| g the early 1980s, a man called Herb Kern, began | | | | mind'. However, this judgement is only based on |
| to believe that his seasonal cycle of fatigue and | | | | 'their views' of SAD and not on relevant research |
| depression may be caused by the shorter and | | | | or knowledge. Indeed, the CAP have put a stop |
| duller daylight hours of winter. Herb approached | | | | to any mention of SAD, as it is 'in the best |
| the National Institute for Mental Health (USA) with | | | | interest of the public'. Put in plain English, the CAP |
| his observations. There, doctors proposed a | | | | believe that the public are not ready for such |
| treatment whereby Herb was exposed to bright | | | | information, that the lay person may be influenced |
| light, equivalent to summer sunlight. By the fourth | | | | into believing that they are suffering with SAD. |
| day of light exposure his symptoms had virtually | | | | Indeed, the public cannot be trusted with such |
| disappeared (Lewy et al 1982). This was the start | | | | information and therefore, ignorance is bliss! |
| of our acknowledging the condition that has come | | | | It should be stated that it is not the intention of |
| to be known as Seasonal Affective Disorder | | | | this article to pass judgement on the CAP, as |
| (SAD) or the Winter Blues. | | | | they are only trying to do their job. The CAP |
| In all mammals, the desire to sleep is brought on | | | | have to monitor all media for advertisement |
| by the secretion of a hormone called melatonin. In | | | | infringements, inform advertisers of the relevant |
| the evening the pineal gland reacts to the | | | | codes of practices and maintain high ethical |
| diminishing levels of daylight and begins producing | | | | standards within all advertising drenched media's, |
| melatonin. Melatonin is then released into the blood | | | | and all this is achieved by only ten, over |
| and flows through the body making us drowsy. | | | | stretched, CAP employees… |
| Its secretion peaks in the middle of the night | | | | However, extensive research, which has been |
| during our heaviest hours of sleep. In the morning, | | | | conducted over the last twenty years, has |
| bright light shining into the eye reaches the pineal | | | | concluded that SAD is a biological fact and |
| gland, which reacts by switching off the | | | | irrefutably linked to our highly complicated |
| production of melatonin, thus removing the desire | | | | hormonal systems. It is not a psychosocial |
| to sleep. | | | | phenomena which is all in the mind of the neurotic |
| Seasonal affective disorder can be characterised | | | | or hypochondriac. |
| by four main symptoms: | | | | The problem that is inherent with labelling a |
| * extreme fatigue | | | | disorder as 'all in the mind' is that the sufferer will |
| * lack of energy | | | | not be able to receive the correct information, |
| * a greater need for sleep | | | | diagnosis or treatment for their symptoms. |
| * changes in appetite, especially cravings for | | | | Indeed, it is an unfortunately reality that academic |
| carbohydrates and sweets, which can often lead | | | | studies and the results are 'traditionally' slow to |
| to weight gain and depression | | | | filter down to the medical community. This is |
| Further symptoms may include; anxiety, loss of | | | | especially true of disorders which can only be |
| libido, menstrual difficulties and an increased | | | | diagnosed on perceived symptoms such as SAD |
| sensitivity to pain - headaches, muscle and joint | | | | or indeed ME (CFS). |
| pain. | | | | The effect of this can be extremely detrimental |
| Light therapy is now regarded as a first-line | | | | to the health of SAD sufferers. For example, in a |
| treatment for SAD | | | | recent study, it was found that General |
| Since the 1980's, most of the interest in SAD has | | | | practitioners consultation time is mainly taken up |
| been stimulated by its treatment response to | | | | by SAD sufferers during the Autumn and Winter |
| bright artificial light. Clinical consensus guidelines are | | | | (Kendrick, 2002). However, it has been found that |
| now recommending light therapy as 'a first-line | | | | only one out of 25 cases of SAD are actually |
| treatment for SAD' (Lam & Levitt, 1999). | | | | diagnosed and 50% of SAD sufferers are being |
| Indeed, the treatment of SAD is almost | | | | miss-diagnosed with clinical depression and |
| exclusively associated with light therapy. | | | | needlessly prescribed antidepressants (Michalak et |
| Surprisingly, research has consistently found that | | | | al, 2001). Clearly, as light therapy is the only |
| the general prevalence of severe SAD accounts | | | | effective treatment for SAD symptoms, then |
| for 5-10% of any population, who live 30 degrees | | | | these individuals are not receiving the best advice |
| north or south of the equator. Further, it has | | | | from their health services let alone the correct |
| been found that approximately 25% of these | | | | diagnosis and treatment for their condition. |
| populations suffer with sub-syndromal SAD or | | | | SAD is a reality and a consequence of living |
| S-SAD, which is a milder, yet still problematic | | | | outside our natural habitat. Indeed, working within |
| form of SAD. Therefore, it can be concluded that | | | | socially constructed environments such as offices |
| 30-35% of the UK population are suffering (to | | | | without natural light are compounding SAD |
| varying degrees) with seasonal effects during the | | | | symptoms and we cannot biologically evolve fast |
| dark winter months. | | | | enough to adapt to our 'light deficient' society. |
| Taking all this information into account, it would be | | | | With up to 35% of the UK population suffering |
| easy to think that the awareness of SAD would | | | | seasonal symptoms it is clear that we need to |
| be quite high, yet this is not the case. One reason | | | | raise peoples awareness of this endemic disorder |
| for this is that the Committee of Advertising | | | | and thus replace miss-diagnosis and stigma with |
| Practices (CAP), who enforce advertising codes | | | | recognition, acceptance and effective treatment. |
| within the UK, have deemed SAD to be 'all in the | | | | |