For millions of Americans each year, the winter months usher in a season of melancholia and depression that lasts winter-long. Depression rates during the winter season are staggering and for this cold quarter of the year Americans experience a veritable epidemic of sadness. The average person looking to avoid pathologizing this occurrence may chalk it up to being lonely during the holidays. Others think of it just as the dreariness of the cold bringing them down. However, studies have shown that this state of depression during the winter months has less to do with simply “feeling down” and more to do with an actual medical condition.
The official diagnosis of this condition is called, appropriately enough, “S.A.D.,” or “Seasonal Affective Disorder.” Dr. Keith Ablow, the Fox News Psychiatrist, has stated, SAD is an under-diagnosed condition that is responsible for a tremendous amount of psychological distress, but also a big price-tag in terms of decreased productivity of folks who think they’re just ‘down,’ but are really fighting a real psychiatric disorder. People who have always ‘hated’ the holidays or who ‘can’t stand’ February should start to wonder whether that’s them speaking or an illness speaking for them.”
And the astonishing, although completely logical, explanation for this condition has nothing to do with the cold at all. Indulge, if you will, the notion that, in some respects, human beings are like plants. Here, the relevant correlation for the purposes of parsing out the cause of S.A.D. is that humans, like plants, thrive on sunlight. During the winter months it is not the pervading sense of cold that causes the sense of depression, but the lack of sunlight.
To that end, Dr. Ablow has treated various patients suffering from S.A.D. without the use of a pill or any other medication. The prescription is…Sunlight! Dr. Ablow has prescribed the use of special high intensity lights that you can put on your desk at home or work and use to simply absorb the rejuvenating rays that the lamp emits. These lights are widely available, from companies such as LiteBook and Northern Light Technologies.
However, for those who may possess a sensitivity to light that makes the use of this novel treatment impractical, there is still hope. There are medications available that may be prescribed by a doctor to combat depression. And, for an organic supplement to these prescription drugs, Vitamin D has also been recognized in certain medical circles as helping combat feelings of depression.
Your health and well-being are among the most vital aspects of your life to foster and nourish. If you or someone you know suffers from S.A.D. this treatment may prove to be a crucial aid in helping to combat the effects of seasonal depression. It may be worth trying this winter season. We can all stand to shine a little light on our lives from time to time.