Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

Q: The dark days of winter are leaving me sad and depressed. Could I be suffering from SAD? Is there any way of treating it without having to go on antidepressants?

A: Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)is a condition in which the body is not exposed to enough sunlight to maintain normal levels of serotonin. It is associated with winter depression and summer hypomania. Typically, patients tend to feel depressed, slow down, oversleep, overeat and crave carbohydrates in the winter. In the summer they tend to feel elated, active and energetic.

A lot can be done to help with SAD, extending light exposure on winter days for thirty minutes a day under a full-spectrum fluorescent lamp, or under very bright artificial light, or in a ‘light box’, should begin to improve symptoms within three to four weeks.

Melatonin is a hormone produced in the body in response to the rhythms of light and darkness. Changes in melatonin levels are believed to be an important factor in seasonal depression however, levels will change according to one’s exposure to sunlight, so although it is sometimes prescribed to help SAD, it does not address the root cause. If taken at night it can help, however, it can also make insomnia worse as days grow longer in late winter. For this reason, I tend to discourage supplementation.

Hypericum perforatum (St. John’s Wort) extract or 5-HTP improves SAD and is more effective in combination with light therapy. This herb is restricted to prescription through herbal consultation only. Dosages of 300mg three times daily were found to improve SAD.

Vitamin D is well known for its effects on helping to maintain normal calcium levels, but it also exerts influence on the brain, spinal cord, and hormone-producing tissues of the body that may be important in the regulation of mood. A double-blind study found that mood improved in healthy people without SAD who received 400 or 800 IU per day of vitamin D for five days in late winter.

Try to exercise one hour of aerobic or anaerobic exercise three times a week in bright light to further improve mood.

For further information on Seasonal Affective Disorder or Depression contact ICIM Medics, St. John’s Grove, Johnstown, Naas, Co. Kildare Tel. 045 844 819 www.icim.ie