By The Editorial Board
Winter is fast approaching, and with its arrival comes the most difficult time of year for the nearly 5% of the population who struggle with seasonal affective depression (SAD).
The season has shifted from long, warm, sunny days with UV indexes over six to short, chilly, dim days that affect our internal clocks. This change in weather pumps us with more melatonin and contributes to SAD symptoms. Other contributions to winter SAD include genetics, vitamin D deficiency and negative connotations associated with an upcoming seasonal pattern. While SAD affects only a portion of people, vitamin D deficiency affects one billion people worldwide.
SAD was first detailed by American psychiatrist Norman Rosenthal in 1984. Rosenthal pioneered light therapy, also known as phototherapy, as the most common treatment for seasonal affective depression patients.
Women are more commonly diagnosed with SAD than men, and it often affects a higher portion of the population living in northern areas due to even fewer daylight hours than in other regions. Seasonal depression is also more common with people diagnosed with other mental illnesses.
It is more common to experience wintertime SAD accompanied with lower motivation and oversleeping. However, summertime SAD also exists with people experiencing less sleep and weight loss. With that said, winter seasonal depression has been more researched while summer seasonal depression still needs more research into why the pattern occurs.
But how do you know if you might be struggling with seasonal affective depression?
To be diagnosed with SAD, patients must exhibit depression symptoms during a winter or summer pattern for at least two consecutive years and experience traits of depression more frequently at a certain time of year rather than annually.
While seasonal depression has many effects, there are just as many ways to combat seasonal depression. The more common treatments include vitamin D supplements, light therapy, psychotherapy and prescribed medications. With the days ending much earlier in the winter than the summer, people suffering from SAD may plan to watch the sunset most evenings for vitamin D exposure and to help adjust internal clocks.
While these treatments work to directly combat SAD, treatments used for other forms of depression can help ease those suffering from seasonal depression. Treatments for depression are vast, including but not limited to, exercising regularly, expressing feelings, eating healthier or spending time with loved ones. Since SAD affects everyone differently, it is necessary to find an individualized treatment.
The beginning of winter ushers in the holiday season with stresses of their own and seasonal changes in work or school. Holiday blues symptoms are not considered part of the contributing factors of SAD and instead are their own category of environmental depression contributions.
The colder time of the year is here and people suffering from seasonal affective depression symptoms are beginning to feel the effects. Luckily, SAD symptoms have a variety of treatments that individualize every patient’s healing journey during these dark days.
