Have you heard of SAD? If not this article is for you. If you have, this article is for you too.

SAD is an acronym for Seasonal Affective Disorder. It is a disorder that is estimated to affect 2 to 3% of the UK population every winter. That translates to 8,800 to 13,000 people could be affected in the Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire areas alone. So what exactly is this SAD (also sometimes referred to as the winter blues)?

Basically, lack of light causes this medically recognised condition. This lack of light causes a chemical imbalance in the brain of suffers which then brings on the typical symptoms. These symptoms are: depression, sleep problems, lethargy, overeating, difficulty concentrating or memory recall, irritability, finding harder to be with others, anxiety, loss of libido, and mood changes in spring. These recur regularly each winter and sometimes can be experienced during the summer when there are prolonged periods of dull weather or low levels of light at work or home.

Light therapy is the natural and a proven treatment of this condition. Every year more studies have shown the benefits from light treatment and as awareness is raised, more and more people can get through the winter with diminished symptoms by using one of a variety of light treatments.

This is all very helpful to the sufferer, however, we are all human. First of all, many people suspect they suffer from SAD or sub-syndromal SAD but are unsure of admitting it to themselves, let alone to someone else. Next, they don't know where to go for help. Although the medical community is accepting SAD as a real, treatable condition, many GPs are still reluctant to diagnose it, and treat it as regular depression. The problem with that is some anti-depressants are not suitable for SAD treatment as they promote drowsiness - the last thing a sleepy SAD sufferer needs! Also, antidepressants take time to work, where light therapy usually takes only 3 to 4 days before patients see a positive result.

If people go the self-help route, like I did, it can be a lonely road. I have suffered from SAD for over 10 years, having been diagnosed with it before immigrating to Scotland from Canada in 1993. Since then I have bad years with a few not so bad years. I had to research the light therapy myself as the GPs I saw were more inclined to prescribe antidepressants, which I didn't feel comfortable taking. I invested in a light visor three years ago which made a huge difference. However, the winter of 2000/2001 was one of the worst episodes of the SAD I have ever experienced. This was wholly my own fault because I didn't use the light treatment. Since then, I have spoken to several others who suffer from SAD and this seems to be a common problem. Keeping the motivation and routine can be difficult as depression itself can cause a cycle of apathy to using the light - especially if you are faced to carry out the treatment on your own initiative. But my story has a happy ending because I now use a light box which emitts 10,000 lux of light. (Light intensity is measured in lux., the average office is only 1,500 to 2,000 lux.) With an hour of bathing my eyes in the light every morning, I have had no symptoms of SAD this winter.

I decided that I could offer my information and personal experience to others who may be suffering. I started the Laurencekirk SAD support group for this reason. Funding for the group is based on donations and commissions gained from the sale of light boxes and other products.