Hello Darkness My Old Friend: Seasonal Affective Disorder

Unbiased Science

@unbiasedscipod

Education, Science, Health & Fitness

4.4 • 644 Ratings

🗓️ 30 October 2024

⏱️ 41 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this episode, Dr. Jessica Steier and Dr. Sarah Scheinman welcome clinical psychologist Dr. Nicole Lippman-Barile to explore Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). The scientists examine the clinical criteria, symptoms, and biological mechanisms underlying SAD, while addressing both winter and summer variations of the condition. They discuss evidence-based treatment approaches, including light therapy, medication, and psychotherapy, emphasizing the legitimacy of SAD as a mental health condition. The conversation provides practical strategies for managing seasonal mood changes and fatigue, offering listeners valuable insights into understanding and treating this common disorder. All our sources from this episode are available at: https://www.unbiasedscipod.com/episodes/ (00:00) Introduction (03:18) Understanding the Symptoms and Prevalence of SAD (06:16) Clinical Criteria and Diagnosis of SAD (09:11) Biological Mechanisms Behind SAD (12:32) Treatment Options for Seasonal Affective Disorder (15:16) Heard from the Herd: Listener Questions on SAD (21:45) Combating Fatigue in Darker Months (26:05) Understanding Light Therapy and Its Effects (30:19) The Vitamin D Debate (34:42) Legitimizing Seasonal Affective Disorder (37:07) Final Thoughts: Exploring Reverse SAD and Its Implications Interested in advertising with us? Please reach out to advertising@airwavemedia.com, with “Unbiased Science” in the subject line. PLEASE NOTE: The discussion and information provided in this podcast are for general educational, scientific, and informational purposes only and are not intended as, and should not be treated as, medical or other professional advice for any particular individual or individuals. Every person and medical issue is different, and diagnosis and treatment requires consideration of specific facts often unique to the individual. As such, the information contained in this podcast should not be used as a substitute for consultation with and/or treatment by a doctor or other medical professional. If you are experiencing any medical issue or have any medical concern, you should consult with a doctor or other medical professional. Further, due to the inherent limitations of a podcast such as this as well as ongoing scientific developments, we do not guarantee the completeness or accuracy of the information or analysis provided in this podcast, although, of course we always endeavor to provide comprehensive information and analysis. In no event may Unbiased Science or any of the participants in this podcast be held liable to the listener or anyone else for any decision allegedly made or action allegedly taken or not taken allegedly in reliance on the discussion or information in this podcast or for any damages allegedly resulting from such reliance. The information provided herein do not represent the views of our employers.

Transcript

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0:00.0	You're listening to an Airwave Media podcast.
0:26.5	Welcome to Unbiased Science, where we bring scientific method to the madness.
0:31.2	Where your host, Dr. Jess Steyer, and Dr. Sarah Scheinman.
0:38.5	We are joined today by someone who was on the pod a few weeks ago, and we actually had so much fun with her and really valued her expertise and her insights that we brought her back. Dr. Nicole Litman Barile, who is a clinical
0:45.2	psychologist, she's back so that we can tackle the topic of seasonal, effective disorder.
0:52.6	So I think that this episode is going to air at the end of October.
0:57.0	We're recording it now in the middle of October. Weather's getting cool, starting to get
1:01.6	darker a little earlier. And a lot of folks are reaching out saying that they're sad.
1:07.6	Their seasonal affective disorder is starting to kick in. So we're going to get into that
1:12.4	today. Sarah and Nicole, do you experience symptoms of seasonal affective disorder if you're willing
1:20.1	to share? Yeah, I absolutely do. 100%. I get hit with this pretty hard and I have for a while, but I also suffer from depression
1:29.8	at other times of the year as well. This is just, I find when the clocks change and the seasons
1:34.9	change is when my symptoms sometimes will start to kick into high gear. I do know this about myself,
1:40.8	though, so I'm able to take steps to sort of mitigate how severely I'm
1:44.6	impacted by it. Thank you. I definitely notice a decline in some mood, like in the winter months,
1:49.4	especially it feels like here in New York that winter can sometimes last for six months. So the
1:56.3	longevity of that, I would say I definitely notice a specific toll in my mood and what that takes.
2:04.3	So yeah, I have, there's a slight decline, but I would say I don't meet full criteria for
2:09.5	bad. So, but I'm also, you know, very aware of that and would understand what I would need to do
2:14.4	in order to prepare for a decline in mood in the coming months.
2:18.3	Well, I'm happy you mentioned criteria. We're definitely going to get into that.
2:21.5	And I, like you, I don't meet the full criteria. But as Sarah shared, you know, I also
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