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.