Jennifer McPhee
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Nov 01/02) - Darkness is creeping up on us. And the blackness of winter is notoriously linked to sunken spirits.

It's dark by the time people leave work at 5 p.m. Here, Yvette Morin walks along Franklin Avenue on her way home. - Merle Robillard/NNSL photo

During the winter some people head home from work, stare at their television and then go to bed early.

They're basically in hibernation.

But it doesn't have to be that way.

Alasdair Drinnan cross-country skies by moonlight after work. "I just grew up doing it," he explains.

He advises people not to shun the darkness. "Just go out into it, don't be afraid to do whatever you want to do just because it's dark."

Jennifer Kraus says the winter blahs hit her early but then fade away. "It takes a while to get used to it."

Weirdly, M. J. Dumas says she both sleeps more and gets more exercise during the winter. "And now that I have a puppy, I'm out every night."

A.J. Saunders finds darker days do affect his mood. He's not "a bar person" so he doesn't paint the town red during the winter. But he does entertain more at home and keep active and tries to get away at least getting away once during the winter."

More people do hit the gym during the winter, says Atef Hamie, owner of Break Away gym.

And, if you're so inclined, you can always put a little fake sunshine into your life.

Kurtis Eddy says using tanning beds lifts his mood. "It does make you feel better, like you've been on a holiday or something."

People who feel extremely depressed in the winter may have Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), which is caused by a lack of sunlight absorbed through the eyes. Symptoms include depression, oversleeping and cravings for carbohydrates.

Every winter, the Canadian Mental Health Association, NWT Division, lends out its special high intensity sun lamp.

About two per cent of Canadians suffer from SAD and 10 to 14 per cent experience a milder form of the disorder called the winter blues.

"It's like a continuous bout of the flu," said Michael Mann, general manager of the Canadian Mental Health Association, NWT Division.

The precise cause of SAD is still a mystery. However, scientists believe that high light intensity stimulates the brain to produce more serotonin, a neurotransmitter known to counter depression.

It also helps cut back on the amount of melatonin released during the day.

Melatonin is a substance produced by the brain that makes us sleepy come night time. Bright light in the morning stops its release.