By KERRI BARTLETT
For Brentwood Home Page
As gray winter clouds accumulate, do you begin to feel blue or SAD?

During winter months, dark clouds begin to roll in sometimes for multiple days at a time causing a burst of sunlight through the thick blanket of gray to seem startling. Too many dreary days, just a normal winter drag to most of us, can affect others in a more extreme way. In some people, the absence of sunlight can lead to Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), which causes a chemical reaction in the brain resulting in persistent feelings of depression.

According to Web MD, SAD is a type of depression that affects a person during the same season each year, usually the fall or winter due to a decreased amount of sunlight. Experts believe that a lack of sunlight affects one’s Circadian rhythms leading to an upset in sleep patterns and affects chemical production in the brain leading to a lower production of chemicals such as serotonin affecting mood.

SAD most commonly affects people between the ages of 15 and 55, is more common in women, and the chance of acquiring the disorder decreases with age, Web MD reports. Also, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians, about 4 to 6 percent of people in the U.S. may have SAD, while another 10 to 20 percent may have mild SAD.

Sarah: From bubbly to SAD

“Taking Vitamin D supplements and St. John’s Wort has really helped me a lot, which was recommended by my family physician.” SARA PARISH Lipscomb University student

During warmer, sunnier months, Sarah Parish, 22, a senior majoring in biology with a Pre-Med emphasis at Lipscomb University, is a bubbly, enthusiastic and productive young adult. But once winter clouds gather, hiding the sun for days at a time, she begins to feel the depressive symptoms of SAD slowly creep upon her usually outgoing personality.

Parish first noticed the symptoms of SAD during high school, but didn’t realize that she had the disorder until college.

“Along with the help of my counselor, Kyna Moore, I began to notice a pattern during the winter. I experienced a lack of energy, and a feeling of mindlessness like I was in my own world. I was very lethargic,” Parish explained. 

Now that she’s identified the pattern, she’s taking proactive actions to combat it.

“Taking Vitamin D supplements and St. John’s Wort has really helped me a lot, which was recommended by my family physician,” Parish said. “Eating more greens, light meats and less carbs also helps.”

 When she abides by these practices, she feels less depressed and has more energy. And she knows that on a dreary day without the supplements and exposure to light, “I will feel less energized and not function on a maximum mental level.”

The college student emphasized that it is important to know your body and know yourself in order to find the right treatment. Also, it is important to note that any use of supplements as well as light therapy should coincide with a consultation with a physician.

Suggested strategies to combat SAD

Kyna Moore

Sarah’s counselor Kyna Moore has 20 years of experience working with clients who are affected with the dreary disorder. A Brentwood licensed professional counselor, speaker and life coach, Moore said that the symptoms of SAD and regular depression are basically the same, thus usually treated in a similar way. However, one difference in the treatment of SAD is the additional use of light therapy via a phototherapy box. 

Even though depression can cause a lack of motivation, Moore suggests strategies to combat the sinking feelings of depression and lethargy brought on by SAD. They include:

Exercise - even moderately

Eat Properly - at least 3 balanced meals, or preferably 6 smaller balanced meals a day

 Stay Hydrated - 6-8 eight-ounce glasses a day

Regardless of low feelings, plan and engage in typically enjoyable activities

Spend time with people who understand what you're going through

However, Moore said that all people are different and that different strategies help different people. For example, if one  is an extrovert, being around others could help stave off the blues, whereas introverts might benefit from less social activities, making sure to get enough recharge time.

Using these strategies doesn’t guarantee a person will feel better, she notes,  but does ensure that he is trying to take good care of himself during a low period. 

“If you plan ahead and follow some of the strategies when you know it’s coming, you can be sure to at least take care of yourself,” she added.

More specialized treatment includes using a light lamp (phototherapy box) in order to balance chemicals in the brain and sleep patterns, which can result in an increased positive mood, Moore said.

The frequency and duration of light therapy varies from person to person. Some people need 30 minutes a day under the lamp, whereas others need more. You may also need to test different lamps to find the right one for you.

"The truth about depression is that it can be treated and is usually caused by something chemical or situational," Moore said. SAD is something chemical happening in the brain because sunlight, which usually gives the brain balance, is absent.

Moore warns, however, that "just because symptoms are alleviated by following treatment such as using a phototherapy box doesn’t mean that the disorder won’t come back next year."

The therapist recommends that if you feel that you could be suffering from SAD, please contact your physician or mental health professional.