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Solstice Darkness Brings Winter Blues
Tips on coping with seasonal affective disorder
By Kate McPherson
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The winter solstice arrived, and for some people it’s not easy getting through the dark days. Seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, is a common diagnosis among northern populations.
As of Thursday, we are slowly gaining light, but not enough yet to help people suffering from seasonal affective disorder.
Doctors say feeling a little depressed during the winter months is not uncommon, but there are things you can do to pick yourself up.
Doctors advise people living at higher latitudes to watch out for symptoms like unusual fatigue during the day and change in appetite. Lots of people find it hard to get out of bed, but it could also be a symptom of SAD. Doctors say part of the problem is a lack of the feel-good hormone seratonin that is released when our skin is exposed to sun.
New research has been done on how our body’s sleep clock or circadian rhythm is out of wack at higher latitudes. The findings? For some people, the further north you live, the less sleep you get.
But there are solutions. Doctors recommend some patients take higher doses of vitamin D and get outdoors as much as possible.
