Seasonal Affective Disorder-Winter Depression Is SAD
It is estimated that 10 million people in the United States alone experience the effects of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), while another 25 million suffer from a milder version sometimes referred to as winter depression.
Dr. Norman E. Rosenthal , of the National Institute Of Mental Health in Bethesda, Maryland, spearheaded research in the disorder in 1980 when he noticed patients became severely depressed in the winter but snapped out of it in the spring. He also noticed that some patients from the North brightened when they visited a southern climate, but experienced a relapse when they returned home. Since then, dozens of research psychiatrists and doctors have analyzed SAD, finding that light can influence moods, possibly because it produces an increase in a hormone called melatonin which can cause depression when present in large amounts. It is believed that production of this hormone decreases when the body is exposed to sunlight.
Dr. Rosenthal describes the symptoms of SAD in his book, Winter Blues. Typically, the symptoms last from early November, when the days become noticeably shorter, until March, when days begin to lengthen. January and February are the worst months for depression. Women are about four times more susceptible to SAD than men. This may be related to hormonal differences.
What Is Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)?
Like water and air, light is essential to our well-being. Our body has a very distinct 24 hour cycle. This cycle is controlled by bright light (the sun). Shift workers, travelers crossing several time zones, people with certain sleep disorders, often feel "out of sorts" because their daily cycle is "out of sync" with the sun.
Studies have shown that during fall and winter about 20% of the population is affected by specific symptoms related to changes in our sleep/wake pattern that may include sleep problems, change in appetite or weight, lack of energy, diminished sex drive, body aches or pains, memory loss, inability to make decisions, problems concentrating, low self-esteem, lack of interest in or enjoyment of activities, suicidal thoughts.
Seasonal Affective Disorder is a specific type of major depression, which reoccurs at specific times of the year. The most common pattern is the onset of major depression in the fall (September through November) and abating of the symptoms in late winter to early spring (March through May). The frequency of SAD seems to vary with geographic location. It may approach 10% of the general population in northern New England, 5% of the population in the Baltimore/Washington area, and less the 2% of the population of Southern California or Florida.
About 75% of SAD sufferers are women, but Seasonal Affective Disorder affects men and children as well. The most typical age of onset is in the twenties, but other onsets are common such as during puberty, middle age, and old age. After women pass through menopause the numbers in men and women become equal. Most affected are those living in northern latitudes and in frequently overcast areas, especially during the shortened fall and winter days.
As in the case of major depression, the diagnosis of Seasonal Affective Disorder is a clinical one, based on the presence of specific symptoms. To meet the criteria for a seasonal relationship, there should be at least three episodes of mood disturbance in three separate seasons, at least two of which are consecutive. There should be no association between the disturbance and situation stresses, such as being unemployed with each winter.
What Causes SAD?
The primary cause of Seasonal Affective Disorder is change in sunlight exposure. The reduction in daylight hours in the fall and winter can affect sufferers of SAD. The most commonly accepted hypothesis for the underlying cause of SAD is that reduced natural sunlight exposure affects the body's natural daily rhythms, which are not fully precise and rely on the intensity of sunlight to provide adjusting cues. These cues originate in the retina at the back of the eye, creating signals which pass through the optic nerve to the mid-brain, setting in motion a number of chemical changes. These changes include:
Symptoms Of SAD (In addition to suffering from depression that can last for months)
Brighten The Mood
According to Dr. Robert deVito, chairman of the Department of Psychiatry at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Illinois, 60% of the adult population experiences some change in mood and behavior linked to the seasons. But in most cases the problem is easily solved. DeVito reports an 80% recovery rate in his patients when full-spectrum light therapy is used. Light therapy evens out the mood swings, decreases the need for sleep, and lessens the cravings for carbohydrates. "The full-spectrum lights give the body the equivalent of a longer day and lift the mood considerably," deVito explains. " Ordinary interior lights won't do," he adds. "You need light 10 times as bright, light that imitates sunlight, without the intensity of the sun's rays."
One of the most effective methods of treatment is a device known as a "lightbox." Designed to simulate the brightness of the sun as it is in the mid morning hours of springtime, the lightboxes trick the body into believing it is no longer winter. The light from a lightbox may range between 2500 to 10,000 lux, (a lux is a standard unit of measurement for light brightness). This compares with the usual 500 to 700 lux in an ordinary well-lighted room and up to 100,000 lux outdoors on a bright day.
Portsmouth, N.H. psychotherapist Stephen Little has treated more than 250 of his patients with lightboxes. "As opposed to anti-depressants, which can take as long as a month to know if they are working," according to Little," light therapy can take from one to five days and with no side effects." He said if SAD sufferers sit in front of a lightbox for 30 minutes each morning, the light almost instantly makes them feel better.
How Does Light Therapy Relieve SAD?
In many ways the treatment of Seasonal Affective Disorder is similar to that of other major depressive episodes, utilizing antidepressant or mood stabilizing medication and/or psychotherapy. In addition, the exposure to bright light has been found to be an effective means of treating Seasonal Affective Disorder. The individual sits in front of a bright light unit, a specialized, portable box which houses balanced spectrum fluorescent tubes. An individual's needs for light therapy specifies the duration of exposure and the optimal time of day. An individual should meet periodically with their health care professional. The dose of light therapy should be adjusted as needed.
The most successful treatments for SAD involve identifying how the change in daylight shifts the person's daily circadian rhythms, especially in their sleep cycle. Most people with SAD symptoms show changes in their sleep/wake patterns and melatonin levels. Bright light is known to be a powerful regulator of melatonin and the sleep/wake cycle. Seasonal Affective Disorder and "Winter Blues" sufferers tend to show two common patterns in their sleep phase: Delayed or Advanced.
For most patients, light therapy is the most natural and safe treatment for SAD, as well as the most cost-effective.
How To Use Light Therapy
Dr. Norman E. Rosenthal , of the National Institute Of Mental Health in Bethesda, Maryland, spearheaded research in the disorder in 1980 when he noticed patients became severely depressed in the winter but snapped out of it in the spring. He also noticed that some patients from the North brightened when they visited a southern climate, but experienced a relapse when they returned home. Since then, dozens of research psychiatrists and doctors have analyzed SAD, finding that light can influence moods, possibly because it produces an increase in a hormone called melatonin which can cause depression when present in large amounts. It is believed that production of this hormone decreases when the body is exposed to sunlight.
Dr. Rosenthal describes the symptoms of SAD in his book, Winter Blues. Typically, the symptoms last from early November, when the days become noticeably shorter, until March, when days begin to lengthen. January and February are the worst months for depression. Women are about four times more susceptible to SAD than men. This may be related to hormonal differences.
What Is Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)?
Like water and air, light is essential to our well-being. Our body has a very distinct 24 hour cycle. This cycle is controlled by bright light (the sun). Shift workers, travelers crossing several time zones, people with certain sleep disorders, often feel "out of sorts" because their daily cycle is "out of sync" with the sun.
Studies have shown that during fall and winter about 20% of the population is affected by specific symptoms related to changes in our sleep/wake pattern that may include sleep problems, change in appetite or weight, lack of energy, diminished sex drive, body aches or pains, memory loss, inability to make decisions, problems concentrating, low self-esteem, lack of interest in or enjoyment of activities, suicidal thoughts.
Seasonal Affective Disorder is a specific type of major depression, which reoccurs at specific times of the year. The most common pattern is the onset of major depression in the fall (September through November) and abating of the symptoms in late winter to early spring (March through May). The frequency of SAD seems to vary with geographic location. It may approach 10% of the general population in northern New England, 5% of the population in the Baltimore/Washington area, and less the 2% of the population of Southern California or Florida.
About 75% of SAD sufferers are women, but Seasonal Affective Disorder affects men and children as well. The most typical age of onset is in the twenties, but other onsets are common such as during puberty, middle age, and old age. After women pass through menopause the numbers in men and women become equal. Most affected are those living in northern latitudes and in frequently overcast areas, especially during the shortened fall and winter days.
As in the case of major depression, the diagnosis of Seasonal Affective Disorder is a clinical one, based on the presence of specific symptoms. To meet the criteria for a seasonal relationship, there should be at least three episodes of mood disturbance in three separate seasons, at least two of which are consecutive. There should be no association between the disturbance and situation stresses, such as being unemployed with each winter.
What Causes SAD?
The primary cause of Seasonal Affective Disorder is change in sunlight exposure. The reduction in daylight hours in the fall and winter can affect sufferers of SAD. The most commonly accepted hypothesis for the underlying cause of SAD is that reduced natural sunlight exposure affects the body's natural daily rhythms, which are not fully precise and rely on the intensity of sunlight to provide adjusting cues. These cues originate in the retina at the back of the eye, creating signals which pass through the optic nerve to the mid-brain, setting in motion a number of chemical changes. These changes include:
- Increase In The Neurotransmitter Serotonin, Necessary For A Sense Of Well Being.
- Regulation And Suppression Of The Hormone Melatonin, Which Is A Factor In Normal Sleep Patterns And May Influence The Recuperative Benefits Of Sleep.
Symptoms Of SAD (In addition to suffering from depression that can last for months)
- Crave Carbohydrates (Starchy Foods) And Sweets And Feel Better After Eating Them
- Gain Weight
- Sleep Longer Hours But Wake Up Feeling Tired
- Lose Interest In Sex.
- Feel Overwhelmed By Insignificant Things
- Avoid Family And Friends
- Have Difficulty Thinking And Concentrating
- Feel Achy And Suffer From Frequent Infections
Brighten The Mood
According to Dr. Robert deVito, chairman of the Department of Psychiatry at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Illinois, 60% of the adult population experiences some change in mood and behavior linked to the seasons. But in most cases the problem is easily solved. DeVito reports an 80% recovery rate in his patients when full-spectrum light therapy is used. Light therapy evens out the mood swings, decreases the need for sleep, and lessens the cravings for carbohydrates. "The full-spectrum lights give the body the equivalent of a longer day and lift the mood considerably," deVito explains. " Ordinary interior lights won't do," he adds. "You need light 10 times as bright, light that imitates sunlight, without the intensity of the sun's rays."
One of the most effective methods of treatment is a device known as a "lightbox." Designed to simulate the brightness of the sun as it is in the mid morning hours of springtime, the lightboxes trick the body into believing it is no longer winter. The light from a lightbox may range between 2500 to 10,000 lux, (a lux is a standard unit of measurement for light brightness). This compares with the usual 500 to 700 lux in an ordinary well-lighted room and up to 100,000 lux outdoors on a bright day.
Portsmouth, N.H. psychotherapist Stephen Little has treated more than 250 of his patients with lightboxes. "As opposed to anti-depressants, which can take as long as a month to know if they are working," according to Little," light therapy can take from one to five days and with no side effects." He said if SAD sufferers sit in front of a lightbox for 30 minutes each morning, the light almost instantly makes them feel better.
How Does Light Therapy Relieve SAD?
In many ways the treatment of Seasonal Affective Disorder is similar to that of other major depressive episodes, utilizing antidepressant or mood stabilizing medication and/or psychotherapy. In addition, the exposure to bright light has been found to be an effective means of treating Seasonal Affective Disorder. The individual sits in front of a bright light unit, a specialized, portable box which houses balanced spectrum fluorescent tubes. An individual's needs for light therapy specifies the duration of exposure and the optimal time of day. An individual should meet periodically with their health care professional. The dose of light therapy should be adjusted as needed.
The most successful treatments for SAD involve identifying how the change in daylight shifts the person's daily circadian rhythms, especially in their sleep cycle. Most people with SAD symptoms show changes in their sleep/wake patterns and melatonin levels. Bright light is known to be a powerful regulator of melatonin and the sleep/wake cycle. Seasonal Affective Disorder and "Winter Blues" sufferers tend to show two common patterns in their sleep phase: Delayed or Advanced.
For most patients, light therapy is the most natural and safe treatment for SAD, as well as the most cost-effective.
How To Use Light Therapy
(Clearance) S.A.D. 10,000 Lux Full Spectrum Lightbox
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The Brightness Of Spring... For The Dark Days Of Winter
Light, like water and air, is essential to our well-being. Studies have shown that during fall and winter about 20% of the population is affected by fatigue, irritability, anxiety, weight gain, social withdrawal, and a lack of alertness. Most affected are those living in northern latitudes and in frequently overcast areas, especially during the shortened fall and winter days. About 75% of those affected are women.
Our body has a very distinct 24 hour cycle. This cycle is controlled by bright light (the sun). Shift workers, travelers crossing several time zones, people with certain sleep disorders, often feel "out of sorts" because their daily cycle is "out of sync" with the sun.
The Aurora Full Spectrum Light System has been engineered for those who have shown to be adversely affected by the lack of natural sunlight, due to inadequate exposure of their living and work space during the dark and depressing Fall and Winter months.
For Store Pick-Up Only On This Item
Light, like water and air, is essential to our well-being. Studies have shown that during fall and winter about 20% of the population is affected by fatigue, irritability, anxiety, weight gain, social withdrawal, and a lack of alertness. Most affected are those living in northern latitudes and in frequently overcast areas, especially during the shortened fall and winter days. About 75% of those affected are women.
Our body has a very distinct 24 hour cycle. This cycle is controlled by bright light (the sun). Shift workers, travelers crossing several time zones, people with certain sleep disorders, often feel "out of sorts" because their daily cycle is "out of sync" with the sun.
The Aurora Full Spectrum Light System has been engineered for those who have shown to be adversely affected by the lack of natural sunlight, due to inadequate exposure of their living and work space during the dark and depressing Fall and Winter months.
For Store Pick-Up Only On This Item
Chromalux® Full Spectrum Incandescent Light Bulbs by Lumiram
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Lumiram is the original maker of the Neodymium glass light source. Originally based in Finland, the company first introduced the Chromalux Neodymium bulbs to the US market in the early 1970s. Since then, those uniquely designed bulbs have been improved and perfected to become the highest quality Full Spectrum bulb on the world’s market today.
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The technology: The Neodymium rare earth element is compounded with the glass (not coated). The yellow part of the light spectrum is partially filtered out and the result is crisp, more vibrant colors, reduced glare, decreased eye strain and beautiful bright vivid colors that enhance any space.
NEW... PDT LED Bio Red Light Facial Therapy Machine
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LED light therapy is a noninvasive anti-aging approach that works by emitting energy-producing packets of light deep into the skin’s layers to stimulate collagen and elastin production and destroy acne-causing bacteria. When light therapy is used, this triggers cellular activity producing ATP and, once produced, the tissue uses it to carry out healing and rejuvenation in the treated area.
PDT LED Bio Red Light Facial Therapy Machine is a device used to achieve clinical efficacy by heating human tissues so as to expand the temperature of human tissues. Blood vessels improve blood circulation, promote inflammation absorption and improve cell nutrition and metabolism. PDT (Photo Dynamic Therapy), applies skin photosensitizer to PDT through Photo Dynamic Therapy. When the skin is exposed to light at a specific wavelength, it chooses to destroy the diseased cells. Accumulating light in this manner is a therapeutic effect. According to the characteristics of the light wavelength the object of the treatment is different.
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