Beyond the Winter Blues: Seasonal Affective Disorder

The winter blues feel like a real phenomenon. With the arrival of the cold season, the days are shorter, and the temperature drops. For a lot of people, this change can throw them off. The earlier sunset can make people feel more tired.

For people with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), these changes are more severe and occur every year around this time of seasonal changes.

What is SAD?
As opposed to depression, which is a steady, chronic condition, SAD occurs seasonally. Doctors will diagnose SAD if a patient recurrently feels depressive symptoms at around the same time. The more common form of SAD starts in the fall and runs through the winter months.

Causes of SAD
Some factors make it more likely for someone to develop SAD.

• Women are four times more likely
• Having depression or bipolar disorder
• A family history of depression or SAD
• Being younger or in one's teens

The biological cause of SAD is not entirely understood. However, certain links have been found between SAD and difficulty regulating serotonin, melatonin, and Vitamin D levels.

• Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that affects mood.
• Melatonin is in charge of circadian rhythms. It's theorized that people with SAD may have more melatonin than needed. Triggered by the short days of winter, people with SAD become more fatigued and sluggish.
• Vitamin D is also crucial in mood regulation. Again, short days mean less sunlight, so people with SAD may have a vitamin D deficiency.

SAD Symptoms
Most signs of SAD are similar to depression, but the key is that these symptoms are triggered by the seasonal change from warm to cold temperature. In any other part of the year, these symptoms are absent.

• Low mood, low energy
• Feelings of hopelessness
• Feeling bored with usual interests
• Overeating, especially carbs
• Gaining weight as a result of overeating
• Sleeping too much
• Self-isolation, staying home a lot

Treatment
It's recommended to visit a doctor if you experience any of these symptoms. Doctors diagnose SAD if it has occurred for at least two years.

There are several forms of potential treatment:

• Antidepressants, which treat depression, can also be used in severe SAD cases.
• Therapy can give emotional support.
• Vitamin D supplements for any deficiency can regulate mood.
• Invest in a light therapy lamp that mimics sunlight.

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