Seasonal Depression also known as SAD

Seasonal depression, also referred to as seasonal affective disorder (SAD), occurs each year at the same time, usually starting in fall or winter and ending in spring or early summer. A rare form of SAD known as summer depression begins in late spring or early summer and ends in fall.

People who suffer from this condition have many of the common signs. The typical symptoms include insomnia, over eating, guilt, anxiety, lethargy, physical symptoms like joint pain, stomach disorders, inappropriate social behavior, lack of energy etc. They often have symptoms such as extreme fatigue and lack of energy, increased need for sleep, craving for carbohydrates, and increased appetite and weight gain.

About 70-80% of those with SAD are women. The most common age of onset is in one's thirties, but cases of childhood SAD have been reported and successfully treated. This illness is more commonly seen in people who live at high latitudes where seasonal changes are more extreme. Some research suggests that the brain may produce less serotonin in some people during short days. It is believed that selected regions of the central nervous system are deficient in serotonin transmission during winter depression.

One of the most effective treatments for is bright light therapy. Sufferers benefit from daily exposure to bright light during the winter. The most common treatment involves sitting in front of a bright fluorescent light from a light box for 30 minutes or so every day. This treatment has been proven to lift the moods of a majority of patients diagnosed with the condition.

Dawn simulation is a new age therapy which utilizes a micro chip placed over the patient’s head to stimulate a slow, gradual sunrise in the final hours of sleep. After about a week of simulated dawn exposures, the depression lifts and a heightened sense of alertness is felt as you get out of bed. Negative ion therapy is also now being looked into as a very effective non invasive therapy. High density negative ions are used to achieve a calming effect on the person. This can be used even when the subject is asleep.

In addition to these there are always the antidepressant drugs that can be used under the strict supervision of the physician. Prozac and Zoloft are some of the recommended drugs for seasonal depression.