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Health
& Medicine
. A
Light at the End of the Tunnel For
many, the long nights of late Fall and Winter can mean curling up in front of a
warm fire or taking an exhilarating nighttime walk or ski-run. But to
almost 10% of Americans, the shorter days bring a darker mood … a
depression called Seasonal Affective Disorder. Dr. Scott Waterman, Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Vermont points out that SAD is an atypical depression. The increased sleep and weight gain are similar to hibernation. According to Waterman, it’s important to remember that seasonal depression is “by no means the most common pattern of recurrent mood disorder. Most people have depressions come and go without clear reference to time of year.” Waterman notes that the symptoms of depression must be sustained day after day and get progressively worse as the days shorten for SAD to be considered an accurate diagnosis. “Plus, there must be some degree of impairment," he adds. "You’re less able to do what you usually do.” Although onset is generally between 20-40
years old, children and teenagers also suffer from SAD. They may not show a
depressed mood, but instead act irritable, apathetic and withdrawn, struggling
to get up in the morning. This is so widely thought to be the m.o. of a typical
adolescent, that many teenagers with SAD go undiagnosed and, therefore,
untreated. Yet researchers for the National Institute of Mental Health project
that it may affect 3-4% of school aged children and recommend early intervention
in childhood cases of SAD. Light
therapy is emerging as one important treatment for this condition.
Numerous studies have shown many people respond to daily use of a light box, a
special full-spectrum, high intensity light. Lorilee Schoenbeck, N.D , a
naturopathic physician with practices in Middlebury and Shelburne, finds that
"wattage, rather than full spectrum" is important. She has her
SAD patients put lights in any dark corners in their homes and increase the
wattage of those lights. Research is also looking at dawn simulators,
which gradually increase artificial light intensity in the early morning
hours. Negative ion therapy has also had some good results. Waterman
suggests that light therapy may be most effective when used in the
morning. There may also be some evidence that light therapy works on other
types of depression as well "There's no reason to think that the therapies which treat other types of mood disorder won't be successful with this," says Waterman. For him, these include anti-depressant medication and psychotherapy, particularly cognitive behavioral therapy and interpersonal psychotherapy. Common
recommendations also include the suggestion that people with SAD not take on
extra stresses during the winter months. That may seem as unrealistic as
wintering in Tahiti to people dealing with the extra demands of winter holidays,
shoveling snow and paying heating bills. People with SAD may be able to
modify their response to stress, though. Mind-body approaches like Yoga,
Tai Ch’i and meditation can often help change the physiological and
psychological responses to unavoidable stress. "Whether
it's a seasonal pattern or not, if you have a problem enjoying life ... or just
getting through life, it's important to seek an evaluation," says Dr.
Waterman. "If people paid as much attention to the overall topic and
problem of mood disorder as they do to Seasonal Affective Disorder, we might all
be better off," he emphasizes. He also points out that the peak month
for suicides is not November or December, but May. Sam
feels it’s helped to know he has SAD. He says he never would have
thought about trying to get more light. He adds, "It’s nice to know
it’s not some deep emotional problem … knowing that it doesn’t have
anything to do with something you’re doing wrong." [Ed. Note: This article first appeared last year, during our first year of publication. At that point, we reached about 300 households in Addison & southern Chittenden counties. Now we reach nearly 2,000. Therefore, we are running it again for those who weren't yet reading DownStreet when it first ran and who might benefit from the information it contains. / lmc] . ******* ******* If you would like to submit something for our Health & Med section, don't hesitate to let us know. Simply e-mail us at health@downstreetmagazine.com. The e-mail should contain your name, address, and a phone number where we can reach you. You may also send a copy of your proposed article. The text can either be included in the body of the e-mail, or you can send it as an attachment in just about any word processing format. If your piece is accepted, we will pay a small honorarium for your interest & your time. [See Freelancers Wanted for more details.] ******* ******* If you would like to advertise in this section, or throughout the magazine, please visit our Advertising Info Pages ... or call, write, or e-mail ads@downstreetmagazine.com. ******* ******* |
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