Prepare to be SAD: How to Identify and Address Seasonal Affective Disorder

The autumn months bring many positives: beautiful colors, cozy weather, seasonal flavors, holidays, and the opportunity to break out your fluffy blankets and sit by a fire for warmth. However, they also bring along the shorter daylight hours, more darkness, and a shift in some people’s activities. 

For all of the good things about fall and winter, Seasonal Affective Disorder – or SAD – is also an effect of the long, sunny days turning shorter and colder. 

What is SAD?

Also known as Winter Depression or Winter Blues, SAD is a type of depression that has an onset of late fall or early winter, but lessens or goes away entirely once the spring and summer months come back. Cases can range from mild to very serious, just like conventional depression, and affect how a person thinks, feels, and acts. 

According to recent studies attempting to explain this phenomenon, SAD has been linked to a biochemical imbalance in the brain caused by the shorter daylight hours and less sunlight in winter. As seasons change, people experience a shift in their biological internal clock – or their circadian rhythm – that can disrupt their daily schedule and cause this imbalance.

Who Gets SAD?

Anyone, regardless of sex, age, or location, can experience Seasonal Affective Disorder – about 5% of adults in the U.S. will experience SAD at some point in their life. However, studies have shown that the condition is more common in people living far from the equator where there are fewer daylight hours in the winter and in women. Typically, symptoms appear between the ages of 18-30, but those older or younger can experience SAD, as well.

It’s important to be able to recognize the signs and symptoms of Seasonal Depression so that if you or a loved one struggles with the condition, you can seek out help.

Symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder

SAD is characterized by many of the same symptoms as conventional depression, including:

• Feeling sad or down most of the day for many days

• Losing interest in activities you once enjoyed

• Appetite or weight changes

• Irregular sleep

• Sluggish or agitated behavior

• Low energy levels

• Self-deprecating thoughts and feelings

• Concentration difficulties

• Frequent thoughts of self-harm, death, or suicide

However, there are additional SAD symptoms that one may experience. Not everyone experiences depression the same way, and this also applies to Seasonal Depression, as well. Winter Depression-specific symptoms can include:

• Oversleeping

• Overeating

• Weight Gain

• Social Withdrawal

Treatment for Seasonal Affective Disorder in Louisville, KY

Those diagnosed with SAD are usually treated in one or a combination of three ways:

1. Light Therapy

2. Medication

3. Therapy

Light therapy has been utilized since the 1980s and involves the safe exposure to a bright light box, which acts as a supplement to the light lost during the day. Treatments usually continue throughout the winter months and can start pre-emptively in anticipation of SAD symptoms. 

In regards to medicated treatment, if the case is serious enough, antidepressants might be prescribed by a medical professional, but you might also get an order to take Vitamin D supplements, since we obtain Vitamin D from the sun and it is believed to promote serotonin activity. Without as much sun, you might not be getting enough Vitamin D. The studies on this particular method have produced mixed findings, so Vitamin D supplements are often used in tandem with other treatments and not by itself.

Finally, talk therapy, otherwise known as psychotherapy or cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a very common treatment method for SAD, which helps those suffering with Seasonal Depression learn how to cope with the new or recurring feelings. Therapy can help identify triggers and ‘glimmers,’ which are moments or actions that bring joy or peace to a person. This can help counter the effects of Seasonal Affective Disorder.

Dawn Pendleton Offers Individual Therapy in Louisville, KY

If you or someone you love is struggling with Seasonal Affective Disorder and is looking for a reliable, trustworthy counselor, Dawn Pendleton of Pendleton Counseling Collaborative, EMDR-certified and Licensed Marriage and Family therapist, has specialties in the LGBTQIA+ community, sports and performance enhancement, and those affected by trauma, and is currently accepting new clients. With over 20 years of experience working in both the public and private sectors of the mental health field, Dawn is licensed to provide in-person and telehealth services in both Kentucky and Indiana. Feel free to fill out an inquiry form with any additional questions, call (502) 377-1690 or visit our website to book an appointment.