood disorder that is associated with depression and affects people who have normal mental health through certain parts of the year, but experience depression symptoms during other parts of the year. Although, SAD can be experienced in the summer as well, the fall-onset pattern is best known and tends to be studied more often.
SAD Problems
This type of SAD is believed to be caused by a decrease in exposure to natural sunlight. This can then lead to decreased levels of serotonin in the brain. This can cause people who feel normal during sunny months to experience depression-like symptoms during darker months. People who have SAD can experience symptoms such as tiredness, trouble with relationships, mood swings, increased appetite, weight gain and heaviness in extremities.
There are some ways to deal directly with lack of light and serotonin levels and there are some ways to address the symptoms of SAD. Anti-depressant medicine called Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors are frequently used with moderate to severe SAD. Here are some other great ways to fight SAD symptoms and causes:
Fighting SAD Symptoms
- Light Therapy- this involves being close to a light emitting device for a certain amount of time. The light device usually emits around 2,500 to 10,000 lux of light (Talk to your doctor before using this technique, as people with psychosis or bipolar disorder may have adverse effects)
- Schedule Social Activities throughout the season- remaining socially engaged and having something to look forward to helps to take your mind off the dreariness of the season
- Avoiding Carbo-Loading- limit intake of carbohydrate-rich foods as the sudden increase and decrease in glucose can affect mood and energy
- Use a Dawn Simulator- this is a simulator that gradually increases the light in the morning to help wake you up more naturally
- Exercise- physical activity can boost the brain’s serotonin levels, aerobic exercise also keeps those levels high post-workout
- Laugh- studies have shown that laughing can improve mood and temporarily increase serotonin levels in the brain
- Get Outside- even though it is cloudy out, many people’s serotonin levels drop during the winter because they are rarely outside. Outdoor sunlight even on gray days is brighter than what you will experience indoors, get outside to help account for some of the serotonin levels lost
WIMC can help you fight SAD
Use these techniques to help fight SAD during those long winter months. For more information or if you feel like you are experiencing extreme symptoms of SAD, contact our physicians at Wake Internal Medicine Consultants at our Raleigh, NC office. We can help guide you in the right direction to a more enjoyable winter season.
