Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
Written By: Arman Momeni
It’s that time of year again, when fall colors slowly fade and the trees, once filled with amber, dismay into a mere skeleton of branches. The weather exponentially decreases, sweat turns into shivers, and windows become painted with a bleak crystalline layer of frost.
While we can look at the winter months with optimism, eagerly awaiting Christmas dinner, sledding with friends, and snuggling under a warm blanket as we watch Home Alone, it is far too arrogant to say that the winter months are a positive time for everyone.
Aside from the rise of colds and the flu, the winter months often catalyze seasonal affective disorder – a disorder that far too often goes unrecognized. Seasonal affective disorder, or SAD for short, is a branch of depression that is related to the changing seasons. While not always during the winter months, seasonal affective disorder often begins and ends at the same time every year. Most people diagnosed with seasonal affective disorder have their symptoms begin in the fall and continue through the colder winter months.
Those with SAD often feel that an entity, a despicable spirit-being, is draining them of their energy, placing them in a bad state. A rarer occurrence of SAD occurs in an opposing pattern; some experience symptoms in the spring and summer months and begin to feel more positive in the fall and winter months. Either case, fall/winter or spring/summer, symptoms may begin mild and mundane, but progressively become severe as the season unfolds.
While there are general symptoms for SAD, such as feeling sad, feeling down, having low energy, feeling hopeless, feelings of guilt, or having difficulty concentrating, there are certain symptoms that pertain specifically to fall/winter SAD and spring/summer SAD.
Symptoms specific to fall/winter SAD include oversleeping, appetite changes (craving foods that are high in carbohydrates), weight gain, excessive tiredness, and low energy. On the other hand, spring/summer SAD onsets symptoms, such as trouble sleeping, poor appetite, weight loss, agitation, anxiety, and increased irritability.
If you feel that you are experiencing any of the following symptoms, please reach out to a medical professional or a trusted adult/friend in your community; this is not a battle you should face alone.
It’s normal to feel sad, depressed, or down on certain days, but if you have been constantly facing negative feelings for a prolonged period of time and you can’t get motivated to do things you normally enjoy, you should see a heath care provider.
While the exact, root causes of SAD remain speculative, some factors include one’s serotonin levels, which can drop as a cause of reduced sunlight; melatonin levels, which can be disrupted by the change in season; and one’s circadian rhythm or biological clock, which can also be disrupted by changes in sunlight levels.
While SAD is an unfortunate disorder, the good thing about it is that it can be prevented, as many will know when their symptoms will start. Many find it helpful to find treatment, such as sunlight exposure (spending more time outdoors), light therapy, psychotherapy, or antidepressants.
Additionally, one can set aside time for themselves to do activities that may relieve symptoms, such as getting regular exercise, eating healthy, setting realistic goals, and staying away from alcohol and drugs.
Works Cited:
Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. (n.d.). Seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/seasonal-affective-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20364651
Seasonal affective disorder. Johns Hopkins Medicine. (n.d.). https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/seasonal-affective-disorder#:~:text=Key%20points%20about%20SAD,seasonal%20affective%20disorder%20(SAD).
