Seasonal Affective Disorder

Seasonal Affective Disorder Light Therapy

admin — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 20:37:45 +0000

Seasonal affective disorder also commonly known as SAD is a sort of psychiatric disorder that disrupts the circadian cycle. SAD is primarily prevalent in the winter months and its intensity and severity has a direct relation with the duration of night and day. Seasonal affective disorder light therapy is a successful treatment for SAD. Other commonly known synonyms for the disorder include; ‘Winter Blues’, ‘Winter Depression’ or ‘Hibernation Reaction’. Contrary occurrences have also shown the disorder amongst people during spring or early summer months, thus indicating no specific seasonal pattern of the illness.

Causes and Symptoms

Although, the exact cause of SAD is not very clear, there are a myriad of reasons attributing to the disorder, like; a person’s body temperature, hormonal activity and in some cases the genetic configuration. Most significantly, diurnal variations of natural light in one complete day are known to trigger aberrations in human behaviour. The presence and absence of natural light is responsible for the production of ‘Serotonin’ and ‘Melatonin’ that greatly affect the general mental well-being of a person. Imbalance in the production of the aforesaid hormones causes SAD. The symptoms of SAD include; unhappiness, irritability, lethargy, fluctuating moods, disinterest in daily activities, pessimistic attitude, restlessness, suicidal tendency in severe cases, difficulty in concentrating etc.

Seasonal Affective Disorder Light Therapy

SAD can be treated by a multitude of medicines including anti-depressants, serotonin supplements etc, by Psychotherapy or counselling and by seasonal affective disorder light therapy or phototherapy. Although, the cure for SAD incorporates several procedures, the treatment by Light Therapy remains a preferred, proven and economical option. This involves the patient’s exposure to a bright fluorescent light originating from high power LEDs. The duration of exposure to bright light is decided as per severity of the ailment and can vary from 20 minutes to a few hours. The light is believed to considerably improve depression, prevent mood swings, perk up mental well being and aid regulate the circadian cycle.

Light Box

Commercially available ‘Light Boxes’ are the most common source of fluorescent light and can be used for seasonal affective disorder light therapy. These are easily available with pharmacists and often do not require a medical prescription as a mandate for sale. A light box can cost anything from 40 to 400 dollars depending upon quality and the intensity of light produced. For the purpose of evaluation, it is pertinent to mention that the light produced during daytime is about 100,000 lux, that produced by a domestic light bulb ranges from 250-700 lux. The light box in mention produces approximately 10,000 lux.

A light box requires normal household electric supply and produces approximately 25-30 times brighter light than a normal living room light. Seasonal affective disorder light therapy is a simple, effective and monetarily reasonable technique adopted in the treatment of SAD. It is most effective when used early mornings and soon after dusk. The aim is to increase the patient’s exposure to bright light that enables sufficient production of the hormone Serotonin, vital to create a feeling of calm, control, confidence and well-being.
Treatment Philosophy
Seasonal affective disorder light therapy produces encouraging results when commenced at an early stage that is when the days begin to get shorter. Regular exposure to bright light with the fall of night, every day until spring season, provides significant relief from the symptoms of SAD. The best way to reap the benefits of light therapy is to work, read or watch television in the presence of the bright fluorescent light, or to sit in front of it with eyes open at a distance of about 3 metres. Amongst its diverse advantages, the seasonal affective disorder light therapy has a few inevitable demerits. These include – irritability, insomnia, headaches and eyestrains. Additionally, if the ongoing treatment is stopped abruptly for a number of days, the symptoms of SAD often tend to return. Assured relief is possible only with consistent and unswerving use of light therapy.

Seasonal Affective Disorder Lamp

admin — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 20:03:16 +0000

Seasonal Affective Disorder Lamp turns Night into Day
Seasonal affective disorder lamp is a special lamp used in light therapy to treat SAD symptoms. Light therapy is the first line treatment for SAD and has proven to be effective. SAD, a mild depression syndrome is usually experienced during winter months. People suffering from SAD show depressive behavior like continued sadness, lethargy, loss of energy, fluctuating mood etc. Light therapy on its own is extremely successful, however; doctors advise a combination of SAD treatments that aid in faster recovery. Apart from light therapy, antidepressants medication, cognitive behavioral therapy and psychotherapy are effectual treatments.
What does seasonal affective disorder lamp do?
The light therapy lamps are also called “phototherapy boxes”, light therapy boxes” or light boxes. The purpose of the lamp is to mimic sunlight (natural light) during the day. Most light boxes emit about 10,000 lux compared to a regular incandescent bulb that produces 250 to 700 lux of light. 10,000 lux of natural light is produced daily during a cycle of one complete day.
According to light therapy, phototherapy boxes should be placed at a distance of 12 to 14 inches and used daily for 30 minutes to an hour, early morning and just after sunset. This provides cues to the brain for manufacturing a brain chemical called serotonin that regulates the body circadian cycle. Circadian cycle is a body clock that regulates our mood and sleep-wake cycle. Hence, when proper levels of serotonin are produced the body cycle is balanced preventing development of SAD.
Choosing a seasonal affective disorder lamp
Light boxes are available in different sizes and shapes.
• Ultra high-powered lamps
• Medium to low powered lamps
• Compact lamp
• Desktop models
• Seasonal affective disorder lamp visors
• Designer lamps
• Combination light boxes
Although research suggests lamp producing 10,000 lux is beneficial, there are lamps available in the market that generates low power of lights. The Food and Drug Administration do not approve light boxes but several studies indicate its efficiency in treating SAD. Hence, it is important to take medical advice as to which type of lamp is best suited for you. While choosing a lamp check the following apart from price (approx $100-$500, May or may not be covered under insurance) of the lamp.
1) Is light box particularly manufactured for the treatment of SAD:
Sometimes light box made for treating skin disorders is sold as SAD lamp. This lamp is inefficient in treating SAD as most of these lamps emit ultra violet rays that could harm the eyes. Several SAD lamps will produce UV rays therefore, it is important to buy the one that emits minimum amount of UV rays.
2) Brightness of seasonal affective disorder lamp:
Distance while sitting in front of the lamp and brightness of the lamp plays an important role in proper treatment of SAD. Lamp with higher intensity requires sitting for less hours and proves more effective. However, people already suffering from eye problems or sub syndromal SAD (mild SAD) do not need high intensity boxes.
3) Color of the light being emitted:
Most light boxes emit white light as regular incandescent or fluorescent light emits. Some models emit blue light that is as effective but may pose a higher risk of damage to the eyes through prolonged usage.
4) Light boxes stimulating sunrise:
These are the best type of boxes to buy as they have special setting that automatically switches on the lamp with low intensity early in the morning at a time set by the person even though person is sleeping. Slowly it begins to become brighter as the day dawns upon imitating full 10,000 lux of light.
Seasonal affective disorder lamp is easily available at hardware or local medical stores. It is imperative to purchase the lamp and follow instructions listed on the package under proper guidance of the chemist or through prescription from the physician.

Seasonal Affective Disorder Treatment

admin — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 21:24:43 +0000

Seasonal Affective Disorder Treatment is a Slow Process
Seasonal affective disorder is an illness that is characterized by repeated bouts of depressive behavior that arises during the winter months every year. People affected by SAD syndrome display intolerance towards plunging temperatures and change in climate.
Seasonal affective disorder treatment is similar to other depression related treatment. The healing process includes psychosomatic treatment and antidepressant medication. Do not start self-medication for SAD, as it may be harmful. It is important to seek medical advice for proper treatment. In most cases, doctors advice a mixture of treatments for faster recovery and better results.
Types of seasonal affective disorder treatment
People, who have mild SAD symptoms (sub-syndronal) SAD, can begin self-treatment at home itself. As the symptoms are mild, it does not require heavy dosage medication or psychotherapy. Following home remedies help in reducing SAD symptoms:
• Outdoor mild to moderate physical activity like daily walking
• Proper and balanced diet
• Avoidance of starchy, too sweet and fried food
• Sitting next to a window when inside the room
• Ensure ample light in the house. If required switch on lights in the morning as well.
A combination of treatments should be adopted for faster recovery from SAD.
Light therapy: It is one of the most widely used therapies for reducing SAD symptoms. Light therapy also called as phototherapy uses a bright lamp that produces 10,000-lux worth of lumens for seasonal affective disorder treatment. The vivid light of the lamp mimics warmth and brightness of sunlight or sunrise in the morning. The therapy results usually begin to appear on the third or fourth day. The therapy should be taken for 30 minutes to 2 hours daily.
Once the patient begins the treatment the extra bright light effect every morning aids in higher level of production of a brain chemical called serotonin. Serotonin chemical is linked to mood of a person. Proper production of serotonin in morning and melatonin in the night balances the circadian rhythm (body clock) of the body. This helps in elevating the mood of a person and signals the brain for a normal day functioning. In contrast, low light during daytime leads to low mood during winter months that causes reduction or no production of serotonin chemical in the body. Light therapy has fewer side effects like eye pain or headache but they happen through prolonged use of the light therapy lamp.
Medications: Antidepressants help alleviate seasonal affective disorder symptoms to an extent like any other depression syndrome treatment. It will take one to three weeks to see results of antidepressant medication on SAD. Usually a medicine called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are administered for improving SAD symptoms. Citalopram, fluoxetine, paroxetine, sertraline or venlafaxine are SSRI medicines used in seasonal affective disorder treatment.
An antidepressant bupropion found by the name of wellbutrin in the market is known to improve SAD symptoms faster in patients who have been suffering from SAD for many years. However, bupropion is known to cause dry mouth. It is advised that persons suffering from seizures or severe stomach problems should not have bupropion. Other type of antidepressants like tranylcypromine or desipramine and stimulants like methylphenidate and modafinil also help in treating SAD. Antidepressants and SSRI, both may have side effects like nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, headaches, anxiety drowsiness or loss of sexual desire. A research suggests that SSRI has fewer side effects compared to antidepressants.
Psychotherapy: Psychotherapy deals with functioning of the brain in response to the stimulants it receives. It aids in identifying reaction of the body against changing chemical composition in the brain. It helps change negative thoughts and improves will power. Apart from the above treatments, cognitive behavioral therapy, acupuncture, group or interpersonal therapy and counseling are types of seasonal affective disorder treatments that aid in improving SAD symptoms. Nonetheless, in most cases, SAD symptoms reduce as the winter months pass by.

Seasonal Affective Disorder Symptoms

admin — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 21:22:24 +0000

Seasonal Affective Disorder Symptoms are Psychological as well as Somatic
Seasonal affective disorder is a form of mild depression that occurs particularly in the gloomy winter months. The syndrome affects people who are deprived of natural sunlight for a prolonged period. Hence, individuals staying in extreme northern regions are vulnerable. Research suggests that less natural light can cause reduced production of certain chemicals in the body that are associated with sleep cycle and regulation of mood. The severity of seasonal affective disorder symptoms varies from person to person. Although SAD is a form of mild depression, in certain cases it may get severe and develop into a serious bipolar disorder.
A survey suggests that SAD in Europe affects minimum two percent people every year. It is highly common in extreme northern areas of United States. Research says about 9.7 percent of people in New Hampshire suffer from SAD symptoms. Among total number of SAD cases, about 10% people suffer from sub-syndromal SAD that is they face only mild SAD symptoms. Women are more vulnerable to SAD than men are. People begin to experience mild SAD symptoms at the fall of winter (beginning of September) and they increase as the winter month’s progress. In most cases symptoms will improve as the (around month of April) winter months pass by.
Common seasonal affective disorder symptoms
Constant sad feeling
Disinterest in daily activities
Avoidance of social interaction
Seasonal affective disorder symptoms (mild to moderate stage)
Sleep issues-Disturbed sleep pattern, oversleeping, feeling sleep during the day, unable to get out of bed, difficulty sleeping
Appetite issues- Poor appetite or craving for sweet, starchy and carbohydrate foods that leads to weight gain
Lethargy- Fatigue during the day, loss of energy, extreme tiredness, extra effort required to do everything
Depressive behavior- Guilt, worthlessness, hopelessness, misery, anxiety, despair, irritation, frustration
Poor concentration
Indecisiveness
Suicidal thoughts (This does not necessarily mean thinking of suicide all the time. Thoughts like not caring if I wake up tomorrow or life being worthless, “why and for what I should” live is among common seasonal affective disorder symptoms)
Slowing of movements
Feeling too emotional or weeping
Physical issues like stomach related concerns, joint pains, headaches and reduced resistance power against infections
Affirmation of the presence of the disorder
It is important to confirm if a person is actually suffering from the disorder and the symptoms are not of some other illness or side effect of certain medications. A person suffering from SAD should display the following seasonal affective disorder symptoms.
The patient should be suffering from one of the major symptoms like mood fluctuations, disinterest in daily activities or unvarying sad emotion.
Apart from this, the person should have at least five of the other symptoms that last for minimum two weeks.
The symptoms in some ways should have hampered normal (daily) performance.
Signs should often appear to be severe early morning after or while waking up.
Last but not the least, it is important to observe if the signs appear every winter for at least two successive years.
Seasonal affective disorder symptoms can affect the self-esteem of a person and leave them with a feeling of loneliness, disappointment and isolation particularly if the disorder is not diagnosed and treated. Untreated seasonal affective disorder symptoms may develop into severe mania or hypomania. The good news is SAD can be treated. Most patients feel better as the winter months pass by. In severe cases anti-depressant medication and light therapy where a special lamp is used to mimic sunrise or bright daylight helps improve SAD symptoms. Cognitive behavioral therapy, air-ionization administration and psychotherapy have proven to be useful. For proper and prompt treatment of SAD, it is important to recognize seasonal affective disorder symptoms in time.

Seasonal Affective Disorder Causes

admin — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 20:58:41 +0000

Basic Seasonal Affective Disorder Causes are linked to reduced amount of daylight (sunlight) experienced during winter months in the extreme northern regions. Age, genetics and chemical imbalances in the brain triggered due to lack of sunlight during the day could be other causes for development of Seasonal Affective Disorder. Disturbance in the body sleep-wake cycle and changes in the levels of brain chemicals that affect the body cycle are believed to be the two main causes of SAD.
Different causes of Seasonal Affective Disorder
Circadian Rhythm Imbalance: Natural light (sunlight) stimulates certain functions in the human body. Light controls the circadian rhythm of the body and signals when it is bright daylight and when it dark hence regulating functions like sleep-wake cycle, energy, digestion, mood and appetite. When the circadian rhythm does not get proper cues from the body senses it tends to play up. This is because the body is unable to produce certain hormones like serotonin (regulates mood) and melatonin (regulates sleep-wake cycle).
Dim atmosphere leads to becoming unproductive and leaves feeling inactive. Therefore, people who suffer from SAD experience mood swings, lethargy, loss of energy and over sleepiness. The disturbed circadian rhythm clock leads to development of depressive behavior that causes SAD.
Serotonin Levels: Serotonin is a brain chemical that does the work of a neurotransmitter. It transmits brain signals to various parts of the body through nerve cells, particularly regulates mood and appetite functions in the body. When the body is incapable of converting serotonin chemical or serotonin polymorphisms into N-acetylserotonin with the assistance of serotonin N-acetyltransferase, SAD seasonal affective disorder symptoms develop. This happens because the serotonin being a neurotransmitter cannot transmit proper signals to the part of the body that promotes mood and carries out digestive procedures in the body.
It is believed that imbalance in serotonin levels may cause craving for sweet, starchy and fried foods and also could be the cause of indigestion issues. Growth of serotonin chemicals in the brain is related to the amount of natural light (sunlight). The exact process of production of compound that stimulates serotonin growth is yet to be studied. However, several studies have confirmed the effect of reduced sunlight on the production of serotonin.
Melatonin Levels: Melatonin is another chemical that is produced by the body in absence of sunlight. (That is when it is dark). Therefore, when light enters the eyes in the morning the body shuts down the production of melatonin. Hence, manufacture of melatonin is often more during winter months where sunlight is seldom seen. This affects the sleep cycle and mood of a person causing seasonal affective disorder. Research says melatonin is produced in the dark by the pineal gland in the body and is linked to the retina. The retina transforms the light signals into an electric impulse and transmits it to the hypothalamus in the brain. Then the hypothalamus sends signals to the pineal gland to produce less melatonin. The pineal gland is connected to the retina through the retinohypothalamic tract and suprachiasmatic nucleus. Hence, due to lack of light throughout the day the body tends to produce more melatonin that leads to difficulty in waking up in the morning and feeling of sleepiness during the day.
Other factors that cause SAD seasonal affective disorder are
• Psychological factors – strong emotions and instances that have left a mark on the mind of a person.
• Physical abuse and parental neglect during childhood
• Already persisting depression syndrome
• Genetic factors – family history of depression disorders
• Social factors – distressed relationship with friends, relatives and partner
Most of the SAD seasonal affective disorder causes are generic and psychosomatic in nature and hence can be treated easily. Self help treatment like exercise, proper diet and exposure to maximum amount of light in the day aids in curing SAD faster. Else, antidepressants or psychotherapy is successful in treating SAD.

Seasonal Affective Disorder

admin — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 17:39:49 +0000

Seasonal affective disorder is a type of recurrent depression. It is sort of mood disorder which usually occurs during the fall of winter and increases as the winter months progress. These people have otherwise perfect mental health. Severity of the illness varies from person to person. People with severe SAD - seasonal affective disorder might be affected by bipolar disorder. Individuals who experience similar symptoms in summer are supposed to be affected by reverse seasonal affective disorder. SAD is also known as ‘winter blues’, ‘winter depression’ or ‘hibernation reaction’. With SAD, an individual experiences signs of depression like fatigue, disinterest in daily activities and lethargy as the winter months approach and the daylight period begins to decrease.
Whom does SAD affect?
• Women are more vulnerable to SAD than men are
• Children and adolescents
• People between ages of 15 to 50 years
• Someone who has at least one close relative affected by some sort of psychiatric condition
• Prior severe depression disorder
• People who intake excessive alcohol
• Individuals who live in extreme northern countries where winters are extremely severe and there is major fluctuation in daylight
Seasonal affective disorder symptoms
People usually experience atypical somatic symptoms
• Unhappiness
• Irritability without reason
• Lethargy
• Fluctuating moods
• Anxiousness
• Weight gain (craving for starchy and carbohydrate foods)
• Disinterest in daily activities
• Guilt feeling
• Feeling of worthlessness, pessimism and restlessness
• Loss of energy
• Suicidal tendency in severe cases
• Oversleeping especially during the day
• Difficulty concentrating
• Disinterest in socializing
Causes of SAD
Common factors that lead to SAD are reduced light, hormones, body temperature and genes. SAD is believed to be associated with change in levels of serotonin and melatonin levels. It has been observed that the level of short-allele polymorphism required for serotonin transporter in the body is commonly found in patients affected by SAD. Serotonin is a chemical in the brain that acts as a neurotransmitter for the body. It plays vital role in mood change. Reduced sunlight for prolonged periods is believed to reduce serotonin levels in the body that leads to SAD. A study conducted on SAD revealed that if the body is unable to convert serotonin chemical into N-acetylserotonin, it leads to development of depressive symptoms.
Another chemical that is associated with sleep is melatonin. Melatonin chemical is produced by the pineal gland in the body when it is dark. The pineal gland is directly linked to the retina through retinohypothalamic tract and suprachiasmatic nucleus. Lower vitamin D level is also believed to be a contributor in development of SAD. In addition, the circadian rhythm the biological clock that controls sleep cycle may be disrupted due to reduced daylight, thus disturbing the natural body clock of sleeping and waking up in the morning. Recent scientific research suggested that mutation of a gene melanopsin might have association with development of SAD.
Seasonal affective disorder treatment
Seasonal affective disorder light therapy has been found to be successful treatment for SAD. A special lamp that produces up to 10,000 lux (lumens) is used to mimic sunlight or sunrise in the morning. Sitting in front of the lamp for about 30 minutes in a day has proved to be extremely useful. However, certain side effects like headache and eye pain have been reported due to prolonged use of seasonal affective disorder lamp.
Apart from light therapy, medication like anti-depressants, cognitive behavioral therapy, ionized air administration and psychotherapy are various treatments that aid in improving seasonal affective disorder symptoms. SAD is a mild depression illness. People affected by the illness are perfectly normal as the illness is triggered by external climatic factors rather than internal body malfunctions. Hence, in most cases, as the gloomy winter months pass by so does the aliment.