Overview
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that’s related to changes in seasons — SAD begins and ends at about the same times every year. If you’re like most people with SAD, your symptoms start in the fall and continue into the winter months, sapping your energy and making you feel moody.
Some experts believe this year’s seasonal affective disorder (SAD) may be more prominent due to the stress of COVID-19.
About 5% of adults in the United States experience SAD, and it typically lasts about 40% of the year, according to the American Psychiatric Association. While fall brings about colorful leaves and cooler weather, it can also cause seasonal affective disorder (SAD), Despite its acronym, SAD is more than simply feeling sad.
Also called seasonal depression or winter depression, SAD usually starts in the late fall or early winter and typically subsides by spring and summer.
Causes of Seasonal Affective Disorder
The main theory is that a lack of sunlight might stop a part of the brain called the hypothalamus working properly, which may affect the:
- Production of melatonin – melatonin is a hormone that makes you feel sleepy; in people with SAD, the body may produce it in higher than normal levels.
- Production of serotonin – serotonin is a hormone that affects your mood, appetite, and sleep; a lack of sunlight may lead to lower serotonin levels, which is linked to feelings of depression.
- Body’s internal clock (circadian rhythm) – your body uses sunlight to time various important functions, such as when you wake up, so lower light levels during the winter may disrupt your body clock and lead to symptoms of SAD.
- Some people are more vulnerable to SAD as a result of their genes, as some cases appear to run in families.
Signs and Symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder
- Social withdrawal is one of the most common signs of SAD,
Therapist Sharnade George says:
“The restrictions on leisure and outdoor facilities, no occasions to get outside of the house, people working from home and having less time outdoors, and in addition to this being told by the government ‘Stay at home and stay safe’ [when], for many people, staying at home may not feel like a place of safety, particularly if they experience SAD,” she told Healthline.
In addition to social withdrawal, the NIH indicates that other common signs and symptoms of SAD include:
- Low energy
- Losing interest in activities you once enjoyed
- Oversleeping
- Overeating
- Weight gain
- Craving for carbohydrates
- Feelings of despair, guilt and worthlessness
Notice: The signs and symptoms of SAD are similar to those of depression because SAD is a form of depression.
If you have suffered from a social anxiety disorder in the past, have a history of depression, or have experienced increased stress and major life changes due to the epidemic, you are at risk of developing sadness.
Steps to Prevent Seasonal Affective Disorder:
1- Maintain a stable relationship with family and close friends.
2- Increasing your amount of light at home and spending more time outside.
3- Connecting with a mental health professional at Kazmo Brain Center who can determine the appropriate treatment for you.
When to see a doctor
It’s normal to have some days when you feel down. But if you feel down for days at a time and you can’t get motivated to do activities you normally enjoy, see your doctor. This is especially important if your sleep patterns and appetite have changed, you turn to alcohol for comfort or relaxation, or you feel hopeless or think about suicide.
Treatment might include:
- Lifestyle measures – including getting as much natural sunlight as possible, exercising regularly and managing your stress levels.
- Light therapy is also helpful for some people. It involves sitting in front of a light therapy box that emits bright light while filtering out ultraviolet rays.
- Vitamin D supplementation
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Medications, such as antidepressant selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
Seasonal Affective Disorder and COVID-19
Because of COVID-19, higher unemployment rates, and a lot of general stress and uncertainty in the world, The CDC predicts in a recent survey that 40% of Americans will have mental health disorders, seasonal depression rates are also expected to increase with the arrival of fall and winter.
Many Americans face bleak winter as COVID takes a toll on mental health. Every winter, as the days get shorter, darker, and colder, millions of Americans suffer debilitating psychological symptoms that can interfere with every aspect of life at home, work and school.
“SAD is a huge problem at the best of times, and this is not the best of times,” said Norman Rosenthal, the South African psychiatrist who first described SAD or winter depression in the 1980s. “I’ve been in the United States for 45 years, and these are among the toughest times I’ve seen.”
Covid-19 has killed almost 190,000 Americans and left tens of millions of families struggling to get enough food as a result of unprecedented job losses that could take a decade to recover from.
The pandemic has upended every aspect of normal life for many people, resulting in politicized culture wars, armed vigilantes on the streets and a rise in mental health problems such as depression and anxiety.
All these factors in addition to the bleak winter days, the Kazmo Brain Center expects an increase in the number of people suffering from seasonal anxiety.
But for many, the long summer days provided some relief, like sunlight, exercise, socializing, and greenery all promote emotional and mental well-being but these are things we will miss in the winter.
Recommendations from Kazmo Brain Center
Kazmo Brain Center recommends Daylight walks, artificial lights, healthy eating, regular sleep and maintaining virtual or distanced social connections will help stave off the sadness. But also, the holidays could be tough. Thanksgiving, Hanukkah and Christmas will look very different for many families this year because of ongoing concerns about the virus, travel restriction and financial woes.
“Everyone needs to start preparing themselves that they might not be together and try thinking about it as an opportunity to do new things, rather than something else that’s been taken away,” one psychiatrist said.
Kazmo Brain Center is a counseling center located in Frisco, Texas specializing in mental health and will work with you toward a happier and more satisfying position.
If you or your loved ones are facing Seasonal affective disorder and you think that you need help, Request an appointment at the Kazmo Brain Center and we are here to help.
Resource:
healthline.com
theguardian.com
mayoclinic.org
