'SAD' leaves many people feeling down

LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - Spring is just around the corner, and for people who suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), it couldn't come fast enough.

St. Elizabeth Regional Health therapist Nicky Smith said people with SAD tend to feel depressed during winter months but recover once it's over.

"They are more sensitive to the changes in the weather, as opposed to people who are depressed all the time," Smith said.

She said SAD is very common in places like Indiana where there is not a lot of light in the winter.

"The northern states have more and Indiana is in the Seasonal Affective Disorder Belt and so that means that we have long winters," Smith said.

This disorder stems from a Vitamin D deficiency.

"If there is no sunshine, it doesn't hit the skin. Vitamin D isn't stored in the body. Vitamin D is produced when sunlight hits the skin. The same reason why when the sun hits the retina of the eye it gets the pineal gland to produce the hormones that we need," Smith said.

There is good news for those who suffer from SAD: Smith said the treatment is free. All you really need is access to sunlight, but there are some indoor options as well.

"It's photo-therapy that we use. It's a safe light but it is designed to mimic sunlight," Smith said.

Smith also recommended taking a daily Vitamin D supplement. Antidepressants and cognitive-based therapy might also be used.

"People would say 'Well as soon as it starts getting brighter, we should feel better,' but if you have the deficiencies of the hormone during the winter months you're not going to just snap out of it just because the sun is shining," Smith said.

Whether we suffer from SAD or not, most of us are happy to see the days growing longer.