- The holiday season can have it's ups,
it can have it's downs,
but there's a big difference between having a down day
and finding yourself in a funk
that you just can't overcome for days, even weeks at a time.
Dr. Lori from HCA Midwest Health is here to explain
the signs and the symptoms
of Seasonal Affectiveness Disorder.
How many people does this affect, Dr. Lori?
- It affects about three million people
in the United States alone,
and there are telltale signs of it,
People feel just down and foggy
and feel like their legs are leaden,
about the time in fall when we don't have as much daylight
when we don't have as much sunlight, lots of clouds,
that type of thing, and it's just this feeling that comes on
and many people will say yup, here it comes again,
here it comes again.
It's very seasonal.
- Is it something that can hit anyone
out of the blue during the fall
or does it typically strike people who are already
prone to depression or have a history of depression?
- Well some of the risk factors are just being female,
having a history of depression.
Seasonal Affective Disorder is a type of depression.
Those who have had a history of depression
are more prone to this.
Those who have family members are more prone.
Some medicines can affect this as well.
And so those factors and then maybe there's a social event
or a family tragedy or situation, a trigger,
that can then set it off.
So absolutely, at some point it starts
in anybody who has had Seasonal Affective Disorder,
at some point it started.
Maybe they were teenagers, maybe they were young adults.
- What are some of the signs
that people should watch out for in themselves
or even in their children or their loved ones?
- Well, the early signs or the typical signs are
just a more moodiness, just feeling down,
maybe feeling like you really don't wanna go out
and meet with friends,
you do your obligations and then come home.
You wanna sleep more.
Those types of things.
I mentioned earlier, feeling like leaden,
like your legs are leaden.
You just don't have the energy and the oomph to go forward.
And it hits at a bad time if you are celebrating
holidays and things like that,
then that makes it even worse.
That can amplify those symptoms.
They're really caused from changes in our circadian rhythm,
our sleep cycle, which really can trigger this.
So, we have this bright shiny holiday, everybody be happy,
kind of those pressures at the same time as we're struggling
with this physiologic changes that we can call
Seasonal Affective Disorder.
- So what are some ways people can tackle this
and try to get through this?
What are some things people can do?
- Well, step one is to recognize it.
You know I'm a little moodier and it's just not me.
I'm a little more irritable, I'm sleeping a little bit more,
I really don't want to do anything
other than my basic obligations.
I think number one, recognize some of the symptoms.
Number two, contact your family medicine physician
or your internal medicine physician to get more information.
Because there are therapies that are recommended,
psychotherapies, phototherapy.
A large part of this is triggered by the changes in light,
and therefore our changes in sleep.
So some people will benefit from light therapy,
which is literally sitting in front of a photo box,
a light box, and letting that light alter some of the
physiology of your brain so you can sleep more easily,
sleep more deeply, and get more restorative sleep.
- Dr. Lori, thank you.
- Thank you.
- It's something we all need to be aware of.
- Absolutely.
- This time of year in particular.
Research Psychiatric Center offers
multiple treatment options for
Seasonal Affectiveness Disorder.
To find out if one of those services is right for you,
or your loved one, call 816-235-8162.