The season may be the reason for the blues

For many people, the winter season is associated with depression.Sometimes it is the result of past problems or trauma associatedwith the holiday season.

Other forms of seasonal depression can be related to the "let-down" effects often described as the post-holiday blues.

Another influence that lends itself to depressed mood is thebeginning of the new year, and our concerns about New Year'sresolutions. We often feel regret or guilt about having failed toaccomplish previous goals or frustration about the plans we wish toestablish for the coming year.

Then there is the depression that is actually related to theseason of winter, called seasonal affective disorder, or SAD. It isassociated with the amount of exposure we have to sunlight.

The pattern is typically clear. During the summer months a personwith SAD will be energetic, relatively elated and productive. In thewinter, he or she will slow down, feel lethargic, be underactive,overeat, oversleep and crave carbohydrates.

The solution to seasonal depression is light.

Exposure to full spectrum light and re-establishment of theproper biological rhythms can usually lead to significant diminutionof symptoms. Light therapy involves use of full-spectrum lightingduring the early morning and late evening hours to simulate thedaytime light patterns of the summer months.

In addition, brightness is important. The light should be atleast 2500 lux. A normal living room might be only 100 or 299 lux.

Best results are obtained when a person looks at the fullspectrum light once each minute between 5 and 8 a.m. and 5 and 8p.m.

It also helps to keep lights on in the home during those hoursand to replace bulbs in domestic lights with full-spectrum bulbs.

If you notice that your mood falls during the winter months, itmight be worthwhile to try more light.

If your symptoms are debilitating even after light enhancement,then it is time to seek medical help.

The Roman physician A. Cornelius Celcus was ahead of his timewhen he passed along these helpful hints: "Live in rooms full oflight; avoid heavy food; be moderate in the drinking of wine; takemassage, baths, exercise and gymnastics ... strictly avoidfrightening ideas; indulge in cheerful conversations and amusements;and listen to music."

What should we do about those resolutions and our failed goalsfrom the past?

Martin Rossman and David Bresler, two California physicians, haveworked with interactive-guided imagery, a form of visualization thatallows a therapist to guide a patient inward and to discoverunderlying causes for current symptoms and release them. Suchtechniques often assist with release of physical as well asemotional tension.

Other, less structured forms of visualization also can be veryhelpful.

For example, daily practice of simply visualizing or imagining apeaceful scene that you visit in your mind can produce a relaxedphysiology that persists throughout the day.

Nutrients also have applications to the winter blues. Previouscolumns have mentioned St. John's Wort, a plant extract that hasexcellent antidepressant qualities and also has some immune-enhancing effects that are helpful during the winter months.

The added stress of the winter season can further be addressedwith ginseng supplementation. Panax or Korean ginseng has been usedthroughout the ages to enhance energy, stimulate immune function andimprove brain function. Ginseng supplementation during the wintermonths can help to relieve the extra stress of cold weather, combatinfection, improve general sense of well-being and improve mood.

Panax ginseng should be avoided if you have high blood pressureand should typically be taken only periodically in cycles of abouttwo months at a time with periods of two to three weeks betweencycles. The usual dose is 75 to 150 mg daily of a standardized 7percent extract.

Robert Burton, born in 1577, became famous for his encyclopedicstudy of depression, "Anatomy of Melancholy." The first editionappeared in 1621 and there were five revised editions during thenext 30 years. His life as an Anglican clergyman may have left himwith excesses of contemplative time.

Much of what he wrote describes his own journey throughdepression. It is likely that he wrote and lived in under-illuminated circumstances, so maybe he was an early sufferer of SAD.

In any event, his eventual cure for depression was lovingrelationships and meditation - again, both timely remedies wellsuited to our contemporary holistic approach to the winter blues andnot so different from the suggestions of our Roman physician,Cornelius.

Some information is timeless.