The Winter of My Discomfort
It’s hard for Steve Coron to get out of bed in the morning. At Busch’s, he struggles to choose fresh vegetables and protein products over appealing peanut butter cookies, and he tries to exercise every day to stay healthy. Coron may sound like the average carb-loving American, but he’s not. Coron, an art teacher at Community High, suffers from SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder).
SAD effects approximately half a million Americans particularly in December through February. In Ann Arbor, where winter days are generally short and dark, SAD can affect locals immensely.
“I don’t know exactly what it does; I just know how it’s effected me,” said Coron. The most well known symptoms are problems with sleeping, lethargy (feeling tired, and unable to carry out one’s daily routines), overeating, depression, social problems, anxiety, and serious mood changes.
The effects SAD has on adults vary from those of children, and SAD is found in higher rates in post-pubescent girls. Doctors speculate that SAD and puberty often go together. Children with SAD suffer from fatigue and irritability, but not necessarily depression. Parents monitor children’s academic achievement and moods to see if they suffer from the disorder.
“I’m really worried about my 8 year-old son and my 10 year-old son. They oversleep, overeat, and never want to talk about school. I bought them both ‘happy’ lamps so hopefully that treatment will work”, said a concerned mother at Burns Park Elementary who wanted to be anonymous due to her position in the schools. Almost all adolescents that have SAD show symptoms of sadness, anxiety, and irritability.
Some victims show signs of fatigue and sleeping problems (disturbed sleep, tendency to sleep during the day) or an increase in appetite. They have carbohydrate or junk food cravings, headaches, and withdraw from family and friends. Severe cases can include crying spells, temper tantrums and tendencies to watch television frequently without retaining what is actually seen. In the springtime, they become hypomanic with feelings of elation, talkativeness, sleepless nights and hyperactivity.
Fortunately there are many forms of treatment for SAD, and certain treatments work for certain people.
Light therapy is the process of sitting in front of a light five times brighter than the average light bulb for a certain amount of time each day. It is the most popular treatment. This works to adjust the biochemical imbalance caused by the shortening of daylight hours and the lack of sunlight in winter.
SAD is a serious and disabling illness, and can prevent some from functioning normally without continuous medical treatment. “One way I tried to overcome it last winter was by going outside in the morning around 6:30 A.M. I did a photo series of light, and really saw how much color there really is, even when it’s dark,” said Coron.
Other treatments, such as Negative Ion, Dawn Simulation, and Skin Illumination are not as popular but have proven to be just as effective. Negative Ion Therapy releases molecules that clean surrounding air and improve energy levels. It is kept near the sufferer’s bedroom or office desk.
Dawn Simulation causes sleep and has had positive feedback from patients who describe the feeling it gives as a pleasant and hypnotic sensation. A study called “Skin Illumination” compares light exposure to the eyes and to the skin; and found that light to the eyes has the greatest therapeutic effect for people with SAD. One problem with this treatment is that it exposes patients to ultraviolet (UV) light, which can lead to other health problems.
“I kind of don’t sleep, and I don’t eat much. I also start hating people even more than I usually do. I don’t really plan to overcome it, I just deal with it every winter,” said Charles Fukuchi. A lot of people who have minor cases of SAD just wait for winter to end.
Ways to endure SAD can be simple. Low fat diets, avoiding eating too much protein and red meat, taking daily vitamins, eating lots of fruits and salads, minimizing the intake of caffeine, eliminating refined sugar and flour, taking brisk walks outside, and keeping in touch with friends and or loved ones are just a few things that can help. These activities release endorphins, which result in happy feelings.
For some, it is a mild but debilitating condition causing discomfort but not severe symptoms. Aimee Le, another student at Community says that on the contrary to being depressed, “I’m not really sad in the winter because in the summer the heat makes you sad, but when it’s cold outside I like to stay active to keep warm.”
However, that does not include more serious cases such as Michael Skib, a senior at Community. He has dealt with his illness since the 7th grade and has had experience with many different treatments. “I have a light lamp at the head of my bed, which is probably more important than medication for me,” Skib said, “I’ve gone to therapy, and tried proper treatment. Basically, it’s a direct relation with the sun and my happiness, but it probably is going to be something I will have to face for the rest of my life.”
Filed on 02/09/2007