How to Help Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

Each winter season thousands of people are affected by "Seasonal Affective Disorder" otherwise known as "SAD."

Cited from Public Med site: "Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is prevalent when vitamin D stores are typically low. Broad-spectrum light therapy includes wavelengths between 280-320 nm which allow the skin to produce vitamin D."

Seasonal Affective Disorder is a type of depression that affects a person in the winter every year. If you feel more upbeat in the spring, summer and fall, but depressed in the winter, you may have SAD. Sad is more common, but not limited to people between the ages of 15 and 55 and as you age, the odds of having it for the first time lessen.

SAD is also more common in areas where the winter days are very short or there are major changes in the amount of daylight when the season changes. Women and people with close relatives seem more prone to get SAD, too.

Experts are not sure what causes SAD, but there is strong speculation that lack of sunlight is a major contributor if not the main cause of it. Lack of light can disrupt your sleep cycle and circadian rhythms. Circadian rhythms are the body's natural cycles set up for the body to wake with the sun and go to sleep with the sundown, as our ancestors did.

Once the circadian cycle is off, the brain chemical, serotonin, a mood balancer, is affected. The balance of brain chemicals affects the endorphins, which are very important for our happiness, well-being and health.

Vitamin D3 is made in our skin by the sun's rays and plays an important role in the hormonal balance and other areas of our body. All of these vital nutrients were meant to keep us running smooth and many people are just too depleted of the sun, vitamins, minerals and right amounts of sleep.

Seasonal Affective Disorder is usually diagnosed by a doctor who will ask if you've been depressed for two winters in a row, but improve when the season changes. Other symptoms are sleeping a lot more than usual, craving and eating more food, especially carbohydrates and if you have a close relative with SAD.

Doctors prescribe two types of light therapy for patients, which seems to have good results. There is:

Bright Light Treatment: This type of light therapy is a light box that you place in front of you first thing in the morning, for a half hour or longer. You may use it at any other time, but they find that starting the day off with simulated sunlight does the brain good.

Dawn Simulation: The dawn treatment is a dim light that goes on in the morning and gradually gets brighter like the sunrise, as you wake up. Both light therapies have good results, but must be kept up daily until the season changes, to be effective.

Exercise: Walking, a treadmill, exercise bike or any light exercise also helps the brain produce endorphins and the chemicals for well-being. It's best if done during the morning or early part of the day.