If you suffer from severe winter blues, you may have seasonal depression. Seasonal depression, also known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD), is a type of depression that is triggered by changing seasons. It’s more than just feeling a little down during the colder months; its symptoms affect your daily life. Keep reading to find out what you need to know about seasonal depression, including symptoms, causes, and treatment.
What Is Seasonal Depression?
Seasonal depression is a type of depression that is related to changes in seasons. Symptoms can disrupt daily life and usually begin and end around the same times each year. For most people, symptoms start in fall and continue until spring. However, it’s also possible to have seasonal depression that begins in spring or early summer and continues until fall or winter. Approximately 5 percent of American adults experience severe seasonal depression, and females are more affected than males. Around 10 to 20 percent of adults in the U.S. experience milder winter blues during the colder months.
What Causes Seasonal Depression?
It’s not known exactly what causes seasonal depression; however, a lack of sunlight during the colder months seems to trigger this type of depression for individuals who are prone to it. This may be due to the shift in your biological clock when there is less sunlight. This shift changes your body’s daily schedule, and seasonal depression may be the result of an inability to adjust to these changes.
Another possible cause is a chemical imbalance. Individuals at risk of seasonal depression may have lower levels of serotonin, which contributes to feelings of happiness. Sunlight helps your body regulate serotonin, so a lack of sunlight could lead to even lower levels in winter, leading to depression.
A deficiency in vitamin D caused by less sunlight in winter can also impact your serotonin levels and mood. A lack of sunlight may additionally lead to an overproduction of melatonin, the chemical that influences sleep patterns and mood. This overproduction could lead to mood changes and feeling fatigued and sluggish in winter.
Symptoms of Seasonal Depression
The symptoms of seasonal depression are similar to those of other types of depression. However, these symptoms repetitively occur around a specific time of the year. They tend to be mild at first and get more severe as the season progresses. Some of the common symptoms of seasonal depression include:
- Extreme fatigue or low energy levels
- Feeling sad most of the day, every day
- Trouble concentrating
- Feeling hopeless or worthless
- Anxiety
- Sleep problems
- Agitation or irritability
- Reduced interest in activities that are typically enjoyable
- Withdrawal from social situations
- Cravings for carbs
- Weight gain
- Heavy-feeling limbs
- Decreased sex drive
- Thoughts of death or suicide
Treating Seasonal Depression
Seasonal depression can look like other health conditions such as chronic fatigue syndrome, hypothyroidism, low blood sugar, viral illnesses, and other mood disorders, so it can sometimes take a while to diagnose. Once a physician diagnoses seasonal depression or seasonal affective disorder, they may recommend one or more treatments. You may be prescribed antidepressants to treat symptoms of seasonal depression. Your physician may also recommend going outside to get natural light each morning or taking vitamin D supplements. If natural sunlight isn’t available, phototherapy, or light therapy, may help. Eating a well-balanced, nutritious diet and exercising regularly can also help improve energy levels and regulate mood.
More Mental Health Tips
Are you struggling with seasonal depression or other mental health issues? It can be difficult to manage symptoms and overcome negative feelings and thoughts. Thankfully, there are lifestyle changes you can make to care for your mental health and manage conditions. Check out these tips on how to improve mental health so you can get back to feeling like yourself.
