Chinese Medicine and Seasonal Affective Disorder

The phenomenon of winter is the need to conserve and replenish. This can be seen in nature: most animals hibernate or remain near their nests, only venturing forth to replenish their food supply. Winter is a time to gather in, to remain still and quiet. Trees have pulled their resources in and hold them deep within their trunks and roots.

Human beings should gather their energy in as well. To remain healthy in the winter, both physically and emotionally, it is important to conserve energy, to rest when tired and sleep later if possible. A quote from the Chinese medical classics reinforces this: “Retire early at night and rise late in the morning; wait for the rising of the sun.”

A good winter means a powerful spring. The cold and dark of the winter enable the seeds to gather power for their energetic start in the spring. This gestation time of winter is important. It is a great time to take stock and gather your energy.
The element of winter is Water. It controls our ability to flow through life and emotions. Too little Water and we become brittle and inflexible, too much and we are drowning. The modern Western tendency is toward too little of the Water element.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is characterized by “symptoms of increased fatigue, increased sleep duration and increased appetite and weight.” The interesting aspect of this characterization is that it describes the natural order in the winter. Nature designed this time of year to be one in which we, along with animals and plants, need more sleep and therefore experience fatigue. The basic premise is that a person who has these symptoms is depressed. Other symptoms included decreased social interaction.

From a Chinese Medicine perspective these very symptoms are what should be expected during the season of cold and dark. It is only through modern inventions that we are even able to contemplate living with the same level of energy and social interaction during the winter months that we would expect in the summer. Formerly, we were constrained by that very same darkness and cold to be more interior during this season. Light faded early and human beings did not extend their time awake much beyond the sunset. This resulted in more hours of sleep and less activity.

Inactivity or less activity increases weight gain even when the same number of calories are ingested. Lesser activity is actually a natural aspect of the winter, again as reflected in the animals’ behavior. In addition, the winter is a time when higher carbohydrate foods are generally eaten. Root vegetables were stored for winter eating, hence the name “root cellar.” The foods that preserved best tended to be higher in carbohydrates, even dried fruits have concentrated sugars compared to their fresh brethren. The weight gain may also be attributed to the easy availability of food. Previously winter food was only what the family or community had stored from their harvest and had to last the entire winter. Overeating at this time of year was rare and even dangerous to the survival of the individual and family.

For modern man overeating, heightened activity and minimal sleep are all considered normal. Think about the time from November through early January. At least in Western cultures we are expected to be very active. Holiday parties and shopping consume our nonworking hours. Social engagements are increased and woe to the person who chooses not to participate. He or she is considered antisocial and depressed. The party food generally consists of high carbohydrate snacks and meals. Is it any wonder people gain weight?

Winter energy demands rest and more sleep just as summer energy should include less sleep, heightened activity and social engagement. Perhaps we should take a longer look at our expectations before labeling something that is quite natural as symptomatic of an illness. Expecting the different energies of the seasons to not affect how people behave and feel is denying the true nature of human beings.