Autumn brings crisp, cool air and changing leaves, but it also means fewer hours of daylight.
As daylight hours decrease, approximately 5 percent of U.S. adults begin to experience seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of recurrent depression that occurs during the winter.
Fatigue, sadness, loss of appetite, and other symptoms of SAD are all related to the body’s ability to sense and cope with decreasing amounts of sunlight each year, says Dr. Paul Desan, director of the Yale Winter Depression Research Clinic. said. Faculty of Medicine.
“There are connections between the light and brightness-sensing cells in the eyes, the parts of the brain that control our body clocks, and the parts of the brain that control emotions and hormones,” Desan said. melatonin, sleep-related hormones are also associated with SAD. The body produces more melatonin in the dark.
The rate of SAD increases as you move away from the equator because the number of hours of sunlight per day decreases. Women are also more susceptible to this disorder. However, the disorder is highly treatable using phototherapy and other treatments, Desan said.
Here’s what you need to know about treating SAD.
power of light
Light therapy, a daily environmental manipulation, is a standard treatment for seasonal affective disorder. Medical professionals like Desang instruct their patients to use lightbox devices like the ones listed. Winter Depression Clinic Website30 minutes a day early in the morning.
“In this study, 10,000 lux light for 30 minutes before 8 a.m., seven days a week, was most effective,” he said. Lux is a unit that measures the brightness of light, and 10,000 lux is equivalent to the brightness outdoors in July.
In light therapy, a light box is placed within a few feet of the patient’s field of vision and white light, free of ultraviolet light, hits the retina of the eye. Ideally, it should be conveniently placed on your kitchen countertop or desk so that you can perform light therapy while doing other things.
According to Desan, it’s important to incorporate treatments into daily life with minimal effort. “If you’re using a small device and he has to get close to it and he can’t move at all, that’s not a practical treatment where he can be comfortable for 30 minutes.”
Patients should avoid staring directly into the light box, as this can cause headaches and other problems. Also, some people benefit from having a shorter first session of light therapy and incorporating it into their daily routine.
Some people find it helpful to be exposed to low levels of light for long periods of time during the day, Desan said. “For example, when you’re working, you may have a very bright office or a light next to your workstation.”
However, phototherapy can be dangerous for patients with retinal diseases and, like many drugs, has harmful side effects, especially for bipolar disorder patients who can enter hyperactive hypomanic or manic states. may cause. Anyone interested in starting phototherapy should always do so under the supervision of a medical professional.
Medications are effective, but vitamin D supplements may not be effective
Light therapy is the main treatment for seasonal affective disorder, but some patients may benefit from antidepressants. Wellbutrin, which uses bupropion as its active ingredient, is the only FDA-approved drug to prevent SAD. Desan said doctors are encouraging patients to start taking the medication before the onset of winter.
Other antidepressants may also be effective in treating SAD, and these should also be started under the advice and supervision of a medical professional, Desan said.
Vitamin D production in the body is related to exposure to sunlight, Desan said. Vitamin D supplements have not yet shown efficacy in treating patients suffering from seasonal affective disorder.largest placebo control trial He said that when vitamin D was tested as a treatment specifically for people with SAD symptoms, no significant therapeutic benefit was found.
Symptoms can be reduced by changing your behavior
Behavioral changes are also part of treatment plans for other forms of depression, such as seasonal affective disorder and subsyndromic SAD, which manifests as mood changes that don’t fully meet the criteria for SAD.
“There are 10 to 15 percent of people who get symptoms and seek help during the winter. They just don’t have as much energy during the winter. In the winter, their energy gets even worse. They don’t feel as good.” Desan said.
Exercise and maintaining regular activity, especially activities that involve going outside, can help reduce symptoms. And for those who can afford it, traveling to destinations with longer hours of sunlight could be helpful, Desan said.
Cognitive behavioral therapy also holds promise.
“In depression, people form negative beliefs about themselves, their activities, etc.,” Desan says. “Therapists can challenge those beliefs and help you find a healthy way to get out and do something, rather than succumbing to a lack of energy or withdrawing from things that actually support you and make you feel good.” It also encourages action.”
