A short video by Dr. Nicole Cain explaining seasonal affective disorder (the "winter blues") and giving three practical recommendations to manage it: check and supplement vitamin D (with cofactors), use a clinically effective blue light device in the morning, and exercise ~30 minutes daily. The presenter contrasts SAD with year-round depression, cites prevalence (>20%), and warns people with bipolar disorder to consult a doctor about light therapy.
Chapters
Hi, this is Dr. Cain of my mental health doc and I'm here today to talk to you about seasonal affective disorder, otherwise known as the winter blues. The winter blues is characterized by depression that is associated with the changing of the seasons, particularly the shortening of the days. So people report being depressed in the fall and the winter and then that usually lifts in the summer and the spring. And this is different than depression because depression tends to persist all year round. Over 20% of people suffer from seasonal affective disorder and I'm here to talk to you today about what you can do to beat the winter blues. The first thing is to get your vitamin D checked by your doctor. If your vitamin D is less than 60 or 80, which is that sweet spot that you want to have it at, then supplementation is really important. I recommend supplementing vitamin D with vitamin A, K, calcium and magnesium for proper absorption of the D. My favorite brand to recommend is Pure Encapsulations and their doses come in about 5,000 to 10,000 IU per day, depending on your blood levels. The right amount will be extremely powerful and a lot of my patients feel better almost immediately upon taking this. The second thing I recommend is getting a blue light machine. You want to get a blue light machine that isn't just the color blue, but rather is releasing the right kind of blue light waves. My favorite machine to recommend is the Philips box and you can get this on Amazon for about a hundred bucks. You turn it on in the morning for about 20 minutes and you can get ready for your day while you have your light going and then you can turn it off and it is extremely effective and very powerful. One thing to watch out for though is if you suffer from bipolar disorder, talk with your doctor first, because too much blue light can cause mania. The third thing for the winter blues is to exercise. About 30 minutes a day can make a huge difference. Different types of exercise that have been shown to be effective include yoga, stretching, walking, cardiovascular exercise and others. So if you can get a couple of days a weekend, it'll boost your endorphins, boost your mood and help you feel like yourself, make you feel healthier and happier. So again, this is Dr. Kane of my mental health doc talking to you about seasonal affective disorder and how to beat the winter blues to be like yourself again. Check back for future videos, blogs, blogs and other information that we'll have on the podcast. Thank you so much. Take care.
