Seasonal Depression

Spotlight on Seasonal Depression: Why Indoor Tanning Isn’t an Effective Treatment.

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Woman Using Light therapy for seasonal affective disorder

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) affects millions of Americans, but hopping into a tanning bed won’t help. Here’s why visible light therapy is a safer, more effective way to ease symptoms.

The winter season can bring joy to many people each year — it’s time for holiday decorations, winter sports and cozy nights with hot cocoa by the fireplace. Unfortunately, many other people often find winter dark, cold and depressing, and consider the months between November and April a time to be endured rather than enjoyed. If the winter is very much not a wonderland for you, it’s possible you’re one of the up to 10 million people in the U.S. who is suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

Wintertime Blues

SAD is a condition that can trigger depression that reappears every year, usually in the winter, with relief in the late spring and summer. “SAD can destroy your ability to work, meet family obligations and engage socially,” says Michael Terman, PhD, president of the nonprofit Center for Environmental Therapeutics. “SAD-related depression is usually also accompanied by physical symptoms: difficulty waking up, sleeping longer hours, craving carbohydrate-rich foods and gaining weight that is easily lost in late spring.”

If your symptoms are associated with wintertime, it’s logical to think that traveling somewhere warm to soak up the sun or — a more accessible option during colder months — using a tanning bed could be the solution. The instinct isn’t completely incorrect, as light can play an important role in the treatment of SAD. But it’s visible light that is the key, not ultraviolet (UV) light, the dangerous radiation emitted by tanning beds.

“If you see a salon advertising UV tanning as a cure for SAD, don’t believe it,” says Dr. Terman. “UV radiation (UVR) stimulates the body to produce endorphins, chemicals that produce temporary feelings of calm and well-being. These time limited ‘highs’ undoubtedly influence tanning’s popularity among women with SAD. However, it is not the solution; bona fide light therapy works through the eyes, not through the skin.”

UV radiation is not an effective treatment for SAD. It can lead to premature skin aging and, worst of all, exposure is a serious risk factor for skin cancer. So, for those who want to keep their skin healthy and get relief from SAD, what’s the answer? Visible light therapy, which is generally provided by a light box.

A Synthetic Sunrise

Visible light therapy is often effective because of the way SAD affects the body’s sleep cycle. Normally, the body’s level of melatonin (a hormone that helps control when we sleep) is highest at night and lower in the morning. People with SAD often experience higher-than-normal levels of melatonin in the morning, however, causing them to sleep later or experience fatigue. The brain relies on morning sunlight to help keep our internal clock in sync, but the late sunrises of winter deny our bodies this important signal. Depression can result from waking up for the day while it’s still dark outside.

“SAD is more frequent in the northern half of the U.S., where winter sunrise is significantly later than in the south,” says Dr. Terman. “It is also more common toward the western edge of time zones — sunrise is about an hour earlier on the eastern edges.”

A light box can provide a springlike sunrise signal that aids the brain in keeping our internal clock synced up to the actual time — even when dreary winter days aren’t cooperating. Ordinary indoor lighting is about 50 to 300 lux (a unit of measurement of the amount of light reaching the eyes). This level is about the equivalent of twilight, while a light box with 10,000 lux of illumination provides a truer outdoor daylight level. If you sit at a light box (usually for 30 minutes after waking up) even your most disruptive clinical symptoms can clear up quite quickly, sometimes within days.

Choosing the Right Light

There are many light boxes available in stores and online, but Dr. Terman says that few have been clinically tested, and it’s best to follow certain guidelines when deciding which product is best for you.

“The light box should have been tested successfully in peer-reviewed, placebo-controlled clinical trials, and should be able to provide 10,000 lux illumination,” he says. “It should also have a smooth diffusing screen that filters out the small amount of UVR emitted by the bulbs used.” Many today use LED rather than fluorescent light, but these tend to be too small to reach effective lux levels at the eyes, and convincing clinical trials are still lacking.

Dr. Terman also recommends choosing a box that projects light downward toward the eyes to minimize glare. Finally, the lamp should ideally give off soft white light, as full spectrum and blue light can cause glare and may harm the retina over the long term.

For some, it can be difficult to resist the temptation of a warm tanning bed during the doldrums of winter. Considering the sizable risks associated with UV tanning and its ineffectiveness for treating SAD, though, it’s better to reject the tanning option. Visible light therapy, combined with a healthy lifestyle of exercise and a nutritious diet, is the way to combat seasonal depression.

Spotlight on Seasonal Depression: Why Indoor Tanning Isn’t an Effective Treatment

Posted by

0


Woman Using Light therapy for seasonal affective disorder

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) affects millions of Americans, but hopping into a tanning bed won’t help. Here’s why visible light therapy is a safer, more effective way to ease symptoms.

The winter season can bring joy to many people each year — it’s time for holiday decorations, winter sports and cozy nights with hot cocoa by the fireplace. Unfortunately, many other people often find winter dark, cold and depressing, and consider the months between November and April a time to be endured rather than enjoyed. If the winter is very much not a wonderland for you, it’s possible you’re one of the up to 10 million people in the U.S. who is suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

Wintertime Blues

SAD is a condition that can trigger depression that reappears every year, usually in the winter, with relief in the late spring and summer. “SAD can destroy your ability to work, meet family obligations and engage socially,” says Michael Terman, PhD, president of the nonprofit Center for Environmental Therapeutics. “SAD-related depression is usually also accompanied by physical symptoms: difficulty waking up, sleeping longer hours, craving carbohydrate-rich foods and gaining weight that is easily lost in late spring.”

If your symptoms are associated with wintertime, it’s logical to think that traveling somewhere warm to soak up the sun or — a more accessible option during colder months — using a tanning bed could be the solution. The instinct isn’t completely incorrect, as light can play an important role in the treatment of SAD. But it’s visible light that is the key, not ultraviolet (UV) light, the dangerous radiation emitted by tanning beds.

“If you see a salon advertising UV tanning as a cure for SAD, don’t believe it,” says Dr. Terman. “UV radiation (UVR) stimulates the body to produce endorphins, chemicals that produce temporary feelings of calm and well-being. These time limited ‘highs’ undoubtedly influence tanning’s popularity among women with SAD. However, it is not the solution; bona fide light therapy works through the eyes, not through the skin.”

UV radiation is not an effective treatment for SAD. It can lead to premature skin aging and, worst of all, exposure is a serious risk factor for skin cancer. So, for those who want to keep their skin healthy and get relief from SAD, what’s the answer? Visible light therapy, which is generally provided by a light box.

A Synthetic Sunrise

Visible light therapy is often effective because of the way SAD affects the body’s sleep cycle. Normally, the body’s level of melatonin (a hormone that helps control when we sleep) is highest at night and lower in the morning. People with SAD often experience higher-than-normal levels of melatonin in the morning, however, causing them to sleep later or experience fatigue. The brain relies on morning sunlight to help keep our internal clock in sync, but the late sunrises of winter deny our bodies this important signal. Depression can result from waking up for the day while it’s still dark outside.

“SAD is more frequent in the northern half of the U.S., where winter sunrise is significantly later than in the south,” says Dr. Terman. “It is also more common toward the western edge of time zones — sunrise is about an hour earlier on the eastern edges.”

A light box can provide a springlike sunrise signal that aids the brain in keeping our internal clock synced up to the actual time — even when dreary winter days aren’t cooperating. Ordinary indoor lighting is about 50 to 300 lux (a unit of measurement of the amount of light reaching the eyes). This level is about the equivalent of twilight, while a light box with 10,000 lux of illumination provides a truer outdoor daylight level. If you sit at a light box (usually for 30 minutes after waking up) even your most disruptive clinical symptoms can clear up quite quickly, sometimes within days.

Choosing the Right Light

There are many light boxes available in stores and online, but Dr. Terman says that few have been clinically tested, and it’s best to follow certain guidelines when deciding which product is best for you.

“The light box should have been tested successfully in peer-reviewed, placebo-controlled clinical trials, and should be able to provide 10,000 lux illumination,” he says. “It should also have a smooth diffusing screen that filters out the small amount of UVR emitted by the bulbs used.” Many today use LED rather than fluorescent light, but these tend to be too small to reach effective lux levels at the eyes, and convincing clinical trials are still lacking.

Dr. Terman also recommends choosing a box that projects light downward toward the eyes to minimize glare. Finally, the lamp should ideally give off soft white light, as full spectrum and blue light can cause glare and may harm the retina over the long term.

For some, it can be difficult to resist the temptation of a warm tanning bed during the doldrums of winter. Considering the sizable risks associated with UV tanning and its ineffectiveness for treating SAD, though, it’s better to reject the tanning option. Visible light therapy, combined with a healthy lifestyle of exercise and a nutritious diet, is the way to combat seasonal depression.

Spotlight on Seasonal Depression: Why Indoor Tanning Isn’t an Effective Treatment

Posted by

0


Woman Using Light therapy for seasonal affective disorder

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) affects millions of Americans, but hopping into a tanning bed won’t help. Here’s why visible light therapy is a safer, more effective way to ease symptoms.

The winter season can bring joy to many people each year — it’s time for holiday decorations, winter sports and cozy nights with hot cocoa by the fireplace. Unfortunately, many other people often find winter dark, cold and depressing, and consider the months between November and April a time to be endured rather than enjoyed. If the winter is very much not a wonderland for you, it’s possible you’re one of the up to 10 million people in the U.S. who is suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

Wintertime Blues

SAD is a condition that can trigger depression that reappears every year, usually in the winter, with relief in the late spring and summer. “SAD can destroy your ability to work, meet family obligations and engage socially,” says Michael Terman, PhD, president of the nonprofit Center for Environmental Therapeutics. “SAD-related depression is usually also accompanied by physical symptoms: difficulty waking up, sleeping longer hours, craving carbohydrate-rich foods and gaining weight that is easily lost in late spring.”

If your symptoms are associated with wintertime, it’s logical to think that traveling somewhere warm to soak up the sun or — a more accessible option during colder months — using a tanning bed could be the solution. The instinct isn’t completely incorrect, as light can play an important role in the treatment of SAD. But it’s visible light that is the key, not ultraviolet (UV) light, the dangerous radiation emitted by tanning beds.

“If you see a salon advertising UV tanning as a cure for SAD, don’t believe it,” says Dr. Terman. “UV radiation (UVR) stimulates the body to produce endorphins, chemicals that produce temporary feelings of calm and well-being. These time limited ‘highs’ undoubtedly influence tanning’s popularity among women with SAD. However, it is not the solution; bona fide light therapy works through the eyes, not through the skin.”

UV radiation is not an effective treatment for SAD. It can lead to premature skin aging and, worst of all, exposure is a serious risk factor for skin cancer. So, for those who want to keep their skin healthy and get relief from SAD, what’s the answer? Visible light therapy, which is generally provided by a light box.

A Synthetic Sunrise

Visible light therapy is often effective because of the way SAD affects the body’s sleep cycle. Normally, the body’s level of melatonin (a hormone that helps control when we sleep) is highest at night and lower in the morning. People with SAD often experience higher-than-normal levels of melatonin in the morning, however, causing them to sleep later or experience fatigue. The brain relies on morning sunlight to help keep our internal clock in sync, but the late sunrises of winter deny our bodies this important signal. Depression can result from waking up for the day while it’s still dark outside.

“SAD is more frequent in the northern half of the U.S., where winter sunrise is significantly later than in the south,” says Dr. Terman. “It is also more common toward the western edge of time zones — sunrise is about an hour earlier on the eastern edges.”

A light box can provide a springlike sunrise signal that aids the brain in keeping our internal clock synced up to the actual time — even when dreary winter days aren’t cooperating. Ordinary indoor lighting is about 50 to 300 lux (a unit of measurement of the amount of light reaching the eyes). This level is about the equivalent of twilight, while a light box with 10,000 lux of illumination provides a truer outdoor daylight level. If you sit at a light box (usually for 30 minutes after waking up) even your most disruptive clinical symptoms can clear up quite quickly, sometimes within days.

Choosing the Right Light

There are many light boxes available in stores and online, but Dr. Terman says that few have been clinically tested, and it’s best to follow certain guidelines when deciding which product is best for you.

“The light box should have been tested successfully in peer-reviewed, placebo-controlled clinical trials, and should be able to provide 10,000 lux illumination,” he says. “It should also have a smooth diffusing screen that filters out the small amount of UVR emitted by the bulbs used.” Many today use LED rather than fluorescent light, but these tend to be too small to reach effective lux levels at the eyes, and convincing clinical trials are still lacking.

Dr. Terman also recommends choosing a box that projects light downward toward the eyes to minimize glare. Finally, the lamp should ideally give off soft white light, as full spectrum and blue light can cause glare and may harm the retina over the long term.

For some, it can be difficult to resist the temptation of a warm tanning bed during the doldrums of winter. Considering the sizable risks associated with UV tanning and its ineffectiveness for treating SAD, though, it’s better to reject the tanning option. Visible light therapy, combined with a healthy lifestyle of exercise and a nutritious diet, is the way to combat seasonal depression.

Scientists Find A Brain Circuit That Could Explain Seasonal Depression

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Before light reaches these rods and cones in the retina, it passes through some specialized cells that send signals to brain areas that affect whether you feel happy or sad.

 

Just in time for the winter solstice, scientists may have figured out how short days can lead to dark moods.

Two recent studies suggest the culprit is a brain circuit that connects special light-sensing cells in the retina with brain areas that affect whether you are happy or sad.

When these cells detect shorter days, they appear to use this pathway to send signals to the brain that can make a person feel glum or even depressed.

“It’s very likely that things like seasonal affective disorder involve this pathway,” says Jerome Sanes, a professor of neuroscience at Brown University.

Sanes was part of a team that found evidence of the brain circuit in people. The scientists presented their research in November at the Society for Neuroscience meeting. The work hasn’t been published in a peer-reviewed journal yet, but the researchers plan to submit it.

A few weeks earlier, a different team published a study suggesting a very similar circuit in mice.

Together, the studies offer a strong argument that seasonal mood changes, which affect about 1 in 5 people, have a biological cause. The research also adds to the evidence that support light therapy as an appropriate treatment.

“Now you have a circuit that you know your eye is influencing your brain to affect mood,” says Samer Hattar, an author of the mouse study and chief of the section on light and circadian rhythms at the National Institute of Mental Health. The finding is the result of a decades-long effort to understand the elusive link between light and mood. “It is the last piece of the puzzle,” Hattar says.

The research effort began in the early 2000s, when Hattar and David Berson, a professor of neuroscience at Brown University, were studying cells in the retina.

Researchers Uncover A Circuit For Sadness In The Human Brain

At the time, most scientists thought that when light struck the retina, only two kinds of cells responded: rods and cones. But Hattar and Berson thought there were other light-sensitive cells that hadn’t been identified.

“People used to laugh at us if we say there are other photoreceptors distinct from rods and cones in the retina,” Hattar says.

The skeptics stopped laughing when the team discovered a third kind of photoreceptor that contained a light-sensitive substance called melanopsin not found in rods and cones. (The full name of these cells, if you’re interested, is intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells, or ipRGCs.) These receptors responded to light but weren’t part of the visual system.

Instead, their most obvious function was keeping the brain’s internal clock in sync with changes in daylight. And many scientists assumed that this circadian function also explained seasonal depression.

“People thought that the only reason you get mood problems is because your clock is misaligned,” Hattar says.

Other potential explanations included speculation that reduced sunlight was triggering depression by changing levels of serotonin, which can affect mood, or melatonin, which plays a role in sleep patterns and mood. But the evidence for either of these possibilities has been weak.

Hattar and Berson were pretty sure there was a better reason. And, after years of searching, they found one.

In September, Hattar’s team published a study about mice suggesting a direct pathway between the third kind of photoreceptor in the retina and brain areas that affect mood.

When these cells were present, an artificially shortened cycle of light and dark caused a version of depression in a mouse. But when the team removed the cells with gene-editing tools, the mouse didn’t become depressed.

Sanes knew about the research, in part because he and Berson are neuroscientists at Brown. And he was so intrigued by the discovery of the new pathway between retina and brain in mice that he decided to see whether something similar was going on in human brains.

Sanes’ team put young adults in an MRI machine and measured their brain activity as they were exposed to different levels of light. This allowed the team to identify brain areas that seemed to be receiving signals from the photoreceptors Hattar and Berson had discovered.

Two of these areas were in the front of the brain. “It’s interesting because these areas seem to be the areas that have been shown in many studies to be involved in depression and other affective disorders,” Sanes says.

The areas also appeared to be part of the same circuit found in mice.

The finding needs to be confirmed. But Hattar is pretty confident that this circuit explains the link between light exposure and mood.

So now he’s trying to answer a new question: Why would evolution produce a brain that works this way?

“You will understand why you would need light to see,” he says, “but why do you need light to make you happy?”

Hattar hopes to find out. In the meantime, he has some advice for people who are feeling low: “Try to take your lunch outside. That will help you adjust your mood.”

Seasonal Depression – Is It Real?

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Is seasonal depression real?

As the temperatures drop and the winter jackets emerge, many people will be diagnosed with seasonal depression, also called seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Amazingly, as the weather changes, up to 10% of people living in northern latitudes will be categorized as depressed.[1]

But what exactly is seasonal depression? How is it different from our natural reactions to the shifting seasons?

Considered an independent disorder,[2] seasonal depression is a label given to people who report feeling sluggish, having difficulty concentrating, craving carbs, and withdrawing from social activities (aptly called “hibernating”).[3] Risk factors for seasonal depression include living far from the equator, having a history of depression, and being female (thanks, scientists), as women are four times more likely to be diagnosed with seasonal depression than men – and then put on antidepressants to mask these symptoms.

But what if these “symptoms” of seasonal depression are simply messages? Why is it a disease to feel a meaningful shift when winter comes?

Modern living fails to recognize the cyclical nature of life that was celebrated for centuries by our tribal ancestors. In our 3G-enabled state of constant distractions and accessibility, we’re expected to always be on. We ask ourselves to exhibit the same level of energy and productivity whether it’s summer or winter, and we wonder why it’s tough to conjure up motivation when the sun sets early. This expectation of constant high-functioning is a masculine energy that can lead to burnout. And when we don’t feel like maintaining our zillions of commitments or feel overwhelmed by everyone’s perfect online lives, we’re at a high risk of being diagnosed with depression.

But what if we recognize that the universe is governed by cycles: within the day, within the month, and within the year? Amazingly, even our bodies are governed by cycles. You’ve likely heard of circadian rhythms, the idea that our hormones and blood pressure fluctuate in harmony with the sun,[4] and women’s cycles align with the moon. Maintenance of these cycles is so important that their disruption can lead to neurodegenerative diseases[5] and mood disorders like depression.[6],[7]

Even our individual cells operate in a cyclical nature, orchestrated by clock genes.[8] Recent studies have shown that our immunity is different depending on the time of day;[9] a wound at night heals slower than a daytime wound.[10] And thyroid functioning also slows in the winter,[11]which is not a pathology – just a response to the season. This thyroid slowing might explain the carb cravings and lowered energy that are diagnostic criteria for seasonal depression.

Recognizing that winter is just part of the cycle, can we reframe our experience of this season?What if we considered winter as a sacred time of hibernation and preparation for the rebirth of spring? We can bring a sensuality to this experience of winter by embracing wintry rituals of coziness and honoring our feelings. For example, we can:

  • Peacefully light candles when darkness falls
  • Designate a special warm blanket
  • Enjoy a nourishing warm beverage like golden milk
  • Connect to the sunrise with a pre-dawn meditation practice, called sadhana, which has incredible mental, emotional, and physiological benefits
  • Honor our desires for rest and reflection and say no to unappealing parties or participating in cookie swaps, without guilt.

We can see winter as a meaningful and purposeful season, not just a time that’s the same as the rest of the year but without the luxuries of sun and heat.

The invention of seasonal depression is yet another piece of evidence of evolutionary mismatch. Our ideas of hyperproductivity and detachment from the environment fundamentally mismatch with the natural changes that occur in our bodies when the seasons shift. But we have the opportunity to reclaim our sense of ownership over this process, and we can choose to honor our feelings to manifest exactly what we want. This winter, ask why you are feeling what you are feeling when ‘undesired’ emotions come up. Instead of suppressing these feelings with holiday libations, medications, or deafening busyness, allow yourself to ruminate on how you can respond to these feelings and support greater alignment in your life.