While many joyfully await the change of seasons from summer to fall, others dread it.
As the days get shorter and daylight hours are reduced, many people enter a state of depression called Seasonal Affective Disorder – or SAD. The disorder is a type of depression that typically occurs during the fall and winter months when there is less natural sunlight, according to Frank A. Ghinassi, chief executive of Rutgers’ Behavioral Health Care.
“While anyone can experience SAD, it is most common in people who live in regions like New Jersey with long winters and shorter daylight hours,” Ghinassi explained. “SAD is thought to be linked to the lack of sunlight, which can disrupt the body’s internal circadian rhythm and lead to decreased levels of serotonin, a brain chemical that affects mood.”
About 5% of the U.S. population experiences SAD and 10 to 20% experience the milder version of “winter blues,” according to the Cleveland Clinic website. The symptoms of SAD often present in late fall and early winter and last for four or five months. They include “feelings of sadness, fatigue and gloom,” said Lynn Morgan, a psychotherapist with Virtua Behavioral Health in South Jersey.
Other symptoms Morgan describes include loss of interest in activities, fatigue, social withdrawal, difficulty concentrating and sleep problems. An “insatiable appetite for carbohydrates” is another symptom of those affected by SAD, noted Debra L. Wentz, president and CEO of the New Jersey Association of Mental Health and Addiction Agencies Inc.
“People with SAD have reduced levels of vitamin D and serotonin, both of which contribute to feelings of happiness,” explained Morgan. “As sunlight plays a key role in the production of both serotonin and vitamin D, fewer daylight hours can affect how you feel.”
People with SAD also produce too much melatonin, a hormone important in maintaining a normal sleep routine, she added. Ghinassi pointed out that women are more likely than men to experience SAD, and it is more prevalent in areas farther from the equator, where daylight hours are shorter during the winter.
While depression lasts all year long, most people with SAD will see their symptoms end in the spring and return in late fall, said Wentz.
The symptoms of SAD can be managed with a variety of approaches, according to Ghinassi:
Maintain a routine: Keeping a regular routine for sleeping, eating, and exercising can help stabilize your mood and energy levels. Try to wake up and go to bed at the same time each day and eat a balanced diet to keep your energy consistent.
- Exercise and outdoor activities: Regular physical activity can boost mood and energy levels by increasing serotonin and endorphin production. Even during the winter, try to get outside for a walk or engage in activities that expose you to natural light.
- Vitamin D supplementation: Because sunlight helps the body produce vitamin D, lower levels of the nutrient are common in people with SAD. Taking a vitamin D supplement, along with consuming vitamin D-rich foods like fortified dairy products, can help.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): CBT can help individuals identify and change negative thought patterns that contribute to feelings of depression. This form of therapy is effective in managing symptoms of SAD by teaching coping strategies for dealing with the darker months.
- Light therapy: Light therapy is one of the most common treatments for SAD. It involves sitting near a specially designed lightbox that mimics natural sunlight for about 20–30 minutes each morning. This exposure to bright light helps regulate your body’s circadian rhythm and increase serotonin production.
- Medications: In some cases, antidepressant medications may be prescribed to help balance the chemicals in the brain that affect mood. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are often used to treat SAD.
- Professional support: A mental-health professional can provide a diagnosis and develop a treatment plan.
SAD is more than just the holiday or winter blues.
It is a “real diagnosable mental-health disorder that should be taken seriously,” Wentz emphasized.
