Seasonal Affective Disorder- What is it and what the hell can be done about it?
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is one big pain in the ass. Otherwise known as the ‘winter blues’, it makes an already shitty time of the year much shittier indeed. You’re feeling cold, which let’s face it, is just a form of low-grade pain…..you’re looking a bit white and pasty due to lack of sun….. probably a bit porky too because you’ve been noshing on stodge and washing it down with red wine…most likely feeling a bit anti-social because you’re in a Mexican standoff situation with your mates as no one can be bothered to go to anyone else’s house because it’s freezing outside…and then you check the internet and realise all the symptoms you have are actually classified as a disorder! No wonder you then feel hopeless, stressed and off sex (although that could be due to the extra chub and ingrown leg hairs).
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The official symptoms of SAD are:
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Depressed mood, low self-esteem
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Loss of interest or pleasure in activities you used to enjoy
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Appetite and weight changes
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Feeling angry, irritable, stressed, or anxious
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Unexplained aches and pains
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Changes in sleeping pattern
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Difficulty concentrating
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Fatigue and lack of energy; reduced sex drive
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Use of drugs or alcohol for comfort
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Feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and despair
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If you ticked at least five of the symptoms outlined, then you’ve officially got SAD. Now, if you were a bear you could hibernate and in spring when you woke up and emerged from your den, all slimmed down and well-rested, you’d be back to your happy old self. But, you are not a goddamn bear. So, you can choose to whinge, whine and wallow in it for the winter. Or you can get help!!
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Traditional treatment for SAD
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Light Therapy
This involves sitting in front of a special box or lamp that gives out 10,000 lux of fluorescent light, which is more than 20 times brighter than most indoor light. You sit about 30 cm in front of the light for 30 minutes a day. Apparently the light helps your brain make more serotonin, a hormone that affects your mood and you usually feel better after 1-2 weeks. But yoikks!! Besides the mind numbing boredom of sitting in front of a lightbox, the side effects include headaches, blurry vision, anxiety and nausea…. which sounds sort of like a hangover, sans the pleasant memories of the night before.
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Counselling
Apparently the right counsellor can help you curb negative thoughts, attitudes, and behaviours that make the disorder worse and help you learn how to manage symptoms and deal with stress in healthy ways. No physical side effects but at about $200 a pop, your wallet may too start feeling depressed.
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Medication
Antidepressants known as selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are often the drug of choice for SAD and include Prozac, Lexapro and Zoloft. No doubt a good dose of these will make you feel better but side effects include weight gain and loss of sex drive…which sort of sounds like what you were trying to cure in the first place right?
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Other treatments include getting more Vitamin D (mmm fish oil, so yum) and going to a brighter place…in other words taking a holiday to somewhere tropical, hot and sunny. Ooh this one’s a great suggestion…The Caribbean perhaps? Side effects include severe credit card debt.
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Honestly, these traditional treatments sound boring, expensive and with side effects as bad as the symptoms. But is there an alternative?
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Yes there is.
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An Alternative Treatment
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The Caribbean Cure is an alternative treatment designed to get you through the last two weeks of winter in Melbourne. However it can be adapted and used at any time during the colder months. It involves no medication, no therapy and no travel. Just watch the videos and check Instagram and Twitter each day for instructions on what to do.
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Enjoy!
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Resources:
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Robinson, L, Shubin, J and Segal, (2018) Seasonal Affective Disorder: Recognising the Winter Blues, HELPGUIDE.ORG, https://www.helpguide.org/articles/depression/seasonal-affective-disorder-sad.htm, Viewed 10 August 2018.
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Mayo Clinic (2017), Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), Mayo Clinic, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/seasonal-affective-disorder/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20364722, Viewed 10 August 2018.
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Patton, J (2013), Beating the Winter Blues, Experience L!fe, https://experiencelife.com/article/beating-the-winter-blues, Viewed 10 August 2018.
WebMD (2018), Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) Diagnosis & Treatment, Web MD, https://www.webmd.com/depression/depression-sad-diagnosis-treatment#1, Viewed 10 August 2018.
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