Have you ever noticed that feel a little sadder or more tired in the winter? It might not be your imagination. It could be seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, for short.
Seasonal affective disorder is a diagnosable condition, but we don’t know a lot about it yet. It’s a subtype of depression or bipolar disorder that, as its name suggests, affects people during specific times of the year.
Winter-pattern SAD comes into play during this time of year. Scientists think it directly links to the shorter days, so it’s well worth talking about with Daylight Saving Time ending on November 7.
Most of us don’t love the sun setting pretty much in line with getting off work. But SAD takes things to the next level, causing serious symptoms that could leave you struggling through the winter season.
What causes SAD
Researchers are just starting to look into SAD and the reasons behind it. Early research suggests that people get winter-onset seasonal affective disorder because of the shorter daylight hours. Less time with the sun can interrupt your circadian rhythm and affect both your serotonin and melatonin levels. Serotonin and melatonin both help to stabilize your mood, and serotonin plays a key role in feelings of happiness and well-being.
Basically, your brain chemistry can take a hit because of shorter days and darker nights.
The symptoms of winter-onset SAD
If you have seasonal affective disorder that comes on during the winter, your symptoms might include:
- Fatigue
- Sleeping too much
- A depressed mood
- Loss of interest in the things you enjoyed before
- Social withdrawal
- Feelings of worthlessness
- Overeating and weight gain
In other words, SAD that exhibits in the winter looks a lot like major depressive disorder.
You can also experience summer-onset SAD, which looks a lot like the manic periods that affect someone with bipolar disorder. It can lead to insomnia, agitation, and anxiety, for example.
Ultimately, most of us feel some impact from the seasons changing. But if your winter blues are severe enough to impact your qualify of life, you might have SAD.
The good news? You can do things to help yourself get relief from your symptoms.
Treating seasonal affective disorder
Because wintertime SAD links to sunlight exposure, some people get relief from making simple changes to their home and routine. Try to make your daytime environment (your office, living room, etc.) as bright as possible. If it’s an option, sit by a sunny window.
Also, make it a priority to get outside during daylight hours. If your work or school schedule means it’s dark by the time you wrap up for the day, you could take a walk on your lunch break or enjoy your lunch at a park or the beach — basically, anywhere you can get some sun.
If getting more sun in your day doesn’t lift your mood, we can help. With our therapy services, we can give you tools to support better mood regulation through the winter season. You shouldn’t have to wait for spring to feel better, so get in touch today.
