eileen

This article mentions going to a tanning salon for help.

Don't let darkness get to you
By JAMIE KELLY of the Missoulian

Ah, Montana weather, we know thee well.

One day, a beautiful blue autumn sky. The next, bone-chilling grayness.

And for thousands of Missoulians, depression sets in like a blanket of gloom.
Nearly one in 10 people in the northern United States suffers from seasonal affective disorder, also called the winter blues. Most of those people will do nothing about it but ride it out like they do every year.

Except for those who are genetically depressed or bipolar to such a degree that medication is necessary, there are ways to fight this menace with lifestyle changes, one Missoula naturopathic physician said Friday.

The trouble with winter is it has the ability to upset the natural cycles of the body, also called the circadian rhythm, according to Mark Janikula, who's treated patients in Minnesota and most recently Missoula, where he moved nine months ago.

“Every person has a 24-hour cycle, and every aspect of our hormones and neurotransmitters have a moment in that cycle where they're out to play in the sun,” he said. “What happens a lot of times with seasonal affective disorder, that rhythm just gets off.”

The sufferer can find even the most simple tasks of the day burdensome, as the condition robs them of energy and motivation. Add the lack of sunlight, as well as the tendency to eat and sleep too much in the cold months, and you have a recipe for what can be a major depressive episode.

Janikula saw it right after moving to Missoula.

“I noticed that when spring came around, the town was twice as populated as I thought it was,” he said.

In most cases, people can be treated without drugs, he believes.

The answers lie in fish, vitamin D, light, exercise and carbohydrates.

So here's what Janikula recommends if you feel the strain of blues playing like background music in your head:

Fish oil. Take it, and take it often. It contains fatty acids that almost literally lube up that sluggish brain.

Vitamin D. Take it, and take it often. Some studies have shown that vitamin D - which is vastly reduced in the body when the sun hangs low - is tied to mood.

Light. View it, and view it often. Light therapy, once considered experimental, is now mainstream. Viewed in the morning especially, those lights - which you can buy or rent - have the ability to regulate the body's natural hormonal and sleep rhythms. Even visiting a tanning salon can help.

Carbohydrates. Avoid them, and avoid them often. Carbs - especially the simple ones, like sugar - give the brain an artificial high in the short term, but suck the serotonin out of the brain during the crash phase. And during the crash, the body begins to crave even more carbs, creating a vicious circle. Think more protein and more fat.

Exercise. Do it, and do it often. Particularly in the morning, exercise can lead to a major boost in serotonin.

As a naturopathic physician, Janikula is aware that some in his field come from an anti-drug ethic, but said that approach is both irrational and potentially dangerous to those who suffer from major depression.

“Unfortunately, the people who are anti-drug are the loudest, but anyone who's rational and looks at health and disease from a rational perspective, knows it would be almost cruel if they didn't prescribe medications at certain times,” he said.

Reporter Jamie Kelly can be reached at 523-5254 or at jkelly@missoulian.com.

SOURCE: http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2...nal/news08.txt

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under-exposure to uv rays is as dangerous as over-exposure...This is "D" life! (eileen)

aimeekat

I lived in Alaska for about 4 years, where the suicide rate is at it's highest during the holiday season, around the winter solstice. During that time people were encouraged to use "happy lights" which were actually face tanners, etc. I'd drive to the salon ****** off at the world and sing along to the radio all the way home. Unfortunately, I never understood why and honestly didn't even care to ask. Lack Vitamin D was never something that was explained, I just knew it felt good.

Lots of bronzed Alaskans.