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MAIN
 Health
Diseases
Depression
Do
Dark Winter Days
Make You SAD?
As the days grow shorter and the weather
turns cold millions of people may get SAD - Seasonal Affective Disorder.
The symptoms of SAD may include fatigue,
difficulty getting up in the morning or an noticeable drop in energy levels known as the afternoon
slump. Difficulty concentrating, a reduced sex drive and hypersomnia, an increased need for
sleep, may also be symptoms of the disorder.
Social withdrawal and lack of interest
in normal activities may be mistaken for the "Holiday Blues," but SAD peaks as the
days get shorter and has no emotional basis. The disorder is seen more in northern areas where
the days are colder and shorter than in the south.
Some scientists think that the symptoms
of this disease may be programmed biological responses. Melatonin
is involved in a complex process that sets your biological clock. Early morning sunshine signals
your brain to start the daily rhythm. Late sunrise on winter mornings may be one factor in
seasonal affective disorder. Although the exact causes are not understood, it seems that the
seratonin levels in the brain are disrupted causing symptoms of depression and other physical
symptoms.
Our earliest ancestors made it through
dark winter days by imitating the animals who hibernated during the cold, food deprived months
of winter. It made sense, during prehistoric winters, for humans to spend more time sleeping
and avoiding activities that would burn up precious calories. Carbs provide a good source
of energy to combat the cold and are easy to digest. These were the most sensible foods to
crave.
Besides taking many calories, in pre-birth
control days, sex invariably lead to babies being born. Those who experienced a lower sex
drive in winter produced more offspring who were born in the spring and summer months. These
babies had a greater chance to survive.
Avoiding activities that burned calories
and eating high carb foods was a wonderful adaptation for our ancient ancestors. Now that
food is available all year long and our normal lives continue through the cold months, these
survival mechanisms are not such a good thing. As the days get shorter and colder, those who
experience SAD may have difficulty with their normal daily routines as the days get shorter.
Diagnosing SAD involves looking at many
factors. Your health care provider may ask how you feel in the summer and how you felt last
winter among other questions. There is an inventory
of depression online at the Center for Environmental Diagnostics (CET) that can give you
an idea of the questions that are important.
Adding
artificial sunlight indoors and increasing outdoor activities
while the sun is shining seems to help with both the symptoms
of depression, the need to sleep more, fatigue and weight
gain. There are several other cognitive and drug therapies
that can help with the seasonal depression brought on by SAD.
also
see in Home Decor -> SkyCeilings
& Virtual Windows
More
about SAD around the Web:
SADA
- The Seasonal Affective Disorder Association
Seasonal
Affective Disorder
Depression
Screening Test
Selective
Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)
St.
John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum) and the Treatment of Depression
also
see -> Menopause
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Health
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