Fight Them With Light Of Mind!
DR. KALASINGH
MBBS (COLUMNIST)
have drawn parallels betweenthe weather and mood. We allknow how the weather affectswhat we wear, how we travel,what we choose to do, and howwe feel.When weather affects us to suchan extent that we begin to havetrouble functioning as usual,however, this can become morethan just a case of the “winterblahs.”Seasonal affective disorder, orSAD, is a type of clinical depressionthat usually starts with theshortening days of late autumnand lasts through the winter.Some people have a rarer formof SAD which is summerdepression which begins in latespring or early summer.Since the days of winter getshorter, SAD has been found tobe more common in northerncountries. In Canada, about 2 to3% of the general populationwill experience SAD in their lifetime.Another 15% ofCanadians will experience amilder form of SAD where theysimply have the “winter blues.”SAD can be debilitating, preventinghealthy people fromfunctioning normally. It mayaffect their personal and professionallives and seriously limittheir potential. Many peoplemay be suffering unnecessarilyunawarethat SAD exists or thathelp is available.Symptoms:”May be similar to depressionmaking it difficult to diagnose.Even thyroid problem can looklike SAD.”Change in appetite. Often, theperson gets cravings for sweet,starchy, or other carbohydraterichfoods. This can result inovereating and weight gain.”Often tired all the time, tend tooversleep, and can sometimesfeel anxious and desolate.”Suicidal thoughts.Although SAD may affect somechildren and teenagers, it tendsto begin in people over the ageof 20. The risk of SAD decreaseswith age. SAD is more commonin women than in men.Research on SAD is still in itsearly stages. However, it is likelythat SAD may be caused by alack of daylight. Each of us hasan internal “biological clock”that regulates our routines, awake-sleep and active-inactivecyclical routine called a circadianrhythm. This biological clockresponds to changes in season,partly because of the differencesin the length of the day. Formany thousands of years, thecycle of human life revolvedaround the daily cycle of lightand dark. We were alert whenthe sun shone; we slept whenour world was in darkness. Therelatively recent introduction ofelectricity has relieved us of theneed to be active mostly in thedaylight hours. But our biologicalclocks may still be telling ourbodies to sleep as the daysshorten. This puts us out ofstep with our daily schedules,which no longer change accordingto the seasons.One useful way to combat this isto use light therapy, also knownas phototherapy. This can bedone using a fluorescent lightbox, a device now available in avariety of safe, economical andportable designs. Although phototherapycan produce sideeffects, these are usually mildexperiences of nausea,headaches, eye strains or feelingsof edginess that go away afterusing the lightbox for sometime. However, people with certainmedical conditions or whoare taking certain medicationsshould have special eye examinationsbefore considering lighttherapy. In addition to usingSAD lamp lifestyle changes likeexercise, relaxation, healthfuldiet, social supports, medicalsupports, and compliance tomedications are helpful.The following suggestions mayhelp ease or even prevent SADsymptoms from becomingdebilitating or be helpful bythemselves for those of us withmild symptoms of the “winterblues”:” spend more time outdoorsduring the day and try to arrangeyour environments (and schedulesif you can) to maximizesunlight exposure. “keep curtains open during the day” move furniture so that you sitnear a window or, if you exercise indoors,set up your exercise equipment by a window”install skylights and add lamps”build physical activity into your lifestylepreferably before SAD symptoms takehold since physical activity relieves stress,builds energy and increases both yourphysical and mental well-being andresilience”make a habit of taking a daily noon-hourwalk”when all else fails, try a winter vacationin sunny climates – if the pocketbook andwork schedule allow – although keep inmind that the symptoms will recur afteryou return home. When back at home,work at resisting the carbohydrate andsleep cravings that come with SAD”as for other kinds of clinical depression,for those more severely affected, antidepressantmedication and/or short-termcounselling (particularly cognitive-behaviouraltherapy) may also prove to be helpful.Dr. Kala Singh did MBBS degree from DelhiUniversity, India. He worked as PsychiatricDoctor in Africa for 21 years before immigratingto Canada. He gives Sikh religious and spiritualcounseling and psychotherapy to clients withstress and mental health problems. For moreinformation he can be contacted at 604 3275253.
