Don't Be Sad

Research sheds new light on seasonal affective disorder

- Jennifer Martin

 It is estimated that 10 million Americans suffer from it. SAD (seasonal affective disorder) is characterized by depression that occurs (and tends to recur yearly) during the fall and winter months as sunlight wanes. People with SAD may feel lethargic or irritable, sleep more than usual or experience changes in appetite such as an increased craving for carbs. During the spring and summer months, the world looks brighter, literally and figuratively, and they begin to feel more optimistic and energetic. The disorder can negatively affect major aspects of everyday life, including work and relationships. A few natural treatment approaches offer a ray of hope.

LIGHT THERAPY

A 2017 study published in Psychiatry Journal concluded that symptoms of this form of winter depression improved greatly with light room therapy, a treatment that has been practiced in Sweden for decades. Subjects sat in rooms lighted with fluorescent bulbs and painted in white/light colors for two hours daily on weekdays, residing comfortably in armchairs in small groups reading, talking, or just relaxing. Lightroom therapy was found to result in improved sleep, energy, mood, activity, and cognitive functioning.