"THE HEART OF THE MATTER"
a special program of the National Emergency Medicine Association (NEMA)
Week: 601.2
Guest: Dr. Gordon Wallace
Topic: Preliminary Seasonal Affective Disorder (Sub-SAD)
Host/Producer: Steve Girard
NEMA: Avoid a Winter depression...coming up...
SPOT: 15 years in the prevention of heart disease, stroke and trauma - the National Emergency Medicine Association. Call 800-332- 6362.
NEMA: Feeling bad during the cold months...Winter Blues, can sometimes develop into full blown Seasonal Affective Disorder...a form of depression. Dr. Gordon Wallace fills us in on the beginning stages...
WALLACE: A lot of people, during the wintertime, have what we call Sub-Syndromal SAD, or S-SAD...and these people just do not function as well during the wintertime. They're not as productive, they sleep more, they're more lethargic...and these people can also benefit from light therapy, which is the choice of therapies for treating Seasonal Affective Disorder.
NEMA: The idea is that many people are very affected by the lack of light during the winter...and need therapies to bring up their spirit...
WALLACE: It's very firmly established medically and scientifically now. A few years ago, there were raised eyebrows..."alternative medicine", and that sort of thing. But now, it's well accepted, well established by those who are aware of it.
NEMA: The light therapy, in most cases of preliminary Seasonal Affective Disorder, may help avoid the use of drugs at all. I'm Steve Girard at The Heart of the Matter.