Cold weather and gloomy days signal the coming winter, but they also spell trouble for sufferers of Seasonal Affective Disorder.
Seasonal Affective Disorder is a type of depression that generally shows itself in the winter months, when the weather outside becomes harsher and the days are shorter, said Lenny Carter, assistant director of the University's Counseling and Psychological Services.
Carter explained Seasonal Affective Disorder, which manifests itself in a type of "hibernation," differs dramatically from the generally depression or blues many people feel in the winter and holiday months.
Some people have been known to have "documented recurrent summer depressive episodes" of Seasonal Affective Disorder; however, this number is extremely low, Carter said.
People with SAD suffer from "a lack of energy in the winter; they want to sleep all the time; they tend to gain weight, to eat carbohydrates, and get depressed," he said. "That's different from people who feel kind of sad -- it's normal for people to say their mood goes down in December, and that's different."
People begin showing signs of SAD usually when the weather becomes colder, Carter said. But, he has also known people to demonstrate symptoms as early as the end of summer.
"You have to think of the underlying psychological factors [which patients who have] ... seasonal patterns are really sensitive to," he said. "Some get symptoms in August when the days get a little shorter."
Causes of the seasonal blues
The number of people who have Seasonal Affective Disorder is unknown, as there is not a concrete definition for the condition, Carter said.
According to the WebMD Web site, however, nearly 36 million Americans suffer from SAD.
Most people with SAD often live in higher latitudes, where changes in weather are more dramatic, psychiatrist Michael Greer said.
"It does really seem to have to do with the angle of the sun and how long you are outside," Carter said.
Greer said family mental health history also plays a role in a person's susceptibility to SAD.
"We believe that [SAD] is like any other depressive disorder in that it has a genetic component that is pretty highly inheritable," Greer said. "It may not be Seasonal Affective Disorder [that a family member had], but it may be a garden variety depression or a bipolar disorder -- something like that."
Age is also a "strong predictor" for SAD, with younger people being at a higher risk for developing the disorder, Carter explained.
Moreover, women seemingly are more prone to developing SAD; however, this finding might be misleading, Carter said.
"Women are more vulnerable but that may be partially because we're not as good at identifying depression in men," he said. "Women will self-identify or self-disclose, whereas men are more likely to not have an open type of a style in admitting to things like depression."
How to cope
With its dramatic consequences and cold weather looming, it is important to know how to combat Seasonal Affective Disorder. According to Carter, there are numerous treatment options available.
The most publicized option for treatment is a regimen of what is known as "light therapy," which involves a lamp that uses special bulbs unlike those used in common light fixtures, Carter said.
"There's sort of an enclosure-like style [to the lamp], which focuses the light on the individual," he said. "Patients may get up in the morning and read for 20 minutes or sit in front of it. There are a lot of variables there in terms of time of day, length of time you sit in front of it."
Light therapy has been around for about 20 years and has been found successful, Carter said.
Greer explained that the effectiveness of the treatment may be related to levels of melatonin, which can be lowered by an increase in natural light.
"Seasonal Affective Disorder really is an issue of light," Greer said. "It could be that some of the light from the light treatment ... may lower melatonin [in the body] or it might be that exposure to more photons reverses the process -- whichever, light treatment clearly does work."
These special lights should not be used without medical supervision, however, because of reported cases of "mania," Carter said.
"SAD lights are very, very bright white lights," said Chris Cane, president of Amjo, a company that makes SAD lights. "They differ from regular light bulbs in their brightness, generally designed to have a certain LUX [lumens/square meter] output of energy striking the eye. Most doctors recommend [light therapy] at 10,000 LUX for 30 minutes."
Cane's company sells "thousands" of lamps for Seasonal Affective Disorder each year, he said.
According to Cane, people can choose a style of lamp based on their symptoms and their lifestyles.
Different lights have different LUX outputs related to the distances at which patients sit relative to the light, Cane said, noting for example that some models can be used as desk lamps while others can be worn as visors.
Dawn simulators have also come in vogue as the newest type of treatment for Seasonal Affective Disorder, Carter said.
"These dawn simulators ... are night lights ... on a timer where the light comes on around dawn and it gets brighter and brighter," he said. "It helps with their circadian sleep cycles."
Another option for treatment may be anti-depressants, Carter said.
Talking to a professional about feelings of depression is also a very common and helpful therapy option for those suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder, Carter said.
According to Carter, Counseling and Psychological Services offers this service to students who may be dealing with SAD or any other type of depression.
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