Seasonal Affective Disorder: Tips and Strategies to Address It

Hello, everybody, and welcome to this presentation on seasonal affective disorder. I'm your host, Dr. Donnellice Snipes. Seasonal affective disorder is a mood disorder that often occurs in the fall and winter and is associated with the days getting shorter. But we'll talk about the fact that that may not be the only cause. The prevalence of seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, ranges from 1.5% to 9% decrease depending on latitude. Now, it's important to recognize that the higher you are, the higher the latitude you are, the less UV rays get through during the fall and winter for your body to be able to produce vitamin D. So vitamin D is an aspect of what we're talking about, but not the only one. Causes of seasonal affective disorder have been associated with seasonal changes in circadian signaling pathways. So your circadian rhythms that respond to light and dark start to get a little bit wonky when the day gets shorter because there's a lot less light, a lot fewer light hours, and a lot more dark hours. So your circadian rhythms get out of whack. Now, your circadian rhythms, remember, are not just involved in when you sleep, but they're also involved in whether you're. When you get hungry and when you're satiated. They're also involved in the release of your gonadal or your sex hormones. Your circadian rhythms are also involved in your immune system. So during the winter, people tend to get sicker easier. Well, what we're seeing is potentially a art artifact of an alteration in circadian rhythms. So we see seasonal changes in circadian signaling pathways resulting in alterations in levels of serotonin, which we know is responsible for a lot of things, including pain perception, sleep and mood. And glutamate, which is your main excitatory neurotransmitter. Glutamate levels go down, so it's a little bit. You may feel a little bit more sluggish. And glucocorticoid signaling, or cortisol signaling. Now, remember, we've talked in other videos about the cortisol awakening response. You need some cortisol. You need the stress hormone to get motivated. So your cortisol levels are highest first thing in the morning. That's one of the things that kind of triggers you to wake up out of your sleep, and it decreases throughout the day. When your cortisol levels get low, then your body starts secreting melatonin to help you get sleepy, and the system starts over again. When your brain is not getting the signals at the right time, then you may not be getting that awakening response when you're supposed to. So if your circadian rhythms are not in sync, then you may not be getting that awakening response when you're supposed to. Or in the early days you may get that awakening response when you're supposed to. When you wake up, you expect it to be light and it's still pitch black outside and your brain says does not compute. Not sure what to do here. So you feel foggy for a good part of the day because it was dark when it was supposed to be light. As I mentioned earlier, a lack of vitamin D. They've actually shown that in latitudes that are above Tennessee, so Kentucky and, and higher, the up to six months out of the year that you don't get enough UV rays in order for your body to produce enough vitamin D. Now before you go out and start supplementing vitamin D, remember that it is added to milk, it's added to a lot of butters, it's a lot added to orange juice. It's probably in your multivitamin if you take one. And vitamin D is something you actually can overdose on. So it's important to get a blood test done. If you think your vitamin D is low, find out and then you can decide whether supplement with your doctor, whether supplementation is necessary. Another cause, that of seasonal affective disorder, may be reduced movement. A lot of times during the fall and winter when it's cold outside, people aren't going outside as much. They're staying inside. They're more sedentary. When you're more sedentary, you're not getting as much oxygen in your body. And when that oxygen level gets lower, then you may start feeling more sluggish. We know that a body at rest tends to stay at rest. That's basic physics. And when people are lounging around on the sofa, when they're stuck inside, you can actually start to feel more tired. Your body needs to move. So reduced movement may also contribute. Reduced exposure to plants is another potential cause. And there hasn't been much research on this. But think about it. When we come to this time where people start experiencing seasonal affective disorder, everything or a lot of things have kind of browned up. And they found, remember I said that seasonal affective disorder is worse in higher latitudes. Well, not only are you not getting as much UV radiation, but you also may not have as much in the way of year round greenery. If you're down in south Florida, if you're down in the lower latitudes. Now obviously that's much lower latitudes. You're going to have green year round. You're going to go outside and there's going to be, you know, seagulls and, and plants, and you're going to have that cheerful, those cheerful colors that you're seeing. In places where you don't have that evergreen, you often tend to see more Seasonal affective disorder. So there might be something to that. For those of you who are in those northern latitudes where you get a fair amount of snow. A lot of times we'll look at that first snowfall when it's all fresh and new and pristine and white and it looks so pretty. And then a day or two or three later it's all filled with, you know, road dirt and everything else and it just looks nasty. And they found again that when people look outside, if the environment is not welcoming, if they look outside and the environment is, you know, depressing or icky or dirty, then people often feel depressed or icky or dirty. So exposure to plants and nature changes during the fall and winter can be another one. And finally, during this time of year, it's also important to remember that there is a lot going on. There are a lot of holidays. And holidays can be very triggering for people for a variety of reasons. It can trigger grief, it can trigger stress about finances, it can trigger disagreements. You know, whose house do we go to for what holiday? It can trigger stress because you're having to socialize with family members that you may not get along with so well. So there are a lot of things we think of the holidays, they're supposed to be this cheerful time, but there's a lot of stress and a lot of energy that gets depleted during the holidays. And a lot of times people just get plum worn down. And that can also contribute to feelings of depression during this season. So what do we do about it? Circadian rhythm regulation is certainly recommended. There's been a lot of research on light therapy ranging between 2500 and 10,000 lux for 30 to 60 minutes at, at the same time each day. Now, lux is the amount of light that you're actually getting in a particular area. So you may have a hundred watt bulb, and the amount of light that you're getting from that bulb depends on how directed that beam is and how far away it is from your head, which is why a lot of the light therapy devices tend to be boxes that you sit on your, on your desk. Sleep hygiene is also important. If you start going to sleep when it gets dark at 5 o' clock in the afternoon, then your circadian rhythms are probably going to get messed up. So it's important to maintain your sleep routines. One of the ways you can do this in maintaining your circadian rhythms is by eating at the same time each day during the awake times, making sure to keep the lights on. That can also be helpful, even if it's not, you know, 2500 lux. Having bright lights on and engaging in activity can help set your circadian rhythms. Circadian rhythms are actually set by a combination of light levels and, and social activity. So if you have more, if you're doing more as opposed to sitting on the couch in the dark and you're in, in the light, then you're going to more easily regulate your, your circadian rhythms and improve your sleep hygiene. Now I have sleep hygiene separate from circadian rhythms because sleep hygiene itself also means getting good quality sleep, not drinking excessive amounts of caffeine late in the afternoon, and again, keeping that, that routine sort of stable. Vitamin D supplementation I already mentioned can be helpful for some people, but you can overdose. So it's important to figure out with your doctor, do you need extra vitamin D? Environmentally? Get outside. If it's cold outside, bundle up. If it is absolutely too cold outside, okay, at least sit next to a window or keep the blinds open so you can see outside and you feel less confined. Exercise and move around. If you can't do it outside, all right. If you can't get to the gym because you're snowed in, all right, open those blinds and do it in front of the window. If you can, do whatever you can to try to feel less confined, it will help with what some people call cabin fever. Get some plants. They have done numerous studies that have shown that plants are associated with improved mental health, improved sense of well being, reduced perception of pain, and actually improved physical healing. And that could be because people, when people's stress levels are lower, their immune system is higher. But the research is pretty clear that having plants around can be very helpful. Now, if you've got cats and dogs, make sure that you get cat and dog friendly plants to have inside if you're going to have them inside. Herbs are wonderful plants that you can have inside, like basil and oregano and things like that that are animal friendly and don't tend to need a whole lot of light or space. So if you live in an apartment, for example, plant evergreens outside, even if it's just greeting you when you come to your front door. Having a couple of evergreen plants can make it feel more alive, can make it feel more nurturing. Same thing on your deck or your patio or your backyard if you can have some evergreens out there. It really helps not only your mood, but it also attracts a lot of wildlife that may or may not help your mood. And tis the season, it is important to manage your time and energy. Don't over commit. Don't agree to, you know, direct the Christmas play and make this and that for the bake sale and then go to 17 different Christmas parties. Plus have to do all of your shopping and think you're going to not get completely worn down and burned out. Manage your time and energy Recognize what is most important to me this season. What things do I am I going to commit my energy to? And then anything that's not already identified, stop and look at your list and say do I really have the energy to do this? Address any financial relationship or relationship stressors and this is really important. During the holidays people can feel a lot of stress to buy things for people. And this holiday in particular, there may be additional financial stresses as a result of the economy and high energy prices. Recognizing that working with a financial consultant or just sitting down and making a budget and figuring out what you can do. Addressing any anxiety or guilt related to not being able to provide the or buy the perfect gift for everybody on your list. That's important. A lot of people have a lot of rejection sensitivity when it comes to not being able to provide the ideal gift or how they're going to be able to afford to provide these gifts. And relationship stressors can also become highlighted during this time when there's so much going on. Having difficulty with patience and compassion with one another. Recognizing that many people are feeling frazzled and prior hurts may come out or may be triggered during this time. So it's important to be mindful of what stressors that you've got going on right now and potentially work on those either yourself or with a counselor or with a spiritual leader. Address your grief and trauma triggers Holidays can be really hard. If you've lost somebody, even if it wasn't on the holiday, it can be a reminder of not having grandma there at Christmas or something and that can contribute to a lot of anticipatory depression and grief and then depression and grief when you get to that holiday. Same thing is true for trauma. If people have experienced trauma, especially on a holiday, then when that holiday comes around again, that trauma wound may be reopened and those are things that are important to address to prevent development of mood issues during the season. Don't buy into the social media or Hallmark facade. People are going to post on social media their best moments. They're not going to post when they burn the turkey. They're not going to post, you know, their bank account. That is in the negative. They're not going to post the things that they don't want to celebrate. However, it doesn't mean that they don't have those things. Hallmark is the same way. A lot of the Hallmark movies set up this unrealistic expectation for the perfect happy holiday that the majority of people probably aren't going to have. You're not. So it's important to recognize what's realistic. You know, this is the the fantasy, but what's realistic? What do I want to have and what am I going to be content with? And then act purposefully, making sure to spend your energy each day on the things that are important to creating a rich and meaningful life right now. What is it that you need to do and what is it that you can let go of that is draining your energy? If this video was helpful, please consider supporting the channel so we can continue to make practical tools available to everyone. You can donate@doc snipes.com donate become a paid member of the YouTube channel@doc snipes.com YouTube or by a super thanks on any video that is particularly helpful. Seasonal Affective disorder is very common. There are many different causes for it, including biological and environmental changes, as well as emotional and cognitive stressors. Maintaining your routine and your circadian rhythms, getting enough vitamin D, managing your time and stress, and creating a nurturing environment can help you manage the symptoms during this time of year.