Who can forget Jack Nicholson’s memorable line from the film adaptation of Stephen Kings’s best selling novel The Shining. This gripping horror movie chronicled Nicholson’s decent into ‘cabin fever’ induced madness after his family becomes trapped inside an isolated resort in the dead of winter.
While not an actual disease foreshadowing insanity, cabin fever can be a very real claustrophobic reaction which occurs when a person is isolated for long periods of time. A lack of environmental stimulation, lack of physical exercise and the shorten daylight hours of winter can have a detrimental on the healthiest of psyches’.
Unlike cabin fever, Seasonal Affect Disorder (SAD), or winter depression, is a recognized biological disorder triggered by decreased exposure to bright light during the shortened days of winter. The condition is marked by strong cravings for carbohydrate rich foods, weight gain, extreme fatigue, sleep problems and depression. It is estimated that 6% of the population suffers from clinical SAD while another 14% experience a ‘subclinical’ level of SAD described as “winter blues.”
While seasonal fluctuations in mood are common, symptoms including depression, fatigue and weight gain are far more severe in people suffering from SAD. Many people become so exhausted and melancholy they struggle to do the simplest of tasks.
Theorized as an “evolutionary remnant of hibernation,” SAD is most prevalent in northern latitudes and affects more women than men.
Symptoms of SAD included:
- Change in appetite
- Tiredness, fatigue, sleep disturbances
- Difficulty concentrating
- Carbohydrate, high-fat “comfort food” cravings, weight gain
- Sadness, anxiety
- Withdrawal from family and friends
- Feelings of worthlessness
- Decreased productivity, lethargy
Simplified, serotonin is induced by light – it wakes, energizes – prepares us for work. Melatonin on the other hand is induced by darkness and puts out body at a state of rest. Both of these hormones are governed by the pineal gland, which acts on light-sensitive information from the hypothalamus. Even with your eyes closed, specific level of light are perceived by the hypothalamus which relays the information to the pineal gland to trigger the appropriate hormone secretion.
It is theorized that on the dull, dark days of winter, especially when cooped up indoors for weeks and months, not enough light is perceived to trigger the waking process.
More recently, scientists from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto, Canada, discovered that as the days become shorter we produce high levels of a certain protein which actually interferes with serotonin.
Sunlight is the natural antidote for SAD so outdoor activity of any kind is beneficial. To treat SAD, doctors may prescribe antidepressants or ‘phototherapy,’ which is exposure to full-spectrum light via ‘light boxes’ which mimic natural sunlight. A healthy diet, exercise and outdoor activity are the mainstays of self care for symptoms of SAD. If you find yourself in an excessively dark and gloomy frame of mind this winter, please consult with a physician.
