SAD: Coming to terms with the “Winter Blues”
As Thanksgiving rolls around and November draws to a close, many of us are experiencing the dreaded temperature shift that hearkens another season at Brown University. But many of us might also be suffering from a complementary mood shift, known as Seasonal Affective Disorder. An estimated 3% of Americans are affected by SAD, and most commonly in the fall and winter.
SAD is a type of depression that – unlike Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) – is necessarily linked to a corresponding change in season. Summer to Fall and Fall to Winter are the most common moments for SAD to occur, although some people have been known to suffer in the shift between Spring and Summer.
Symptoms of SAD may include dramatic weight gain, loss of energy, trouble sleeping and concentrating, etc. The most common explanation for SAD is that the amount of sunlight diminishes in the transition to fall/winter. (Be honest- how many of us felt at least a little depressed when we realized that the sun now goes down around 4pm- smack dab in the middle of that Wednesday afternoon seminar?)
According to Lawrence H. Price, MD, Clinical Research Director at Butler Hospital and Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at The Alpert Medical School, people are much more susceptible to SAD in the “northern latitudes” of the United States. (Be weary, Rhode Islanders. That means you.)
Light therapy is a common treatment for SAD, involving a “light box” that filters out artificial light. In the past, Brown Psychological Services has been able to rent out a “light box” to students who think they may be suffering from SAD. Although not as effective as natural sunlight, it can certainly help to make a difference.
So bundle up and brace yourselves, Brunonians: The winter blues may well be upon us!