Seasonal Affective Disorder
The weather gets cooler, the sun sets earlier, and the yellow butterflies have gone south. As the beauty of fall fades into winter, some people experience a notable change in their mood. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), also known as seasonal depression, is a type of depression that occurs specifically during winter months. Although it’s more common in northern states, it can still affect people in warmer climates.
What Is SAD?
Seasonal affective disorder is a mental health condition that impacts about 5 percent of Americans. While the cause is unclear, scientists think SAD may be triggered by lower exposure to sunlight. This change in daylight likely reduces serotonin levels in the brain and may also increase melatonin production, thus impacting mood and sleep patterns. Lower levels of vitamin D in the winter can also contribute to less serotonin.
What Are the Signs?
Symptoms of SAD are similar to those that occur with major depression. These signs can range from mild to severe and typically cause problems with daily activities and personal relationships. They may include:
Feeling down, depressed, or hopeless
Difficulty concentrating
Irritability or restlessness
Feeling sluggish and tired
Losing interest in normally enjoyable activities
Changes in appetite or weight
People with seasonal depression may also be prone to withdrawing socially, experiencing cravings for carbohydrates, and oversleeping.
How Is SAD Treated?
Like all forms of depression, people generally see the most improvement with a combination of treatment strategies. These include talking with a therapist to develop skills to manage depression and taking medications to lessen symptoms. Some people find relief by adding in complementary therapies like meditation, massage, and acupuncture.
People with seasonal depression may also benefit from vitamin D supplementation and phototherapy with a light box. Light boxes deliver bright light to treat symptoms of SAD. In order to effectively treat seasonal depression, specific features related to intensity and levels of UV light are needed.
If you feel depressed, fatigued, and irritable at the same time each year, and these feelings improve with a change of season, you may have a form of SAD. It’s important to discuss your symptoms with a health care provider and come up with a treatment plan together. From talk therapy to medication to nutrition, the staff at Evolve Counseling & Wellness Center collaborate and coordinate services so that clients feel supported by a team of experts to achieve their wellness goals.