How to cope with seasonal affective disorder
DEAR SAVVY SENIOR: What can you tell me about seasonal affective disorder? I have always hated wintertime, but since I retired and am home a lot more, the dark and cold winter months make me depressed and lethargic.
— Fighting the Blues
DEAR FIGHTING: If you get depressed in the winter but feel better in spring and summer, you may indeed have seasonal affective disorder (or SAD), a wintertime depression that affects roughly 6 percent of Americans.
In most cases, SAD is related to the loss of sunlight in the winter months. Reduced sunlight can upset natural sleep-wake cycles and other circadian rhythms that can affect the body. It also can cause a drop in the brain chemical serotonin and can increase the levels of the hormone melatonin.
If you think you may have SAD, a trip to your doctor’s office is the best way to diagnose it, or you can take a SAD “selfdiagnostic” test at the Center for Environmental Therapeutics website at CET.org/self-assessment. In the meantime, here are several treatment options and remedies that can help.
Light therapy: The most effective treatment for SAD is sitting in front of a specialized light therapy box for 15 to 20 minutes a day. Light therapy mimics outdoor light to cause a change in brain chemicals linked to mood. The best light therapy lamps provide 10,000 lux of illumination and have a diffuser screen that filters out ultraviolet rays and projects downward toward the eyes.
Cognitive behavioral therapy: Even though SAD is considered to be a biological problem, identifying and changing thought and behavior patterns can help alleviate symptoms, too. To help you with this, choose a therapist who specializes in cognitive behavioral therapy and who has experience in treating SAD. Check with the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (FindCBT.org), or the Academy of Cognitive Therapy (AcademyofCT.org).
Antidepressants: Some people with SAD benefit from antidepressant treatment. Some proven medications to ask your doctor about include the extended-release version of the antidepressant bupropion (Wellbutrin XL, Aplenzin), and antidepressants selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (S.S.R.I.s), sertraline (also known as Zoloft) and fluoxetine (also known under the brand name Prozac).
Lifestyle remedies: Some other things you can do to help alleviate your SAD symptoms include making your environment sunnier and brighter. So, open up your blinds, sit closer to bright windows and get outside as much as can. Even on cold or cloudy days, outdoor light can help. Moderate exercise such as walking, swimming, yoga and even tai chi also can help, as can social activities.