Written by : Healthy For Your
Title : Shedding Light on Seasonal Depression
Shedding Light on Seasonal Depression
Winter brings on different meanings for different people. Some see it as a calming time with a beautiful white blanket draped lightly over the land. Others see it as a dark, dreary, endless existence.
Many people are negatively affected by the changes brought on by winter, experiencing low energy or even feeling blue now and then. However, some suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder, appropriately acronymed SAD, a condition brought on by shorter, colder days where depression, social withdrawal, overeating and weigh gain can become the norm.
“It's a fairly large problem," said Randall Flory, a SAD researcher at Hollins University in Roanoke, Va. "It's estimated that in the U.S. about 6% to 7% of people have a pretty severe form of SAD." Interestingly enough, it is also estimated that between 60% and 90% of people with SAD are women between the ages of 15 and 55.
SAD is believed to relate to daylight, more than temperature, although they both bring on symptoms. Some experts believe that a lack of sunlight increases the body’s production of a chemical called melatonin, which helps regulate sleep and can cause symptoms of depression.
Luckily, light therapy has been successful in treating individuals with SAD. “We estimate that 80% of people affected will find benefit from [exposure to] bright light," said Flory, who first presented his findings at the 2003 annual meeting of the American Psychological Association. Aside from light therapy, what can you do to avoid symptoms of SAD? One idea is to plan your vacation in a warm, sunny part of the country during the winter.
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