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Winter Time Blues?
Perk Up Your Mood With Light Therapy!
Do you feel tired or sluggish beginning in the Fall?
Have you been eating more than usual, feeling more irritable or anxious?
Are your sleep patterns off, having more difficulty waking up and/or feeling
sleepy during the day? Do you want to avoid your friends or dread social activities
that you usually enjoy participating in? Welcome to the Winter Time Blues, also known
as Seasonal Affective Disorder Syndrome (SADS)!! The National Mental Health Association
estimates that approximately 30% of the population experiences a change in their mood during
the fall and winter. For those of you that live in the upper regions of the nation, the
symptoms and prevalence can be higher (especially in Alaska and Canada). This same phenomenon
is seen in jet lag in travelers and night shift workers as well.
What causes SADS? SADS is directly related to the amount of daylight you receive.
No matter how advance the human species becomes, we are still dependent upon our hormones.
Hormones greatly impact our moods, ability to cope with stress, appetite, sexual activity,
and sleep patterns. Daylight, (or the lack of) impacts the level of serotonin in our brains
which in turn results in mood swings, low energy, food cravings, and irritability.
So what can you do to reduce the Winter Time Blues? First, get more light. Go for an
extended walk during daylight hours. Another treatment is the use of a light box or dawn
simulator. A light box is essentially a device consisting of fluorescent lights mounted on a
mental reflector with a plastic screen that filters out damaging ultraviolet frequencies and
diffuses the light to prevent glare. You place the box on a table or stand and sit nearby for
30 minutes to two hours each day.
A dawn simulator is a light that mimics dawn. Like an alarm clock, you set a time and the
light creates a gradual sunrise that wakes you up gently and naturally. Both the light box and
dawn simulator have been shown to be effective in treating SADS. Clinically, I have worked with
several individuals who have responded very well to both the light box and/or the dawn simulator
light therapy. Medications such as Prozac, Zoloft, and Celexa have also been shown to be
effective in research studies. However, Melatonin which can be effective for jet lag, does not
improve SADS when taken alone. The good news with the Winter Blues is that this problem is
directly related to the seasons. As the days get longer, the symptoms will gradually fade away.
Other articles:
- Spring, 2008 "Memory: Part I - Introduction"
- Spring, 2008 "Memory: Part II - I’m sorry; I don’t remember"
- Spring, 2008 "Memory: Part III - Brain Exercising"
- Winter, 2007 "Was Your Mama Bad? In What Decade Did It Occur?"
- Spring, 2006 "So You Want Your Child to Become an Athlete?"
- Winter, 2005 "Do you have an icky boyfriend (or girlfriend)? - Part 3"
- Fall, 2005 "Do you have an icky boyfriend (or girlfriend)? - Part 2"
- Summer, 2005 "Do you have an icky boyfriend (or girlfriend)?".
- Spring, 2005 "Winter
Time Blues?".
- Winter, 2004 "Dysfunctional
Family II".
- Fall, 2004 "Dysfunctional
Family I".
- Summer, 2004 "War
and Suicide".
- Spring, 2004 "How
To Find a Therapist".
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