Stressful time to be SAD
Mental health Seasonal affective disorder can cause depression

BY Heather Warlick

Published: October 7, 2008

If you’re prone to seasonal depression, this year’s economic turmoil might make you really sad. That’s SAD for seasonal affective disorder. When the days get shorter and the weather turns blah, stressors such as lost 401(k)s and financial disturbances can amplify SAD in those prone to it.

"Stress adds to the risk factor of any kind of depression,” said Laura Smith, co-author of "Seasonal Affective Disorder for Dummies.” She and co-author Charles Elliott said SAD affects about 1percent of the population.

When it starts getting dark early in the evening and the sun rises later in the morning, most people feel low on energy, they said. Some people find they sleep too much, gain weight, feel anxious and depressed, and withdraw from society. Some even feel suicidal. If your SAD symptoms become drastic, interfering with your relationships with friends or family, you should seek help.

What causes SAD? That’s still unknown among scientists. But it’s likely that factors such as genetics, body chemistry, age and mental health play roles. And, Elliott said, light exposure is an important factor. Low levels of sunlight can disrupt your body’s internal clock or circadian rhythm, which can cause depression.

Experts also agree that melatonin may have a hand in causing SAD. Melatonin is a sleep-related hormone that could be overproduced during long winter nights’ sleep. Too much melatonin can cause depression.

Several treatment methods are accepted for SAD:

→Antidepressants.

→Light therapy.

→Cognitive therapy.

"First thing out of the starting block should be cognitive therapy because there are no side effects that are known to be terrible and it helps prevent future episodes of SAD,” Elliott said. Training yourself to think differently is the core of cognitive therapy. Knowing that seasonal changes affect your moods can help you deal with SAD’s effects.

"The second thing I would do would probably be the light therapy because the side effects are pretty small, although there are a few that can happen,” Elliott said.

Though not approved by the Food and Drug Administration as a treatment for SAD, light therapy devices mimic outdoor light and cause a biochemical change in the brain that can lift your mood. The trick is, you have to use the light device at least 30 minutes a day for it work.

Light is measured in units of lux. The average living room in the evening radiates about 300 to 400 lux. A cloudy day registers about 3,000 lux. Light therapy devices must radiate at least 10,000 lux to be considered effective, Elliott said. Some range as high as 100,000 lux, the equivalent of a sunny day.

"We don’t want everyone to run out and go on medication,” Smith said.

But a recent study that shows a difference in people’s serotonin levels in colder months explains why certain antidepressants are effective at treating SAD. Serotonin is a chemical that helps regulate your mood. Antidepressants such as Wellbutrin regulate serotonin levels.

And to prevent SAD before it starts, you could move to a state where the sun shines bright all year. Other tricks that can help you avoid getting SAD this winter include getting lots of exercise, spending as much time outdoors as possible and investing in a light therapy device. Experts say learning how the seasons affect you and how to cope with those effects also can help.

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