Taking the SAD out of Seasonal Affective Disorder

Can we now cure SAD and other emotional disorder more easily and quickly than ever?

In the depths of the winter season, when it’s colder than ever and the days are at their shortest, when we are inundated with snow, snow and more snow and daylight is at a minimum, the winter blues are most likely to set in.

Many who enjoy mental health during the summer months find themselves with a case of the blues, feeling down, or in more serious cases, with a condition as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), otherwise known as winter depression. The symptoms are a drop in mood, lower energy levels, increased sleepiness and decreased interest in work and social activities. Suicide rates go up at this time of year and pharmaceutical companies celebrate increased sales of anti-depressants.

To some it’s a medically recognized fact that the lack of natural light in winter has an impact on our emotions. Exposure to light causes the production of a hormone called melatonin, which helps regulate several biological functions, so when there is less light in winter melatonin production increases (leading to increased sleepiness, lack of motivation and other symptoms characteristic of depression).

According to an article from Canada.com, SAD is a condition that seems to be related to sunlight exposure (keyword “seems”). Indeed, there are some doubts.
To treat SAD, phototherapy comes highly recommended. If it’s caused by reduced exposure to natural light, then exposure to the right type of light will boost moods. Doctors may prescribe anti-depressants and psychotherapy can also have an impact.

Yet while some sink into the depths of despair during the winter months, there are those who spend the icy months in high spirits, enjoying the holiday season, taking part in winter activities and untouched by the diminished levels of light. Why aren’t they depressed too?

According to Cognitive-Behavioural Psychology, our emotions are the result of our thoughts. How we feel stems from how we think. In “Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy,” a book which clearly explains the cognitive model of psychology, Dr. David D. Burns, an eminent psychiatrist and expert in mood disorders explains; “The first principle of cognitive therapy is that all your moods are created by your ‘cognitions’ or thoughts. A cognition refers to the way you look at things –your perceptions, mental attitudes, and beliefs. It includes the way you interpret things- what you say about someone or something to yourself. You feel the way you do right now because of the thoughts you are thinking at this moment.”

How this works is simple: when we think, neurochemicals are released from the brain and bathe every cell in the body. The type of thoughts will determine the type of chemicals that flow throughout the body and thus, our emotions. The best example of this is stress; when we think stressful thoughts, cortisol, a hormone that increases blood pressure and blood sugar, floods the body. Think calming thoughts and the production of cortisol decreases.

According to the cognitive model, how we feel in winter is a result of our perceptions, attitudes and thoughts during winter and about winter. Have you ever heard a snowboarder say, “I absolutely love to snowboard, but I have Seasonal Affective Disorder. When winter comes I get really depressed out on the slopes”? Of course not! Snowboarders, skiers and all those who are passionate about winter sports love winter. To them, winter means excitement and joy. Their thoughts and perceptions about winter do not allow them to become depressed.

While the happiest among us are out skating, skiing and perhaps even making snow angels, the depressed are focused on the darkness and the cold. They see winter as a time of gloom and misery and gloomy thoughts lead to gloomy emotions.

We each have the power to experience gloom, despair and misery just as equally as we have the power to experience joy, passion and excitement.

In one-on-one coaching, my clients often tap into powerful states that they didn’t know they had access to. Recently I worked with an individual to help him overcome anxiety. He accessed a deep state of “Zen,” as he called it, which he never knew could be possible. In recent sessions I have helped clients experience “strength,” “empowerment,” “connectedness” and even “love.” Most of us are extremely skilled at feeling bad, but are just as capable of feeling good. How much are you tapping into your potential to feel good?

Back on the topic of SAD, the most common intervention is phototherapy. You can get all the phototherapy you want, but if you are thinking about how horrible and gloomy winter is and when will it end, you won’t be any happier. You can take all the pills you want while you fill your mind with pessimism and negativity and your moods won’t change. Or you can begin to notice how you are thinking and begin to replace unhelpful thoughts, perceptions and beliefs with more supportive ones.

For most of us our emotions are on automatic. We feel what we feel in response to certain stimuli mostly out habit. You may have noticed that you are more skilled with certain emotions that others! What would your life would be like if you could choose your states and emotions consciously and deliberately? What emotions would you choose?

State management, which is also known as Emotional Intelligence, is a learned skill. If you haven’t learned it yet, it might be time!