Is Winter Making You Sad?

For many people, winter is the SAD season. Not because it’s too cold for the beach, or because they’re swaddled in jumpers and scarves, or because summer’s flowers have faded.

SAD refers to a form of depression known as Seasonal Affective Disorder, and it’s triggered by insufficient sunlight. As days get shorter and the sun falls lower in the sky, the amount of sunlight we receive decreases. This can cause chemical changes in the brain, including lower levels of the hormone serotonin.

An opiate-like chemical, serotonin is one of several neurotransmitters that carry messages between nerve cells. It is also known as the ’happy hormone’ because it makes us feel better, helps to keep us calm and relieves depression.

Low levels of serotonin can cause mild to moderate depression, leading to symptoms like anxiety, apathy, fear, feelings of worthlessness, insomnia and fatigue. We can also become more prone to addictions. People who live in regions where winter is dark or cloudy (mostly in the northern hemisphere or closer to Antarctica) are most likely to develop SAD.

How is SAD different from ordinary depression? Symptoms usually arise around the same time every year when the days get shorter. Shut-ins can also develop SAD symptoms at other times of year due to lower exposure to sunlight. So can people who are deficient in vitamin D.

In addition to the typical signs of depression (apathy, fatigue, hopelessness, poor concentrations, thoughts of death or suicide, SAD can cause other symptoms, such as: -

- Sleeping more than usual
- Craving for sugar, starchy foods, or alcohol
- Weight gain, feeling heavy in arms and legs
- Increased irritability or (in children) behavior problems
- Heaviness of arms and legs
- Craving sunlight or bright light.

One of the first things we look for in patients who seem to have SAD is their vitamin D levels. Our body manufactures this vitamin from sunlight and stores it in the liver, kidneys and other organs. But even in summer, people can become vit D deficient due to lack of sufficient sunlight.

To avoid or improve SAD:

- Spend at least 30 minutes outside every day.
- Set a bedroom light to go on early in the morning
- Talk to your practitioner about vitamin D supplements
- Eat around 6 eggs a week
- Take daily walks outside.
- Increase indoor lighting with regular lamps and fixtures.

If you need it, get help. Don’t suffer needlessly when help is within easy reach.

By: Dr. Dzung Price, Integrative M.D.

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Dr Dzung Price is a holistic doctor and director of the Renew You Centres of Wellbeing and Longevity. She and her team provide a comprehensive range of natural health services, including hormone balancing, gut healing, advanced allergy elimination, anti-aging medicine, nutritional counselling and emotional freedom techniques. To find out how Dr Price and her colleagues can put you back on the road to emotional wellbeing, visit www.RenewYouJourney.com or email info@rycentre.com.au