Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

[Ashley]

This condition affects many people and those of us housebound because of our OCD are possibly more prone to it.

Q: I always feel down at this time of the year, can you help?

A: Many people may at times feel low in winter but you may have Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), which makes you feel down all the time. SAD is a type of depression caused by lack of exposure to daylight. The onset of winter leaves sufferers miserable, low in spirit, depressed, lacking energy, tired, and sleeping and eating more than usual. You may lose your sex drive and find it hard to concentrate at work.

Taking more exercise and spending more time outdoors during daylight hours may be all that’s needed. If this is difficult, a dose of artificial light each day using a light box can help, and is believed to boost levels of the 'feel good' neurotransmitter serotonin that is often lacking in people with depression. (Ashie: And of course us with OCD). Try Lumie lightboxes or bodyclocks which energise you with a gently simulated dawn. See www.lumie.co.uk

Getting enough rest, reducing stress, taking regular exercise, and eating well, getting plenty of fresh fruit and veg, will all boost energy levels and lift your mood. Eat bananas as they contain tryptophan, which the body converts into serotonin (Ashie: I was once advised to eat plenty of bananas to help my OCD). If all else fails, try the herb St John's Wort, councelling, or anti-depressant therapy from your GP. The good news is that, with the onset of longer days in the spring, the symptoms of SAD spontaneously lift and disappear.

For a booklet on coping with SAD go to www.sada.org.uk

[Guest meg5]

Thanks Ashie, After this winter I have decided to get a light for next winter . I am sure I get SAD and it seems to be getting worse each year! Meg

[Guest Noni]

In my experience exercising 1st thing in the morning whether it's a walk round the park or leaping around the sitting room to a video tape can definitely help offset the symptoms. Seems that starting the day with something invigorating rather than the usual depressing stumble around in half light in a dressing gown can really help. Of course not everyone has the time or opportunity,

[Ashley]

A mind-boggling formula to tell whether someone will suffer from "Winter blues" has been revealed by experts.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) affects an estimated 30 per cent of the population and is blamed on a reduction in daylight hours.

The effects of SAD include depression, lethargy, reduced sociability and a craving for comfort food.

The formula is X = a x ((24-b) x (c+d+e) + f x (g+h+i)) where X is a susceptibility rating with a score from zero to 828.

Meanwhile, "a" relates to "inherent vulnerability" so if there is no history of depression in a person's family, "a" will have a of one.

But, if there a history, a score of two is given and if both the person and the family have suffered from depression, a three value is given.

The letter "b" is approximately the number of hours of winter daylight where you live (minimum six hours). And "c" is the psychological effect of leaving home or the office each day in the dark.

So if a person leaves home and returns each day in daylight the value is zero, while if they leave or return in the dark it is two, and four if they both leave and return in darkness.

The letter "d" is a rating of work conditions in terms of light contact, from one to four; "e" is a similar rating of light exposure at home, again on a scale of one to four and "f" measures general stress levels, on a scale from one to five.

And "g" relates to sociability, rating daily levels of social contact on a scale of zero to four and "h" is a rating, from one to four, of how often a person exercises.

Finally, "i" measures the quality of diet on a scale of zero for a "very healthy, balanced diet" to four for a "very unhealthy diet with lots of stodgy processed food".

When worked out, an X sore of zero to 100 means a person is very unlikely to suffer from SAD.

Between 100 and 300 mild to moderate symptoms may be suffered while scores from 300 to 600 indicate there is a risk of symptoms severe enough to affect the quality of life.

A rating of 600 to 800 denotes a "very high risk" of SAD requiring medical help.

The formula was developed with extensive research and advice from consultant psychiatrist Dr David Wheatley.

[catherine]

Yeh, and if wer'e sad enough to work this formula out then we definately do have SAD :confused1:

Catherine :lol: