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Kim, born and raised in Florida, is in her first year of work
as a missionary near St. Petersburg, Russia. Excited about new
opportunities, she quickly developed good relationships with team
members and nationals alike.
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But now, as the long Russian winter sets in, she finds that she experiences increasing tiredness, is sleeping more and is finding it more difficult to get up in the morning. She is gaining weight and has developed a craving for sweets and breads. She is less confident about her worth to the team, and is feeling that her spiritual fervor is waning. She wonders if she should have come to Russia at all. She may be experiencing SAD....not sadness, but Seasonal Affective Disorder. "Affective" is the term used to describe when a person's mood is not normal...usually depressed. Some people experience the onset of a depressed mood during the fall and winter, along with feelings of lethargy and fatigue, a desire to sleep longer but never feeling rested, and a craving for carbohydrates, usually leading to weight gain. S.A.D. affects women 4 to 5 times as often as men. The likelihood of experiencing winter depression increases with higher latititudes; in the U.S., risks range from about 2% in Florida to 10% in New England. Risks may be as high as 40% in those who have had a previous depression from any cause. There are no diagnostic laboratory studies or physical examination abnormalities. The depressed mood usually lasts about 5 months, compared to the much shorter "holiday blues" which may occur around the holiday season; in the Southern Hemisphere, the risk is high during the winter months of April through August. The cause of S.A.D. is light deprivation, seen both as a result of the shorter, dark days of winter, and indoor winter work environments. Some people experience S.A.D. when they have to live or work in dark environments (like basements) regardless of the season. Treatment for S.A.D. consists of light therapy; portable "light boxes" with high intensity fluorescent bulbs are used (it isn't possible to increase normal room lighting enough to be helpful). 30 minutes each day of exposure is usually sufficient to relieve the symptoms of S.A.D. Less intense light can be used, but increased time (up to two hours) is needed for it to be effective. This is a safe treatment with few if any side effects. A newer development is the "dawn simulator", a timer which turns on a bedside light several hours before awakening, gradually increasing the intensity until the normal time of awakening. There are a number of manufacturers of both the high intensity lights and the dawn simulators, including some who will configure their light for 220v and special plugs such as might be encountered outside of the U.S. We can provide the names of these manufacturers; just contact us and ask for the information about S.A.D. lights. Having the right amount of light is important for health, but knowing the One who is the Light of the world is necessary for eternal life. Sunlight and lamps are helpful now, but for those who trust in Jesus, there will be a time when they will no longer be needed: "....and they shall not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God shall illumine them, and they shall reign forever and ever..." (Rev 22:5). |
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