It's that time of year when some say cabin fever is about.
In the midst of winter, as many as 40 million Americans get the blues because shorter days and less sunlight can throw off the body clock, affecting one's mood or sleep.
But for others, the problem can go deeper than any snow covering the ground.
Seasonal Affective Disorder, also known as winter depression, is an affliction of which people, who have normal mental health throughout most of the year, experience depressive ailments during the cold and dreary season.
Symptoms can include a depressed mood, anxiety, irritability, fatigue, carbohydrate-craving and weight gain or loss.
About 10 percent of people in northern states experience full-blown SAD, according to a study published in last month's journal of Behavior Therapy by the University of Vermont.
Research found that seasonal mood variations are believed to be related to light, and cloud cover may even contribute to negative affects. For example, SAD is more prevalent at latitudes in the Arctic region, such as Finland where the rate is 9.5 percent.
Light therapy is a way various mental health professionals are beginning to treat the disorder, exposing patients to bright artificial light. During treatment, one sits or work near a device called a light therapy box that mimics outdoor rays.
Scientists also found that combining light therapy with cognitive-behavioral therapy - which focuses on observing and changing one's own thought patterns - worked better than using either therapy alone.
Exposure to bright light is thought to alter your circadian rhythms and suppress your body's natural release of melatonin, according to the Mayo Clinic. Together, these cause biochemical changes in your brain that help reduce or control symptoms.
Light therapy has not been officially approved by the Food and Drug Administration as a treatment for the disorder or other conditions. However, some mental health providers consider it beneficial.
But if insurance doesn't cover such treatment and you've not the funds for a light box of your own, there is an alternative to that cabin-fever pitch - grab your coat, pull on those snow boots and venture out into the fresh air and sunshine.
"When you've been tucked away in your house all winter, I think it's healthy to bundle up and take a walk," said Marshalltown's Jaye Loffgren. "I do that and it makes me feel better."
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Contact Tammy R. Lawson at 641-753-6611 or tlawson@timesrepublican.com
