Seasonal Affective Disorder
The cumulative effect of short, dark winter days often leads to feelings of depression. Our mood is dependent on sunlight. Our biological clocks that make up our wake-sleep circadian rhythms are part of the neuro-endocrine system that biochemically regulate brain functioning including the very feelings we have. Whether we awaken to the sun and spend sufficient time outdoors in full-spectrum natural light, even on cloudy days, helps set levels of our neurotransmitters.
The majority of people in CNY have some degree of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) that can be marked by decreased energy and motivation, mild irritability or moodiness and feeling the blues more often. From the end of September until the winter solstice we lose about about two and a half hours of daylight, not getting home from work until dark both before and after the holiday season. Being in the snow belt with our lake-effect clouds makes us among the least sunny locations in the U.S. Typically patients who are already prone to depression get more depressed in winter.
We can decrease SAD by spending more time outside, home or health club exercise (try a day pass swim and sauna), structuring indoor time with hobbies like reading or yoga and healthy eating. Using a light therapy box that supplies 10,0000 lumens of full or blue spectrum light, angled at 45 degrees at a distance of about 3 feet for 20 minutes to start the morning, diminishes symptoms of SAD. A good example of a light box is the small six inch square LED programmable and rechargeable Philips Go-Lite 2 at about $150.00 on Amazon. Some medical insurance will cover this cost with a doctorʼs prescription.
If you experience full-blown depression marked by loss of pleasure, sadness, apathy, sleep disturbance, increased drug or alcohol use, and even suicidal feelings, then winter depression or mood disorder (cycling from summer highs to winter lows) should be evaluated by a psychiatrist.
Just a reminder to the potential optimist in us: after December 21st our days begin getting longer, until by mid-March with daylight savings time, weʼll gain more than an hour and a half of daylight. For some, the natural rhythm of the seasonʼs with winterʼs slowed and inward focus can be experienced as renewing us for the joy of spring.