Seasonal affective disorder

From ArticleWorld

Seasonal affective disorder or SAD is also known as winter depression as it only occurs during the winter months while the person affected enjoys normal mental health for the rest of the year. As the condition is reported even in areas where winters are quite mild, it is thought that it is due to the lack of light rather than low temperatures.

It is quite common to feel a little low in the winter, but this feeling usually responds well to some outdoor activity, especially if the sun is shining. SAD, however, is a much more serious condition which may lead to clinical depression and hospitalization.

Etiologies

There are only theories as to what causes SAD. One of these is that it is due to a lack of serotonin; another claims that the melatonin produced in the pineal gland is mainly responsible for the condition as there is a connection between the pineal gland and the retina.

Treatment

The most effective treatment seems to be light therapy which involves daily exposure to a much brighter light than normal indoor lights. Exposure to 10 000lux for 30 to 60 minutes a day with the eyes open but turned away from the light source has been proven to be the best combination.

Medication such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors produces results as does the use of a dawn simulator. A dawn simulator works by brightening bedside lights one hour before the person suffering form SAD awakens.