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- Health Information - France

 SAD    Article posted by FRENCH INFO

Winter – a time to be SAD

Seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, is a type of depression that affects a person during the same season each year. If you get depressed in the winter but feel much better in spring and summer, you may have SAD.

Anyone can get SAD, but it is more common in people who live in areas where winter days are very short or there are big changes in the amount of daylight in different seasons.

Experts are not sure what causes SAD, but they think it may be caused by a lack of sunlight. Lack of light may upset your sleep-wake cycle and other circadian rhythms. And it may cause problems with a brain chemical called serotonin that affects mood.

If you have SAD, you may feel sad, grumpy, moody, or anxious. You can lose interest in your usual activities, eat more especially carbohydrates, gain weight, and sleep more and feel drowsy during the daytime. For most people with SAD, symptoms start in September or October and end in April or May.

Doctors often prescribe light therapy to treat SAD. There are two types of light therapy: a) sitting in front of a "light box" for half an hour or longer, usually in the morning. b) dawn simulation. - a dim light goes on in the morning while you sleep, and it gets brighter over time, like a sunrise.

Light therapy works well for most people with SAD, but you need to stick with it and use it every day until the season changes. If you don't, your depression could come back.

Other treatments that may help include anti-depressants and counselling: You may also feel better if you get regular exercise.