Military Officer - December 2008 - (Page 59) researchers discovered SSRIs could be effective for SAD, too. Light therapy still is a viable alternative for those who prefer to limit their intake of medications or would rather not deal with the possible side effects of antidepressants, but for the majority, taking a pill a day to relieve the symptoms of SAD is the preferred method of dealing with the condition. Mind and mood Yet another oft-recommended treatment is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), notes Rosenthal. First developed by Dr. Aaron Beck, president of the Beck Institute for Cognitive Therapy and Research and a psychiatry professor at the University of Pennsylvania, and colleagues, CBT is a type of therapy that teaches depression sufferers to identify dysfunctional or irrational thoughts that contribute to mood disorders and replace them with more useful patterns of thinking. For example, says Rosenthal, “those with SAD usually withdraw, staying indoors rather than going out and doing things. They not only limit their activities but also their exposure to light. CBT can help people think positively about pushing themselves to get outside, reminding them that they might not have felt like going out in the past, but when they did, they had a good time. That can reverse some of the negative habits and thoughts that make the problem worse and at the same time encourage activities that give them more exposure to light.” Davis is a proponent of lifestyle changes to help fight SAD. Because alcohol is a central nervous system depressant and will only worsen the problem, she suggests cutting down on alcohol intake in winter months. Regular exercise also can help to elevate mood, she notes, as well as “rhythmicity” training — getting up and going to bed at the same time each day — and increasing consumption of omega-3 fatty acids, which might help with mood and energy issues. time into something more lasting. Left untreated, it can develop a life of its own where it extends and becomes a permanent condition,” says Davis. Davis likens depression to having a house fire. “[You] don’t want to put the fire out in three of four rooms and leave it burning in the fourth,” she says. “Once we get people back to their baseline function, we have to be very aggressive about breakthrough symptoms so that the condition doesn’t reignite.” Health professionals stress that SAD usually is easily treated, so there’s no reason to suffer through it. The earlier treatment begins, the sooner those affected once again can enjoy what each season has to offer. MO ON THE WEB To learn more about coping with SAD and other types of depression, visit these Web sites: I Center for Environmental Therapeutics: www.cet.org I Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: www.nacbt.org/whatiscbt.htm I SAD at Medline Plus: www.nlm.nih.gov/ medlineplus/seasonalaffectivedisorder.html I Winter Blues (The Guilford Press, 2005): www.normanrosenthal.com DECEMBER 2008 Action is vital SAD usually begins to clear up at the first signs of spring, but it isn’t something to ignore. “One of the things we worry about with seasonal affective disorder is that it could convert over MILITARY OFFICER 59 http://www.cet.org http://www.nacbt.org/whatiscbt.htm http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/seasonalaffectivedisorder.html http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/seasonalaffectivedisorder.html http://www.normanrosenthal.com
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