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QUESTIONS STILL HOVER
These things we know about SAD. What we still don’t know is why some individuals are susceptible to seasonal mood swings while others aren’t. Research is ongoing. Preliminary evidence suggests there’s a genetic component. Other possible factors: geography (and availability of sunlight); 81circadian rhythm (i.e., your body’s clock); melatonin, which plays a role in sleep patterns; and serotonin, a brain chemical that affects mood.

Robert Ruxin, M.D., chief of outpatient psychiatry for Kaiser Permanente’s South Sacramento Medical Center, offers his own theory.

“People might tend to stay indoors more when skies are gray,” he reasons. “So if people are hibernating because they don’t like to be out in gray weather, that might be one of the reasons they feel depressed, because exercise is an antidote to depression.” That certainly rings true for Barnett. She believes her depression has been lifted not just by light therapy but also by taking better care of her health, period. She’s dropped those extra 60 pounds. She’s stepped up the exercise, running three or four days a week. With the help of a nutritionist, she’s adopted a cleaner diet. “I’m staying away from flour, rice and potatoes, and eating good starches, like quinoa,” she says. “I think the running, the diet and light therapy have all helped me.” She’s also scaled back to a four-day workweek, further reducing stress.

Whenever she can, Barnett also spends more time in the sun, one of Servis’ key suggestions. “One thing we tell patients is to spend time outdoors, in natural light, during the winter months when they might not otherwise, if it’s possible for them,” he says. The idea is simply to increase exposure to light, both natural and (with a light box) artificial. A regular lamp won’t do the trick, he adds.

Barnett has made a multitude of changes to help herself, and it’s working. Unfortunately, there’s just one risk factor outside her control: According to Mental Health America, three out of four SAD sufferers are women.

NOT ALL LIGHT THERAPY IS CREATED EQUAL
Just as medications must be adjusted to the individual, so must light therapy. Light boxes emit anywhere from 2,500 to 10,000 lux (a term quantifying brightness) and are typically used for 30 minutes daily, but it depends on the patient. Timing of usage also may affect the outcome. So, as usual, consult your health care provider.
Source: National Alliance on Mental Illness, nami.org

Reverse SAD—Who knew?
There’s also a reverse form of SAD, with an annual relapse in the summer rather than winter. It affects about 1/10th of all cases.
Source: National Alliance on Mental Illness, nami.org

Geography Matters
SAD is more common in people living in high latitudes, where seasonal changes are more extreme. It’s estimated that only 1 percent of Florida residents have SAD, for example.
Source: medicinenet.com