Seasonal Affect Disorder & OCD

The National Institute of Mental Health reports as many as 2.2 million Americans suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), a condition characterized by ritualistic behaviors and obsessive thinking patterns. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a cyclic form of depression that develops along with OCD symptoms. Both conditions have a debilitating effect on a person's daily life.

Identification

• Seasonal affective disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder are different classifications of emotional illnesses with similar symptoms. SAD is a form of depression that occurs on a seasonal basis, while OCD is an anxiety disorder that can persist over time. Although depression and anxiety are categorized differently, OCD is typically accompanied by a degree of depression. OCD patients with depressive symptoms may find that seasonal changes affect their moods, though a link between the two illnesses is yet to be established.

Symptoms

• The common form of seasonal affective disorder occurs during the fall and winter months, and is triggered by the decrease in daylight during these months. Symptoms include loss of energy, depression, anxiety, feelings of hopelessness, social withdrawal and excessive sleeping, which gradually worsen as the season progresses. Obsessive-compulsive disorder is centered around obsessive thinking patterns that lead to ritualistic behaviors which are carried out in an attempt to stop the persistent thought patterns. Other symptoms that can accompany OCD are depression, social isolation and feelings of hopelessness, also evident in SAD.

Causes

• The exact causes for seasonal affective disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder are unknown. Genetics, age and body chemistry are suspected causes for both disorders, however additional factors may play a role in SAD. As SAD is triggered by the change in daylight, a patient's circadian rhythms is also affected by the change in seasons. Circadian rhythms act as a biological clock that let the body know when to sleep. The hormone melatonin may also be affected by decreased hours of daylight in terms of brain chemistry. In the August, 2007 issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry, the study headed by Jason B. Potash, M.D., entitled "The Bipolar Disorder Phenome Database: A Resource for Genetic Studies," provided scientific proof of a hereditary OCD link within families where borderline personality disorder is present. This was done by extracting DNA materials from a total of 1,177 families.

Effects

• The key similarities between seasonal affective disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder are that both can be debilitating and impair a person's ability to carry out everyday tasks. SAD is at times mistaken for the "winter blues," but symptoms prevent sufferers from going to work or getting out of bed at all. in severe cases. OCD is a persistent condition with symptoms that come and go over time. As anxiety is the driving force behind this disorder, avoidance behaviors tend to increase over time. Ritualistic behaviors like hand-washing and checking door locks or appliance switches overtake normal behavior during the course of a day, resulting in frequent absences from work and reclusive tendencies.

Considerations

• In the December, 1991 issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry, Teresa A. Pigott, M.D. discussed the outcome of the study entitled "Season Variation in Obsessive Compulsive Disorder," where the effects of seasonal changes were examined in individuals with obsessive compulsive disorder. Researchers used light therapy to determine how changes in daylight exposure effect the symptoms of the disorder. A questionnaire was given to 34 participants to assess any existent seasonal patterns in mood and behavior. In addition, a global seasonality score was taken both before and after light therapy treatments. The participants who reported increased symptoms during the winter months showed little improvement from the light therapy treatments. Based on these findings, it was concluded that seasonal changes have little to no effect on symptoms experienced with OCD.