Dr. George L. Dixon - "Talking Fitness"

A rather pure form of depression can come upon people in the late fall and winter, and seems related to the shorter hours of light (I think it may be related to hibernation, but...). People lose incentive, their energy fades, they can't stay awake in the evening, and can hardly get up in the morning. Pessimism reigns and otherwise neat capable folks just aren't themselves. All blood tests and examinations show you are normal.

Does this sound familiar to you?

WHAT is going on here??? SEASONAL AFFECTIVE DISORDER is going on!!

American women struggle with this disorder three times more than American men. The ratio is the same in Japan. It is more common the further North one studies it. Appetite increases as does weight, carbohydrates are craved. SAD lasts much longer (5 months) than the "holiday blues".

What to do? Set a lamp by your bedside on a timer to be lit two hours before your alarm clock awakens you. It does not have to be very bright. The purpose is to simulate dawn, and the effect works even as you remain asleep!

Set an ordinary fluorescent bank (10,000 lux) in front of you while you exercise on your treadmill or stationary bicycle. Yes, exercise is essential to the treatment. Walking outdoors and looking up at the light (not the sun) for 15-30 minutes provides both the bright light and the exercise.

According to a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association, light therapy is just as effective used in the am or the pm.

The combination of exercise and bright light is usually curative, and should be tried before turning to your doctor. If there is no help noticed in two weeks, however, there may be another diagnosis lurking about.

Stress management, anti-depressant medication, and psychotherapy may all be useful, too. SAD is clearly a chemical and timing disorder, and treatment of either is likely to be successful.

Ref. JAMA, December 8, 1993, Vol 270, No.22.

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