Seasonal Affective Disorder – Symptoms Of SAD And Coping Strategies

I’ve already touched on Seasonal Affective Disorder (aka SAD but often referred to as the winter blues) in a few other articles, but I want to go into more detail about this issue, because as many as one in five people suffer with this problem.

So, this article discusses some of the causes, the effects, and, more importantly, what you can do to avoid or at least mitigate it.

What Is SAD?

Seasonal affective disorder is a condition that is brought on by changes in the seasons – typically toward the onset of winter – and which usually goes away at the end of that season (i.e. as spring approaches).

However, some people experience SAD at the beginning of other seasons, although this is rarer.

Symptoms include:

• Being depressed almost all of the time
• Changes in eating patterns and appetite
• Feeling agitated for no obvious reason
• Guilt
• Hopelessness
• Lack of self-worth
• Lethargy
• Loss of interest in activities you usually enjoy
• Low energy
• Sleep problems, including insomnia and/or oversleeping
• Trouble concentrating and focusing
• Weight loss or gain

You will no doubt notice that many of these symptoms are common to people with depression too.

There are also complications associated with SAD, if you don’t seek treatment, which can include:

• Eating disorders
• Problems at school or work
• Substance abuse (e.g. alcohol or other drugs)
• Suicidal thoughts
• Withdrawal

Obviously, some of these are serious, which is why you need to get help.

What Causes SAD?

Since everybody experiences the changing seasons, but not everybody suffers from SAD, then there must be other triggers, and these include:

• Circadian Rhythm. This refers to your internal biological clock, which can be adversely affected by the reduced levels of sunlight during both autumn and winter.
• Family History. It’s possible that having family members who suffer from SAD (or other forms of depression) can increase your own risk for this condition.
• Geographic Location. The further you live from the equator, the more likely it is that you will suffer from SAD. This makes sense, of course, because the hours of daylight at the equator are more or less constant all year round, whereas the further north or south you go, the greater the difference between your “longest” day and your “shortest” day. When I was on vacation in Borneo, our local guide couldn’t believe that it could go dark as early as 3:00 pm and stay light as late as 10:00 pm back home in England, because for them, sunset was about the same time every day of the year.
• Melatonin Levels. This hormone is used by your body to help regulate its internal clock and controls your sleep / wake cycle. Reduced sunlight can throw this hormone out of balance, disrupting your sleeping patterns, which in turn can lead to depression.
• Mental Health Issues. If you are already suffering from some form of mental health problems (e.g. bipolar disorder, depression), then you may find that your condition worsens during certain seasons.
• Serotonin Levels. Serotonin, which is a neurotransmitter, is directly affected by vitamin D, and that is created as a result of exposure to sunlight. This neurotransmitter has been linked with depression, so if that is the case, it makes sense that lower serotonin levels could lead to a form of depression that only occurs during the darker months – when there is less light and the colder weather means you probably spend less time outdoors.

What Can You Do To Prevent Or Alleviate SAD?

Other than seeking professional medical help, the following may help:

• Draw Those Curtains. As soon as you wake up, open your curtains and let the morning light in.
• Eat The Right Foods. This is a major theme throughout this site, and I have already written about the food you should avoid or eat when you are depressed here, as well as a more general article about which minerals and vitamins are helpful in this article. Examples of what you should try to consume are dark leafy greens (e.g. kale, spinach, Swiss chard) and omega-3 fatty acids (which you’ll find in wild-caught Alaskan salmon). Also, try to reduce or even eliminate sugar as much as you can, because sugar consumption is associated with depression (as well as other health issues, of course, such as weight gain, depression and even cancer).
• Exercise. When you exercise sufficiently to produce endorphins, you’ll start to feel happier. If you go for an early morning walk, like I used to, you kill two birds with one stone – exercise and natural light.
• Have Something To Look Forward To. For many people, it’s during the cold, dark winter months that they start to make plans for their spring or summer vacation. Doing this helps you to focus on something you’ll enjoy and makes you remember that what you’re experiencing now is only temporary. So, start writing down ideas on where you want to go, and begin saving up.
• Light Therapy. This is a form of therapy that uses light to improve your mood – one psychiatrist found that it works like an antidepressant. These lamps generate a type of light that is similar to natural daylight, rather than the very artificial light you usually get from bulbs. I actually used one of these when I was depressed and I found it helpful, although I cannot say for certain how much it helped because I was tackling my depression on many different fronts, as I discuss in this article.
• Relaxation Techniques. You could try any activity that is designed to help you relax, which would include meditation, mindfulness, tai chi, or yoga.
• Routines. Just because it’s winter (or whatever season affects you), don’t let your routines slip.
• Stress Relief. Nobody ever really wants to be stressed, but if you suffer from SAD, that stress and anxiety can take a greater toll on your health than usual. So apart from the normal anti-stress practices (e.g. meditation), which I talk about here, it’s also important not to take on too much or set overly aggressive deadlines, because they will simply add to your existing stress levels.
• Treat Yourself. On those days where you feel particularly down, you should treat yourself (e.g. a meal out, or your favourite take-out, a visit to the theatre or cinema, a new item of clothing, a video game). And to pay for this, you should create a special fund before your personal “bad” season starts, so that you can afford the occasional treat without diminishing your ability to pay your regular bills, etc.
• Winterize Your Hobbies. If you have some hobbies that are only practical during the warmer months, then try to develop an alternate set of interests that you can pursue during the colder, darker months of the year. That way, you’ll still have things you can do to keep you active and engaged, rather than simply hibernating on the couch under a blanket watching TV.

Conclusion

Any type of depression is bad, of course, but seasonal affective disorder can make it worse – partly because you know in advance that it’s coming.

However, there are things you can do to relieve the symptoms, or maybe even stave it off completely.

And finally, I have to wonder, given the appropriateness of the name, which came first, the acronym SAD or the medical name seasonal affective disorder.

Additional Resources

These are suggestions for those who wish to delve deeper into any of the above:

1. Light Therapy Box