Feeling the blues?
Posted Oct 27, 2010 1:54 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The days are getting colder; it’s dark when when we head to work; and it’s getting dark, earlier in the evening.
Are you feeling the blues?
It might be Seasonal Affective Disorder, also known as SAD, where the changing light patterns take their toll on the body.
Dr. Scott Patten is a professor in the psychiatry department at the University of Calgary. He tells 660News the disorder, which studies show affect about three percent of Canadians, takes it toll both physically and mentally.
“People with this often exhibit quite pronounced fatigue,” Dr. Patten tells 660News. “So” (people are) really low on energy. And (they’re) often craving for high calorie foods, carbohydrate type snacks, particularly.”
He adds another sympton is called hypersomnia. Unlike insomnia, in which people have difficulty sleeping, hypersomnia leaves an individual craving more sleep.
There are forms of treatment, including the use of anti-depressants. But Dr. Patten prefers a specialized form of light therapy.
“It involves sitting under a birght light for 30 to 45 minutes in the morning,” says Dr. Patten. “And this will sort of re-adjust those circadian patterns, and for many people it’s a very effective treatment.”
To learn more about treatment options, consult your family doctor.
