Spring has arrived. The mornings are slowly getting lighter, and the days longer. After a long dark winter, you might be feeling tired, flat and less motivated than usual. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is sometimes called winter depression. The symptoms of SAD commonly develop through the winter and may not necessarily disappear once winter ends. In this article, we examine SAD, it’s causes, symptoms, and what steps you can take to boost your mood and motivation as we enter spring.
Short days, bad weather, and cold mornings understandably leave us feeling a bit down. Dealing with the “winter blues” is perfectly normal and quite common. However, what happens when these feelings start affecting your wellbeing? Seasonal affective disorder can be thought of as the real medical condition where these “winter blues” becomes more serious.
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression or low mood that is associated with changes in the seasons. Typically, SAD begins in the autumn or winter and affects people through these seasons.
While winter blues are often dismissed, SAD shouldn’t be. The symptoms of SAD can become challenging to manage and have a real impact of your lifestyle and wellbeing. It can affect your mood, thoughts, energy levels and ability to get through the day.
The symptoms of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) usually begin in late autumn or early winter and develop through the season before resolving during spring and summer. SAD shares many of the symptoms of other forms of depression or low mood.
Signs of SAD can include:
We do not know exactly why some people develop seasonal affective disorder; however, researchers think the reduced sunlight during the winter plays an important part.
We rely on sunlight as an important signal for regulating our circadian rhythm (our bodies internal clock). The shorter days during winter may interfere with this system in people with SAD.
This disruption to your circadian rhythm may affect the production of certain hormones and chemicals. Your body may produce more of the sleep hormone melatonin, and less serotonin, a feel-good chemical which affects your mood, appetite and sleep.
This chemical imbalance may be one of the possible causes of SAD.
Some simple things you can do that may help include:
Your healthcare provider will be able to advice you on the treatment options of seasonal affective disorder. They might recommend light therapy, talking to a counsellor or psychologist, medicines or a combination.
Increasing your exposure to sunlight is one of the methods recommended to improve symptoms of SAD. One way to increase your exposure to light is light therapy, which involves sitting in front of a special lamp (or light box) for a recommended period of time each morning.
There are specific lamps that are recommended for light therapy which are much more intense than ordinary lighting and mimic natural outdoor light.
Talking to a psychologist or counsellor trained in cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) has been shown to be an effective long-term treatment for SAD. CBT is a type of talking therapy that helps to target and change unhelpful thoughts, creating healthy strategies and behaviours to fight the symptoms of SAD.
You can search for a clinical psychologist using the link here.
Healthcare professionals can prescribe medicines to treat depression. Antidepressants may be used to treat severe SAD. Talk with your doctor about what is best for you and your circumstances.
The shortest day of the year has been and gone, spring is here, but your mood doesn’t necessarily follow the calendar.
The symptoms of SAD commonly develop gradually and improve as daylight increases during spring. This means that you may continue to feel the effects of SAD for some time. The severity of your SAD symptoms and how you have spent your winter can play a part too.
Having a few bad days during the winter doesn’t mean you have seasonal affective disorder. Slowing down, spending more time indoors, and feeling less energetic during the winter months can be normal.
However, if you are experiencing symptoms that are causing significant or persistent changes to your daily life it may be SAD. It’s important to speak to your healthcare provider before these symptoms get worse.
Your healthcare provider will be able to investigate your symptoms. They might use questionnaires and request blood tests to help both rule out other conditions and get a better understanding of your experience.
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