If the gloomy winter weather has you longing for the spring sunshine, you’re not alone. Scientists have discovered that the depression many people feel during the winter months is a psychological condition resulting from a hormone imbalance.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), often known as winter depression, is a psychological disorder caused by decreased exposure to sunlight. People can experience mild to severe cases of the disorder, although severe instances are not very common in Southern California, according to Mary Ann Takemoto, director of Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) at Cal State Long Beach.
In regions with colder and longer winters, SAD can be a serious problem, Takemoto said. People with this condition suffer from depression beginning in the fall and symptoms do not usually subside until spring.
SAD is more prominent in regions farther away from the equator. The American Psychiatric Association Web site describes SAD as a shift in a person’s levels of melatonin, a sleep-related hormone that the body produces more of in darkness.
The lack of natural light in areas that experience harsh winters can cause an imbalance of melatonin. This results in a change to the biological clock. Another major factor that causes SAD is family history and genetics – whether a person lacks the neurotransmitters serotonin and norepinephrine, which are related to depression, said CSULB psychology professor Robert Thayer.
There are a wide range of SAD symptoms, much like depression. The most common symptoms, Thayer said, include inactivity or fatigue, a negative mood, a craving for carbohydrates or sugary foods, more sleep or daytime sleepiness and weight gain.
Most of these involve what Thayer calls “tense-tiredness,” or having less energy with more tension.
The most common treatment is phototherapy, which is having a bright light on for 30 to 90 minutes every day, most often in the morning. People with extremely severe SAD also have psychotherapy and sometimes anti-depressants, according to Chi-Ah Chun, associate professor of psychology at CSULB. The combination of these different treatments is essential.
“Medication alone leads to relapse,” Chun said.
As for Thayer, he said exercise is “one of the best antidotes for SAD, as with other forms of moderate depression.”
Because it is uncommon in this part of the country, no one at CAPS specializes strictly on SAD, Takemoto said. However, the disorder does not affect just those who live in places with dark, cold winters.
People who spend most of their time working or otherwise are indoors and away from a window are also more prone to SAD, Chun said. Approximately 6 percent of the nation suffers from severe SAD, but about four times as many people have mild cases, she said. Most people diagnosed with the disorder are women, ages 18 to 30.
