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SALT LAKE CITY -- Not everyone gets excited when the weather warms up. Just like winter, spring and summer could be depressing for some people.
Many people associate Seasonal Affective Disorder with the fall and winter, possibly due to diminished sunlight.
Dr. Paul Teman with the University of Utah Sleep-Wake Center said, "There are some people that also get down in the spring and summer months, which kind of goes against that theory.
Teman also has a background in psychiatry. He says it might be linked to increased light messing with their sleep cycles. "It's the timing of the light that is one of the biggest factors. It's not just the intensity of light but also when you get that light. That might have an effect on mood," he said.
Although, he says that's just one of the many theorized causes of the disorder.
Is there a cure for the summertime blues?
Technically, no, there is no cure, but there is treatment. But treatment is different depending on which season makes the patient feel depressed. In the winter, one of the main treatments is more light.
Dr. Teman said, "You can get these things called ‘light boxes' that you would administer in the morning hours [about] 30 to 60 minutes. You don't want to stare directly at it but you could have it a few feet away from you and you can do some other activity when you're doing it."
In the summer, medication would be more common. "There's a medication that's actually approved for Seasonal Affective Disorder called Wellbutrin," Teman said.
He says the disorder in winter has been severe enough to force people to move to a sunnier location.
E-mail: pnelson@ksl.com
