Seasonal Affective Disorder

While Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) mildly affects 25% of the population, it severely affects another 5% of the population.  This is a form of depression, which usually starts in September but reaches its peak in January and February.  It is easily disregarded and overlooked.  It is also hard to diagnose, and can actually be as difficult to diagnose as fibromyalgia and ADD (attention deficit disorder) both are.  This is because while some people may get the winter blues, and some people feel sluggish, people with SAD actually have a debilitating disorder.

While some people who suffer from SAD only have a mild, temporary feeling of helplessness, which is a very minor form of depression, others can have a very serious case of SAD.  Many studies have shown that 1 out of every 10 people actually have some form of SAD.  As is true with clinical depression, sometimes people who have been diagnosed with SAD actually commit suicide.  SAD can even progress into other types of depression.  Some of these other forms include manic depression and schizophrenia just to name a few.

Some of the symptoms of SAD include being sluggish, sleeping for more than 10 hours a day and yet still being tired, and migraines which can become quite severe and usually peak when there are drops in barometric pressure. 

There have been studies done to show that those people who are depressed are actually more prone to extreme changes in temperature.  Some researchers have said that this was because of a lower level of electrolytes, salts, and other essential minerals in the body and brain.  One of these minerals is potassium.  It has been proven that having a low level of potassium will bring on a severe headache.  Two other important elements are Vitamin D and exposure to the sun, or at the very least, to ultraviolet lighting.  Many doctors actually believe that because there is limited sun exposure during the winter, which means that a person has a lower level of Vitamin D, they can actually get SAD.

It doesn't matter what age you are, you can still get SAD.  However, it is interesting to note that SAD is rare in childhood and that it usually affects more women than men.  In fact, it usually occurs in women who are 35-years-old or older. 

If you have evidence that you or a loved one has symptoms of SAD, then it is strongly advisable for you to get medical attention.  It may simply be a chemical imbalance, which a simple change in your diet could easily fix.  This condition can also be offset by  skin treatments, skin peels, and trips to the spa.  However, this condition may also be more severe.  This is why you should never let this condition go.  There is no sense in suffering through it.  There have been numerous recent medical advances that enable those who suffer from SAD to be treated effectively, thus greatly improving their quality of life.

For those who are diagnosed with SAD, light therapy is often recommended.  Usually a person needs to be in the light for 30 to 60 minutes each day with their eyes open, but not directly focusing on the light.  It has been suggested that the best time for this therapy is in the morning.  It will take several weeks for the full effect of the treatment to occur.  However, some improvement should be seen within one week.  

There are also some medications available.  These are selective serotonin reputake inhibitors (SSRIs).  Some examples include Prozac, Zoloft and Paxil.

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