Summer SAD

Posted on June 19, 2012 by Neens

Hi again!

Hope you’re keeping well? Tonight I’ve got a really interesting post for you about Summer SAD, which I hope will be as illuminating for you as it was for me (yes, I hear you groaning! ).

When I talk about ’Summer SAD’, what I usually mean is suffering from the symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) or Winter Blues-type symptoms when our eccentric British summer is at its ‘worst’. Or is it at its best? Well, for some people ‘Summer SAD’ means a very different thing. And the trend for wetter British summers is very welcome for them. Tomorrow’s Summer Solstice will also come as a relief for sufferers of Summer SAD, as it means the days will gradually shorten.

Let me explain. I met Stuart in the Lumie forum, where I continue to chat and enjoy ’meeting’ new people. I was intrigued by a thread called ‘Summer SAD’ and had a look. Stuart and a few other people were discussing how they struggle with hot and sunny weather, explaining that it makes them feel irritable and anxious, among other symptoms.

I have since read a little more about ‘Summertime Depression’ and was amazed to discover an estimated 600,000 Britons experience these symptoms.

Stuart explained how he feels really fed up when the clocks go forward and the days become longer. This is the opposite of how I feel, so I was really interested to hear more about Stuart’s experience. What struck me most was how isolated Summer SAD sufferers must feel. Winter SAD has in recent years become much more recognised, but I’d never heard of Summer SAD and neither had Stuart until he stumbled across that thread. We’re so used to describing warm, sunny weather as ‘lovely’ and grey, rainy weather as ‘miserable’. But to Stuart and others like him, these labels are reversed and can make them feel like outsiders.

Stuart has kindly given me permission to share what he told me with you, which he wrote as a Q&A… I’m sure you’ll find it as fascinating as I did

When was I aware of suffering from Summer SAD?
It has only been within the last eight or nine years that I have become actually ‘aware’ of my dislike/hate (a strong word I know) for the summer months. For many, many years I have preferred to stay out of the sunshine, but never thought it was anything other than me, being me.

Going back as far as I can remember, as a child I did love the rain and winter months. I was born in Scotland; but that said, I do not remember it raining or snowing too much. When it did rain I used to stand outside ’til mum called me in. I remember standing under the eves of my parents’ house watching the rain falling and always feeling disappointed when it passed. Even back then aged 5-10, Halloween and Christmas were always the things I most looked forward to.

I have pretty much always wanted to stay out the sun. On family holidays I always wanted sun specs and a holiday hat…and this was well before what we know today about sun damage. It was also nothing to do with disliking the summer… the months of the year meant very little to me at that age.

I did suffer from ‘Prickly Heat’ as a child…. I say ‘suffer’, though I don’t remember it being a problem for me - other than the fact that on holidays abroad I used to occasionally get left in the hotel room, covered in calamine lotion, under the supervision of my lovely Gran (who was happy for a siesta), whilst the rest of my family went out for afternoon sun fun and ice creams.

Leaping forward to my 30s, I moved to London. I suddenly started to be aware of the sun and weather for the first time as a factor in my life. I would love rainy and grey days. Friends would assume that this was because I grew up in Scotland… their perception was that it always rained and snowed ‘up there’, but that was not the case.

I, with no thoughts about ‘Summer SAD’, just started to avoid going out when the sun was out, as much as I possibly could. When I did go out, I would start thinking about hats again, covering up, and sun protection lotion. I do remember buying calamine lotion in Boots at this time, because I was starting to get red spots on my arms and upper legs – heat rash!

On my best friend’s birthday (seven years ago) she wanted to go to Brighton. On the train home she mentioned to me how red my forehead was. By the time we returned home I was so aware that I had really badly reacted to the sun during the day. I was blistered and sore on my forehead, yet she was fine.

This was the moment I truly became aware of the sun’s effect on my life. Not because I had been weather-beaten by Brighton’s sunshine; rather, that the happy day of being out had left me feeling sad and down. It was quite an eye-opening moment for me. I disliked the feeling of being over-heated, squinting because of the sun and I’ve disliked sunny days out ever since.

I must once again say that it was nothing to do with having a reaction to the sun in a conventional sunburn way. Rather, something within me, over the whole of my life, suddenly came together. I realised that hot days were not something I wanted for me; that grey, colder, and winter nights really do make me smile.

How does it affect me both practically and emotionally?
Waking up in the morning and taking a peep out the window is always quite pivotal in my day. If it is wet, rainy, grey or overcast, be it summer or winter, then I will genuinely feel a sense of happiness deep in the core of my body. If the sun is shining I will feel part of me sink. I don’t brood about it. I just get on with the day, but if it is really sunny outside I start to re-plan and re-schedule my day in a way that will help me either avoid going out or minimise the time I would need to go out.

I work from home as a Computer Animator, so do not need to go out to work. Whether this is just the way my life panned out or whether I planned it that way without thinking, I don’t know. Either way, I am grateful.

If it is really warm outside, I will have as cold a shower as I can brave in the morning. The need to cool down is often more to do with the thought of the sun and heat going round in the background of my mind, more than the heat itself.

I live with my best friend and if she is around in the morning, I will do the normal thing of opening the curtains. If she is not I will happily leave them shut. I am so switched on to the changes in light outside. Even if a cloud passes over the sun, and the light in the room dulls for just a second or two, I get a happy lift. It truly is that quick!

If I need to go out and it is sunny I either go out first thing or leave it ’til late afternoon. Between 10am – 4pm would not be an option, unless I had to. Crossing over to the shady side of the street, walking slower to reduce any heat anxiety and carrying a bottle of cold water in my bag helps.

Anxiety for me does play a part in going out in the summer. The thought of being trapped on a busy train or bus on a hot day really would make me try to avoid them at all costs. I have before now had to get off a bus in a silent and polite emotional panic because it was so hot and sunny and I really could not cope with being in a tin. Within minutes of being on the bus, I was getting panicked, sweating and felt so alone, as everyone else seemed fine. Now I seek a seat out of the sun!

At home, as evening comes I find myself perking up. I don’t get miserable or depressed as such during the summer, but I do get SAD. I look forward to summer being over and while it is here evenings make a good break. I love evenings at home, when it gets dark… even in the summer.

Have I found any treatment that helps?
I don’t know of any to be honest. I take Belladonna during the summer.

Ed note: Belladonna is sometimes prescribed by Homeopathic Practitioners, but I wouldn’t recommend any treatments without consulting your GP.

Have I spoken to doctors or any experts about it?
Never… Apart from the response I wrote on the Lumie site (and now this!), I have never spoken about it. Friends and family know I don’t like the summer and that I don’t want to be out in the sunshine. I don’t, however, know what they think about it!

Do I feel under pressure to stay positive, i.e. because we’re ‘supposed to be’ happy when the sun shines?
OH BOY YES!

‘What a lovely day, gorgeous day, beautiful day’…

‘What a miserable day, horrid day, terrible weather’…

Can a grey, rainy day, or a cold and snowy day not be a lovely day too? Honestly, I think ’lovely day’ is under-used and should be heard more during the colder dark days of winter.

To be more serious… yes there is pressure. You are expected to enjoy the BBQ Sunday afternoon, to love a day out at the seaside for a mate’s birthday and have lovely holidays in the sun. I have just, without thinking, listed three things that would make me feel sad to have to do; three things that I would avoid getting involved in.

What’s the best day for me in my year?
The longest day in June and clocks going back in October. When I know the longest day is coming up… that means the days are going to get shorter from then on. And when the clocks change… earlier dark nights for me is the best news ever - it is the countdown to winter. HAPPY DAYS!

Ed note: I’d like to thank Stuart very much for his openness and honesty about what it’s like to suffer from Summer SAD.

I found myself re-assessing the language that I use and whether I should now differentiate on this blog about Winter SAD and Summer SAD. What do you think? Do you experience Summer SAD? Some people get both Summer SAD and Winter SAD symptoms – do you experience this? As always, I’d love to hear your feedback and comments!

Further reading:
Learn more about summertime depression: http://www.webmd.com/depression/summer-depression

Image credits:
‘playing in the rain’ http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1195988
‘summer rain’ http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1020189
‘I like London in the snow’ http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1192028

Why do we suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder – SAD?

Posted on March 13, 2012 by Neens

Hi folks Finally, here is instalment number two of my ‘who, why, what, where, when and how’ of Seasonal Affective Disorder – SAD - and Winter Blues. I’ll warn you – it’s a long one!

In this post I’ll be covering a couple of the accepted theories of why people get SAD and Winter Blues / Winter Depression. This is my own understanding, based on what I’ve read over the years and a little background reading I’ve done for this post. It’s taken me quite a while to write, as I keep changing my mind what to put in! I don’t want to overwhelm you with too much info, but wanted to give you enough too. As always, do let me know what you think?

Anyhoo… the first thing to say is that nobody seems to really know what causes SAD and Winter Blues! There’s a lot of theories, but it’s very likely that there’s a complex interplay of factors that will determine whether a particular individual develops SAD or not.

The most commonly held theory is that a lack of exposure to daylight in the late autumn to early spring months affects the brain’s production of the hormone melatonin and the neurotransmitter serotonin.

The body has an internal body clock, known as the circadian rhythm. It regulates sleep/wake cycles, appetite, digestion, mood and many other functions.

Before we learned to artificially light our homes, people went to bed when it became dark and woke when the sun rose. They also spent a lot more time outdoors and had more physical jobs.

The brain responds to decreased light by increasing production of the hormone melatonin, which signals to the body that it’s time to sleep. In the morning, when light reaches the eyes, melatonin levels begin to decrease and the hormone cortisol is released. This gives us the get-up-and-go that we need to start the day. In the depths of winter, when many of us need to get up while it’s still dark, the body hasn’t received the correct signals to wake up. This is why it can be a real wrench to get up and why you may feel shocked out of sleep by a traditional alarm clock – your body simply isn’t ready to be awake!

But the problem isn’t only to do with waking… with very dull days, your levels of melatonin can stay high throughout the day, leading to those feelings of lethargy and sleepiness that you might recognise all-too-well. Before I was diagnosed with SAD, I would return from college and want to go straight to bed – I couldn’t keep my eyes open!

The neurotransmitter, serotonin, is also thought to have a key role to play in SAD, as it appears to in other types of depression. Researchers have found that levels of serotonin can vary from day-to-day and across the year, with levels markedly lower in winter. People with lower levels of serotonin appear to be more likely to experience symptoms of depression, SAD, Winter Blues / Winter Depression and even PMS in women.

Reading about how to increase serotonin in the human brain without drugs (Dr. Simon N. Young, 2007), this theory makes sense to me. If you’re anything like me, in winter you’ll be less likely to go outside at lunchtime, or whenever (funnily enough, I don’t enjoy sitting in the freezing wind and rain as much as I enjoy reading a book in the sunshine in the summer! ). Often eating at my desk means I move my bones less, get less natural light and I’m probably eating stodge, too. I mean - who really fancies a salad in the middle of winter? Certainly not me!

Haha – yes, yes, I’m aware that I don’t always follow my own advice!

So, if light, exercise and a healthy diet are major natural ways of increasing serotonin production, then it would seem to follow that not doing/having these things may cause you to feel rubbish. At least, that’s how I’m understanding it!

As always, if you haven’t already, I’d recommend you have a look at the following excellent articles about SAD, which explain a bit more of the why in more medical terms than I have done:
NHS
Mind

If you’re interested in doing a bit more digging around into theory, here’s a few other theories that caught my eye:

People who suffer from SAD may have retinal sensitivity anomalies -
Evidence of a Biological Effect of Light Therapy on the Retina of Patients with Seasonal Affective Disorder - Marie-Pier Lavoie,Raymond W. Lam,Guylain Bouchard,Alexandre Sasseville,Marie-Claude Charron,Anne-Marie Gagné,Philippe Tremblay,Marie-Josée Filteau,Marc Hébert (2009), Biological Psychiatry, Elsevier

People who suffer from SAD have lower levels of cortisol production in winter -
Seasonal differences in the diurnal pattern of cortisol secretion in healthy participants and those with self-assessed seasonal affective disorder - Thorn, Lisa and Evans, Philip D. and Cannon, Anne and Hucklebridge, Frank and Clow, Angela (2011), Psychoneuroendocrinology

I’ve said to my mum and friends several times in the past that I bet there’s a correlation between babies born in spring and summer and high incidence of SAD… I should have put money on that, as it appears to be true! I can’t find the published article, but this is what was reported in the Daily Mail.

There’s a lot of debate still ongoing, though, as many of the theories don’t give absolute or satisfactory answers. So for example, suppressing melatonin doesn’t ‘cure’ SAD; anti-depressants don’t work for everybody; not everyone born in spring/summer suffers with SAD. It really does seem that individual differences can play a big part. So you may be more at risk of developing SAD if you or your family have a history of depression, if you’ve been under chronic stress, or sudden stress, such as bereavement. If you suffer from depression that isn’t seasonal, it can feel worse in the winter.

Having said that, there does seem to be strong evidence to support the theories surrounding melatonin and serotonin having a key role to play. Correspondingly, there’s also strong evidence to support light therapy. If you want to do some more reading still, have a look at Lumie’s page of research abstracts.

I hope that this will have been a helpful post for you. Do you think there’s anything I need to add? What other theories have you read?

Speak soon

- Neens -

Image credit
Alarm clock: http://www.sxc.hu/browse.phtml?f=download&id=1146532

What is Seasonal Affective Disorder – SAD – and Winter Blues?

Posted on February 18, 2012 by Neens

Well, I promised you in ‘Where to start…‘ some longer, more detailed posts on the what, who, where, why, when and how of SAD and Winter Blues… and here’s the first of these posts. I hope you’ll find it helpful – do let me know, I’d love to hear your thoughts!

I already told you my Tigger and Eeyore analogy, but I have a couple more for you that I use when trying to explain to friends and colleagues what SAD is. Before I go into them, I’d like you to know that these are just my ways of thinking about SAD and my experience. I’d also encourage you to look at the SAD Association (SADA) page, or NHS page for a more medical explanation, if you haven’t already – I’m not trying to replace or replicate their information.

I find it helpful to think of SAD and Winter Blues as a scale, or continuum, and everyone has their place on it. On one side, you have people who experience no change to how they feel in winter compared with how they feel in summer. Then further along are those who feel a bit down and notice a change in their moods when winter comes round (Winter Blues). On the furthest point of the scale are people who suffer from SAD and will be significantly affected by the lack of daylight in the autumn and winter months. Don’t laugh at my amateur attempt with Paint, but this is what I mean!:

SAD is a type of depression, but it is different to other types of depression in that it has a definite seasonal pattern. Symptoms will appear in the autumn months and usually last until spring. But sometimes, if our lovely British climate gives us a long spell of rainy weather in summer, people can experience SAD symptoms in the summer months. Left un-managed, SAD can become debilitating to the same extent as any other type of depression.

822176 55586868 baby hedgehog 274x300 What is Seasonal Affective Disorder SAD and Winter Blues?

image credit: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/822176

In terms of how SAD makes you feel, my favourite way to describe this is that ’I would quite like to hibernate, thank you very much!’ Like this little guy:

Like a hedgehog, before I learned to successfully manage my SAD symptoms, I really, really wanted to hibernate for the winter. I would’ve been quite happy to just sleep and for the world to leave me alone!

Like many people who suffer with SAD, I started noticing that I felt awful in winter around 17/18 years old. Typically onset of symptoms appears between 18-30 years old and is about twice as common in females as males. I was diagnosed with SAD at 21 after visiting my doctor in 2003.

I had all the classic symptoms: finding it hard to get up, get moving, concentrate. I would feel weepy and down and/or irritable for no reason. And I just wanted to sleep and eat – stodgy carbohydrates in particular! I remember my first year university flatmate laughing when she saw my food basket - filled with several different breads and potatoes and a token bit of chicken!

Looking back at those few winters I spent feeling like that, I can barely believe I felt so bad. I’m not really sure how I functioned to be honest, but I know I wasn’t a pleasant person to be around on some days!

I’m being really honest and open because I want you to know that you’re not alone in feeling this way. Or if you’re hoping to provide support to a family member or friend, then believe me, this is a serious condition and it’s not ‘all in the mind’. I want to help people understand the realities of suffering from SAD and Winter Blues and know that although there is no ‘cure’, you can manage the symptoms.

According to SADA 85% of people can successfully manage their symptoms using light therapy, which is how I manage mine. If light therapy doesn’t work for you, your doctor might recommend using anti-depressants and/or having some Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) sessions. If you think you have SAD or Winter Blues, I really do recommend you see your GP. I’m going to do a separate post on treatments, but if you want some info in the meantime, have a look at Lumie’s website. They’re specialists in light therapy.

I hope this post has given you some useful information about what SAD and Winter Blues are – but feel free to use the comments box below to ask any questions you might have.

- Neens -

SAD and Winter Blues – Where to start?

Posted on February 16, 2012 by Neens

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and its milder form, Winter Blues (also known sometimes as Winter Depression, or medically as Sub-syndromal SAD) affects nearly a quarter of the UK population. Does that surprise you? It did me, when I read this on the SAD Association’s website! So even if you don’t suffer from one of these conditions yourself, it’s likely that someone close to you does.

I almost don’t know where to start! In writing anything, I tend to find it helpful to answer the 5 Ws and 1 H – What, Who, Why, Where, When, How? The thing is, this could turn into a very looong post, so I’m going to share some basics here, then I’ll go into more detail in separate posts to come.

One of my favourite ways to describe SAD is through these little fellas; Tigger and Eeyore. I tried out this analogy on a friend today and he loved it!

During the late autumn and winter months, the shorter days and lack of sunlight can make you feel miserable, irritable and very lethargic – a bit like Eeyore. But in the summer and even in the depths of winter, a sunny day can bring out the Tigger in you! Some people even experience mania-type symptoms once spring comes round, known as Hypomania. That’s probably where everyone’s energy comes from for the big spring-clean! For a bit of fun, I found this quiz to identify which Winnie the Pooh character you’re most like - I turned out to be Kanga! Which one are you?

SAD is a type of depression. I know some people aren’t comfortable with this description, but medically, they do sit on the same scale. What differentiates SAD from other types of depression is that it has a very definite seasonal pattern; the symptoms recur each winter. You normally will have experienced symptoms in the winter that disappear in summer for three consecutive years before you would be diagnosed with SAD.

And what are the symptoms of SAD? Well, I mentioned three of the main ones already, but a few of the most common others include:

Disturbed sleep patterns (sleeping more or less and/or waking frequently)
Loss of interest in things you normally enjoy
Craving carbohydrates and sweet foods (comfort food!)

My food shopping basket in winter would make you laugh! Image credit: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1100035

There isn’t a ‘cure’ for SAD or Winter Blues. But most people can successfully manage their symptoms using light therapy. The SAD Association estimates that this will work for around 85% of sufferers.

You’d normally use light therapy daily from the onset of your symptoms, often around Oct/Nov until Mar/Apr when the daylight hours lengthen. The treatment involves exposure to a bright SAD light that simulates the level of light you would get on a bright spring day. How long you need to use the light for depends on the severity of your symptoms and the strength of the light.

I whole-heartedly recommend SAD light therapy – I have managed my symptoms for eight years using a SAD light lamp and a dawn simulator, which wakes me gently with light in the morning. I recommend dawn simulators to everyone, regardless of whether they suffer from SAD - they’re such a lovely way to wake up!

I will write some more in-depth posts, but if you want more information on SAD and Winter Blues before then, please have a look at this NHS page. *Update: I’ve done a couple of these posts now - you should find links at the bottom of this page!

What Winnie the Pooh character do you identify with? Is there something in particular that you’d like me to cover in a future post?

See you soon!

Welcome to The Light Room!

Posted on February 6, 2012 by Neens

Hey! I’m Neina and this is The Light Room. My aim is to help bring a little light into your days if you suspect, or know, that you have Seasonal Affective Disorder – SAD - or Winter Blues.

I’ve wanted to start a blog on this subject for quite a while now, as it’s a topic that I’m very passionate about. I’m really excited that it is now up and running!

I’m just starting to get to grips with this whole WordPress-malarky, but while I do this and write my first ‘proper’ post, I want you to know that you’re not alone in feeling bad in autumn and winter – almost a quarter of us do!

I’m looking forward to speaking with you!

- Neens -

The Light Room

Information, advice and a personal perspective on managing Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and Winter Blues

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Why do we suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder – SAD?

What is Seasonal Affective Disorder – SAD – and Winter Blues?

SAD and Winter Blues – Where to start?

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