Fighting the Winter Blues

It’s that time of year again. Daylight is shorter. The air is brisk and people with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) know it’s time to get more light! Winter depression, know as the “winter blues” or SAD, gets activated by decreasing daylight. It usually begins mid October and ends around April.

SAD is a treatable depression that affects about 35 million Americans. The farther north you live, the greater your chance to be one of the 10 million people diagnosed, or one of 25 million that have some symptoms. People in the northern states get half as much sunshine as those in the South.

Symptoms can include tiredness, irritability, inability to concentrate, weight gain, craving carbohydrates, isolation, and difficulty getting out of bed in the morning. Women in their 30s are most susceptible but the disorder affects men and children too.

Treatment is relatively easy. Because light therapy regulates brain chemistry, you need to get more light. Light interacts with the eye through the optic nerve and increases brain chemicals that alleviate depression.