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Winter
Depression and Prayer By Rajah
Lang and Mirium Amer
"As I grew older, the arrival of autumn
every year brought with it a sense of depression held
over from my youth. The coming of winter blanketed my
heart with a darkness that seemed to be inescapable.
Although the world was covered in white, my emotions
were black and grim. I became sullen, I gained weight,
all I wanted to do was sleep. The sadness appeared in
late September, and seemed to fade away with the first
new leaves of spring, and the call of the arriving
robins. Like the crocuses and daffodils awakening from
their slumber, my soul seemed to wake up as well.
"As an adult, I have learned to put a
name to this seasonal depression: Seasonal Affective
Disorder, or SAD. Somewhere, somehow, a wise and knowing
person recognized that millions upon millions of human
beings across the world acknowledged the same symptoms I
had suffered through virtually every autumn and winter
of my entire life. This wise and knowing person put a
name to it, and suggested treatment: light. Bright,
blazing, intense, warm, wonderful light." - Mirium
Many people suffer from what is call SAD
or Seasonal Affective Disorder. SAD is a particular form
of acute depression. People born in warmer climates and
move to cold climates find they are unusually
susceptible to this disorder. However, no matter where
you live, this disorder usually begins when the
temperature begins to drop, and the daylight hours grow
short. This winter depression may be accompanied by a
craving for sweet foods and a resulting weight gain, as
well as difficulty in motivating oneself to rise from
bed in the morning before sunrise. In severe cases
medical attention needs to be sought, especially for
those persons whose normal routines are interrupted and
they find themselves withdrawn and overly sad, seeking
sleep during the daytime hours, and unable to perform
their normal duties.
Some people also experience Summer SAD
due to lack of exposure to the sun in the summer months.
This may be due to long hours at indoor work or to
avoidance of the sun in very hot climates - such as
Saudi Arabia. Symptoms of Summer SAD may be poor
appetite, weight loss and insomnia. Either type of SAD
may also include symptoms present in some other kinds of
depression, such as feelings of guilt, a loss of
interest or pleasure in activities, persistent feelings
of hopelessness or helplessness, or physical problems
such as headaches and tummy troubles.
In ALL cases of SAD, however, melatonin
seems to be the common link in the causes of the
disorder. Melatonin is a natural hormone made by the
body's pineal (pih-knee-uhl) gland. The pineal gland
lies at the base of the brain. When the sun goes down,
and darkness comes, the pineal gland "goes to work." As
melatonin production rises, a person begins to feel less
alert and body temperature starts to fall. Sleep seems
more inviting. Then, melatonin levels drop quickly with
the dawning of a new day. Levels are so low during the
day, in fact, that scientists often have difficulty
detecting melatonin at all during the day. Melatonin
levels thus go hand in hand with the light-dark cycle,
not just for people, but also for
plants and animals that keep alert during
the day. Melatonin production is also related to age.
Children manufacture more melatonin than the elderly do
and melatonin production begins to drop at puberty.
Also, when days become shorter and darker the production
of this hormone increases. Melatonin levels in the body
determine a person's activity and "energy" level. High
melatonin levels cause drowsiness, while low melatonin
levels correspond to an alert state of consciousness.
Light therapy using special light lamps
is the most common ways to alleviate this struggle for
alertness. Our bodies need a full spectrum of light
to carry out a variety
of metabolic processes and produce melatonin at
acceptable
levels.
Light entering the eye regulates body chemistry, and in
particular, the secretion or suppression
of melatonin. Note, however, that due to UV dangers,
therapists do not recommend the use of tanning beds as a
cure for SAD
http://www.nu-light.com
Some
very light-sensitive people who live or work in dim
environments may feel improvement with increased
exposure to normal room light. Research studies show,
however, that most sufferers of SAD and winter doldrums
require exposure to light levels much higher than
ordinary indoor lamps and ceiling fixtures provide. Such
therapeutic levelsare five to twenty times higher (as
measured in lux or foot-candles by a light meter) than
typical indoor illumination in the home or office. Aside
from these environmental treatments, some sufferers find
that standard antidepressant medications provide relief,
even if they do not reach their normal level of well
being until spring or summer. Many patients have been in
psychotherapy and found it to be helpful to them in many
ways but unfortunately, not in relieving their SAD
symptoms
However, as Muslims we can have faith
that the symptoms of SAD will not remain all year long.
For Allah (swat) set everything in motion and the
days will grow long again as soon as
December 21st. On this shortest day of the year in the
Northern Hemisphere, the sun is at its lowest and
weakest, a pivotal point from which the light will grow
stronger and brighter once again feeding us with light
and warmth. This event will alleviate SAD and make it
easier to arise and perform wudu and salat.
Sources:
American Academy of
Family Physicians. "Information from Your Family Doctor,
Seasonal Affective Disorder." American Academy of Family
Physicians.
February 2000. |
