Why so SAD?
All of the bright twinkling lights, bustling family gatherings and other festivities of the holiday season usually make for a cheery and fun filled December. However, those effected with Seasonal Affective Disorder may find themselves downright sad this month. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a form of depression, causes sadness, moodiness, loss of appetite, irritability and other related symptoms.
In many regions of the United States, daylight is limited and temperatures are below freezing during the winter. Such factors hinder the ability to exercise or take part in other outdoor activities. In Wisconsin, for example, the sun rises close to 7:00 AM and sets around 4:00 PM making for a short day. This is to say nothing of friends in Anchorage who wait for the sun to rise until after 10:00 AM and see it go behind the horizon before 4:00 PM!
Some who suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder use Bright Light Therapy, BLT, which entails simply sitting in front of a bright box of light every day. Others take vacations to warm and sunny destinations. And some find no treatment and suffer symptoms of depression.
Be aware of friends and family who may seem sad or moody, because of the lack of daylight and sunshine. For more information, please visit the National Institutes of Health and search for Seasonal Affective Disorder.
- Martha Bonnie
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Tags: Depression, Holidays, NIH, Seasonal Affective Disorder, winter
