Seasonal Affective Disorder Treatment

SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) is a kind of depression that typically manifests itself during autumn and winter. It is also referred to as “winter depression”.

Whilst it is not uncommon for people’s moods to fluctuate depending on the weather, people who are experiencing SAD find that the lack of natural sunlight and decreased daylight hours have a significantly negative impact on their daily life.

Symptoms of SAD generally worsen during the months of December, January and February and cause affected individuals to experience depressive symptoms, like persistent low moods and a general lack of energy.

Symptoms of SAD often come and go in an annual cycle – SAD symptoms can last throughout the course of winter, recede during spring, summer and autumn, and return the following winter.

What is SAD?

SAD is a form of depression and has been recognised as a mental health condition. The symptoms of SAD are generally experienced throughout the winter when there is less exposure to natural daylight.

SAD affects about 500,000 people in the United Kingdom, and the climate we live in sees a wide variation of weather and different amounts of daylight hours – more so than most other countries in the world.

Though there’s no set stage in life to suffer from SAD, it has been found to happen more frequently to people aged 18-30, and more commonly in women. Additionally, SAD increases existing depression symptoms if you already suffer from depression – making it essential that you seek out help as soon as possible.

The majority of people suffering from SAD are across the northern and southern hemispheres, parts of the world that experience more darkness through winter, and cases near the equator are exceptionally rare as daylight is long and bright.

Causes of SAD

Research suggests that melatonin is mostly responsible for the early signs and symptoms of SAD. Melatonin is a hormone secreted by the brain that is linked to the levels of daylight you are exposed to, as well as regulating sleeping and waking patterns.

SAD is caused by a chemical imbalance in parts of the brain that control mood, sleep and appetite. The chemical imbalance is caused by the lack of natural light in the autumn and winter.

Your body’s reaction to a lack of natural light is a reduction of serotonin levels in the brain. Serotonin is a chemical that is known as one of the “happy chemicals” secreted by the brain that creates positive sensations.

Serotonin is replaced with higher levels of melatonin, slowing down your body clock and adversely affecting your mood and sleeping patterns.

A list of causes of SAD can be shortened to:

• Poor sleeping patterns and not enough sleep
• High melatonin levels and low serotonin levels
• Your body clock being confused due to the lower levels of sunlight during the winter months

What are the Different Types of Treatment Options?

There are a number of different Seasonal Affective Disorder Treatment options available.

One of the most notable forms of treatment for SAD sufferers is light therapy. This is an effective treatment that exposes you to bright light on a daily basis – this light is as much as ten times brighter than the light you are exposed to at home and mimics natural daylight. However, this light does not damage vision in the same way that sunlight does.

You may also take antidepressant medication, like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) which are widely used medications. This medication treats the depressive symptoms of SAD and complements light therapy well.

Psychotherapy has also proven to be successful for seasonal affective disorder symptoms and treatment. CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) and counselling are beneficial to those experiencing the effects of SAD and addiction. CBT will help you by encouraging you to challenge negative thought patterns and to alter the aspects of your behaviour that may be contributing to your illness.

If you have questions about guidelines for addiction and Seasonal Affective Disorder Treatment or would like to know more about our dual diagnosis treatment, please contact Nova Recovery today.

We’re available 24 hours a day to discuss substance abuse and SAD and the effects this unique and unpleasant depression can have on your life.