Issue #24: Seasonal Affective Disorder
Learn about depression due to seasonal changes, risk factors and what to do about it
Dear mental health advocate,
I have written a new edition of The Present Psychologist Paper to help raise awareness about mental health and psychology. Hope you will enjoy it!
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And now, back to the content. In this edition I will look at seasonal affective disorder. Some people are strongly impacted when the seasons change. They can develop a severe depression that is worse than just some ‘winter blues’. Recognizing the symptoms is always a good first step in raising awareness.
What Is Seasonal Affective Disorder?
At this moment of writing, I am living in Amsterdam. I was born in the Netherlands. This means that on average, I get to really experience all four seasons in a year. Summers can be hot, wet and sunny with the sun only going down at 10 p.m. in the evening. The winters, however, they are often windy, rainy, cold and very dark with the sun already setting at 5 p.m. As I have lived here all my life, I don’t really know any better than these yearly, seasonal cycles. But what I do know is that with each season changing I feel like I mentally need to adjust for the coming one. Although I can enjoy winter, it is such a different vibe and atmosphere that I feel like I have to ‘update’ my mindset.
Life here becomes very much indoors, and the long dark days always make me feel a bit melancholic. I get a little introspective and I need less social interaction. Not that I become a hermit, but I do feel less energized. On the other hand, when summer is around the corner I get incredibly excited. For the sunny days, the outdoors, festivals, relaxing in the garden. It seems sometimes that I become a different person. I’m not sure where you, the reader, exactly live. Maybe you are from an area where the temperature is quite constant. But what I do know, is that several people are affected by seasonal changes and how it impacts their mood. If so, this could be due to seasonal affective disorder (SAD).
SAD explained
Everyone can be a little impacted by a seasonal change. That’s not necessarily something to worry about. Your body and brain need to adjust to different hours of sunlight and new temperatures. But in some cases, this effect can be so strong that people develop a type of depression. This one has a direct relation to a seasonal change, as it generally begins and ends at the same time each year and therefore is called ‘seasonal affective disorder’. Psychologists have estimated that around 0.5 - 3 percent of the general population suffer from SAD. Most of these cases are due to winter changes, meaning that people are affected negatively by the occurrence of winter. However, it is also possible to be affected by summer.
Do not just simply label yourself as someone having SAD, as it is a depression and not the same as having an ‘off day’ or simply needing to adjust a little to the season. If you have SAD, then the symptoms can be quite severe. They normally start to show during late fall/early winter in case of winter SAD and during late spring/early summer in case of summer SAD. The following signs will likely occur:
No interest in activities you normally really enjoy.
Being sad almost every time, all day long
Struggling with your energy levels, feeling low
Not feeling hopeful or worthy
Thinking about not wanting to live anymore
Sleeping too long (winter SAD) or insomnia (summer SAD)
Lots of food cravings (winter SAD) or loss of appetite (summer SAD)
Struggling with weight gain (winter SAD) or weight loss (summer SAD)
Feeling very tired (winter SAD) or feeling agitated (summer SAD)
Possible causes and risk factors
When it comes to mental disorders, it is often hard to pinpoint the exact cause as there could be many different factors that play a role. A lot of research has been done and psychologists believe the following could impact the development of SAD:
Causes
Your circadian rhythm. During a seasonal change the hours of daylight will change and this can cause your mood to be affected negatively.
Amount of serotonin in your brain. If there is less sunlight, then it is likely that your serotonin levels drop. These are brain chemicals associated with your (happy) moods.
Specific genes. While there is some discussion, the idea is that certain genes are responsible for your circadian rhythm changes during different seasons. Some make it harder for your sleep cycles to adjust to a season.
Risk factors
Women are more likely to be affected by seasonal changes when it comes to their mood than men.
Dealing with general depression or bipolar disorder. If you are already depressed, then a seasonal change can worsen your symptoms.
Living far away from the equator. The more south or north of the equator means that the likelihood of developing SAD increases (as the seasons and temperatures are less constant).
What to do when you have SAD?
Like any other form of depression, there are various types of treatments available which are proven to be successful. These could be medications like antidepressants, for example an SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor). If you do not want to do pharmacotherapy, another option would be to go to therapy. Psychotherapy is also known to be effective. A winter depression can also be treated by light therapy, which is done by being exposed by bright artificial lights regularly (which can be done at home).
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My name is Alf Lokkertsen and I am a psychologist and writer, creating mental health content for you. My passion is to raise awareness about topics related to psychology, as it has helped me greatly in my personal life. I strongly believe that many problems could be avoided or dealt with better if everyone had some in-depth psychology knowledge.
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