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Should Everyone Get a SAD Lamp This Winter?
They’re supposed to help people with seasonal affective disorder. Can they make your winter look just a little brighter?
It goes without saying that these next few months are going to be rough. Covid-19 cases are rising to record highs, we’re running on months and months of social isolation, and new lockdowns and restrictions are sweeping across the nation. Add in the already daunting shorter daylight hours, colder temperatures in many parts of the country, and lonely holidays, and we have ourselves a recipe for a doozy of a winter, including winter blues that are sure to cause mental health to take a hit.
So, how can one find relief? Could artificial light in the form of SAD lamps — lights that are often used to treat people who have seasonal affective disorder — provide a glimmer of hope for everyone this winter? Maybe. But first, let’s look at the basics of SAD and SAD lamps.
SAD, sometimes referred to as seasonal depression, is more than just the winter blues. Someone must meet the criteria for a depressive disorder, including their functioning being impaired, to be diagnosed with SAD, according to Lindsay R. Standeven, MD, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.
These depressive symptoms in the winter months can include feeling sad most days, not enjoying things you usually enjoy, and feeling irritable, Standeven says. Additionally, unique features of SAD include increased appetite, particularly carbohydrate cravings, and “profound fatigue.” Experts believe SAD is caused by the reduction in daylight hours, which throws off hormones like melatonin and serotonin, contributing to the change in energy levels and mood.
Enter SAD lamps, readily available to buy on the internet (no prescription required) and used to treat the condition during the shorter days throughout winter, often in conjunction with therapy and medication.
