1-19-2010

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

If this winter you are feeling blue, gaining weight and waking up tired, even though you might be sleeping more, you may have seasonal affective disorder.

Seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, is a type of winter depression that affects an estimated half a million people every winter.  It is caused by a biochemical imbalance due to the shortening of daylight hours and the lack of sunlight in winter.  Ronald Zec, associate professor of neurology and a research scientist at SIU School of Medicine in Springfield, explains the symptoms.

SOUND BITE:  TR 1 (2:51 – 4:13)  “. . . the winter depression associated with SAD shares and overlaps the typical symptoms of depression that you feel sad or blue, down, helpless, hopeless, worthless. (3:06) . . . (3:54)
 . . . there’s an increase in sleep and also there’s, the technical term, hyperfacia, an increase in eating, especially a craving for simple carbohydrates, sugars and starches. . . ”

Both men and women can have SAD, but it is more common in women and it occurs more often in young adults, age 20 to 40.  The disorder is more prevalent in the months of December, January and February when the days are shortest. 
Zec says bright light therapy and increased exercise are used to alleviate the symptoms.

SOUND BITE:  TR 1 (8:23 - 8:42)  “. . . it’s the bright light therapy and normally, what’s done is 30 minutes of bright therapy in the morning, especially in milder cases of seasonal affective disorder and maybe 30 minutes again in the evening.”

If an individual suffers from seasonal affective disorder and is not helped by bright sunlight and exercise, they should see their physician for evaluation and possible treatment.

This is Ruth Slottag at SIU School of Medicine in Springfield.