Seasonal Affective Disorder

ZANESVILLE, Ohio – The holiday season comes with shorter days and less daylight can summon a type of depression known as SAD or Seasonal Affective Disorder. 

Genesis Healthcare Behavioral Health Specialist Philip Palmer explained some of the science that can trigger the disorder and listed some of the symptoms that people can watch out for.

“It seems that it’s mostly women it affects but it affects all walks of life,” Palmer said. “No matter what your gender is, no matter what your race is, no matter what your culture is or how you were raised up; if you have that sensitivity to the different light, it could affect everyone. So some of the symptoms include oversleeping, it feels sad outside, it feels dark and dreary, you’re going to oversleep. But also, even during the daytime, you start having some fatigue or people tend to also overeat.” 

In severe cases, the changes in behavior can lead to lethargy, hopelessness and  suicidal thoughts. But those behavioral patterns can easily be addressed. 

“A good way is to get a light box or get… expose yourself to some bright light during the winter months,” Palmer said. “Also psychotherapy does work. Getting in treatment somewhere, talking to someone about it. Exercise helps. Exercise gets you going, gets you flowing, gets you moving in the activities. Even sometimes medication will help as well. But the mixture of psychotherapy, with medication, exercise; but mainly getting out and getting that light therapy, that actually helps a lot it gets you that exposure to light that people actually need.”

Palmer attributes disruptions in rhythms and routines as another major contributor to SAD and suggested that psychotherapy and medications could be as simple as talking with anybody and increasing your vitamin-D intake.