Decrease of sunlight in winter can trigger depression

During the winter months, temperatures aren't the only things dropping. As the snow begins to fall and readings on thermometers plummet, so too, do moods for many people. \nThis change in mood, combined with other symptoms, can be diagnosed as Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, "a type of winter depression that affects an estimated half a million people every winter between September and April -- in particular during December, January and February," according to the SAD Association's Web site, www.sada.org.uk. \n"SAD is the result of the limited sunlight exposure that accompanies the shorter winter days," said Dr. Michael M. Jacobs, board certified team physician for the football and baseball teams at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md.\nSAD is a clinically diagnosed disorder and women are up to four times more likely to experience it, than men -- especially those in the northeastern parts of the country, Jacobs said.\nSymptoms of SAD are similar to those of regular depression, except they disappear when warmer weather comes in the spring. Appetite changes, loss of energy, difficulty concentrating, irritability, loss of pleasure in typically joyful activities and carbohydrate cravings are all symptoms of SAD, with the highest incidence occurring in January or February, Jacobs said. \nMany who experience SAD also report having trouble getting out of bed in the mornings, something many IU students can relate to.\n"It's warm in bed and cold outside," freshman Adam Hirschkatz said. "I'd just rather be snuggled up in bed."\nStudents can also find themselves feeling lazy and unmotivated in the winter and find it harder to study and do homework. Phillip Summers, adjunct professor in the IU department of psychology, said he read a study about SAD once which said there were more phone calls made home by college students in the winter months than at any other time.\n"In January and February, students suffer for different reasons," Phillips said. He also noted the reality of the long semester looming ahead, the ending of the holiday vacation and the return to a full load of homework as factors students face during the winter season.\nThe excessive amount of snow Bloomington has received in the last few weeks can add to the cold weather and lack of light, Jacobs said.\n"Any condition, such as snow, that diminishes ambient light exacerbates SAD," Jacobs said.\nJacobs gave several suggestions for students to make the best of the winter season.\n"Students should try to stay as active as possible and get some sun exposure daily," he said. "A one-hour walk in winter sunlight can be as effective as two-and-a-half hours under bright artificial light."\nDr. Richard Brown, associate professor of clinical psychiatry at Columbia University, a practicing psychopharmacologist and co-author of "Stop Depression Now," also offered suggestions to fight off SAD.\n"Withdrawal is a classic symptom of the winter blues," he said. "Socializing engages the mind and forces you to think constructively, helping to overcome feelings of loss and confusion."\nJacobs said though SAD can have many feeling down in the winter, there are several ways to treat the disorder.\nHe said vitamin supplements and minerals can be helpful, and eating a healthy diet is essential.\n"Concentrate on consuming fish and high-quality protein," he said. "Avoiding refined sugars, which can alter your mood. \nJacobs also recommends S-adenosylmethionine or SAM-e. He said it is "a naturally occurring compound found in all living organisms, clinically proven to enhance mood and well-being. SAM-e helps maintain levels of critical brain neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine."\nJacobs recommended St. John's wort as another natural alternative.\nFor those who still cannot get over their wintery blues, light box therapy can be provided by doctors and other health care providers to give patients the sunlight missing in the colder months.\nThough tanning can be a tempting and easy way to make up for the lack of light, Jacobs said he would not advise it.\n"I don't recommend artificial tanning because of the detrimental effect it has on the skin," he said. "Instead, students should try to get outside." \nJacobs did say snowboarding, skiing and other outdoor winter events can be great, and fun, ways to beat the depression.\n-- Contact assistant copy chief Brittany Hite at bhite@indiana.edu.