Feeling SAD?
, 6 min reading time
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)—a form of depression triggered by changes in daylight and weather in fall and winter—is more common than you may think, affecting millions worldwide. But there are steps you can take to significantly reduce the effects.
How common is SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder)?
Experts say that women and young people are more likely to experience SAD. 4 to 6 percent of Americans have seasonal affective disorder. If shorter days and shifts in weather zap your energy and make you feel blue, you have classic symptoms of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) — a form of depression triggered by changes in daylight and weather that occur primarily in winter.
Why do some people get SAD?
Experts are not specific, but some think that those seasonal changes disrupt the body's circadian rhythm, the 24-hour clock that regulates how we function during sleeping and waking hours, which causes us to feel energised and alert sometimes and drowsy at other times. Another theory is that the changing seasons disrupt hormones, such as serotonin and melatonin, which regulate sleep, mood, and feelings of well-being.
Whatever the causes of one's SAD may be, the signs and symptoms typically can include the following:
- Feelings of depression that happen most of the day, every day, in a seasonal pattern
- Having tiredness or low energy
- Loss of interest in activities you used to enjoy
- Changes in appetite or weight gain
- Sleeping too much
To help manage SAD, here are a few options you might want to consider.
1.Talk with Your Doctor
Because SAD is a form of depression, it needs to be diagnosed by a mental health professional. "There are several screening questions that can help determine if someone is depressed," Dr Pierce says. "Your doctor will be able to determine whether you have SAD as opposed to some other form of depression." If you have SAD, seeing a professional can help you work through it. About 12 years ago, Arlene Malinowski, PhD, 58, recognised she had SAD when she read about the symptoms in a magazine article. "I would notice a drop in how I felt and perceived the world in the winter," the Chicago resident recalls. The psychiatrist she had been seeing for depression confirmed it.
2.Ready Your Mind in the Fall
As you prepare your homes for the fall-to-winter transition, you may also want to consider organising your mind.
Regularly allotting time for mood-boosting activities can help people feel physically and psychologically healthier, says psychologist Kim Burgess, PhD, founder of the Paediatric Psychology Centre in Rockville, Maryland, and an adjunct associate professor of psychiatry and behavioural sciences at The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences in Washington, D.C.
"It's better to set yourself up for the winter season by starting in the fall— doing enjoyable activities, initiating friend group chats and outings, choosing fun hobbies, and engaging in clubs or community service," says Dr Burgess.
Regularly taking part in these activities ahead of time is much easier than starting from nothing once the winter blues have already set in, she adds.
3. Try Light from a Box
Bright light therapy — exposure to artificial light to help keep one's circadian rhythm on track — is widely considered a first-line treatment option for SAD, according to a review published in 2017 in the Einstein Journal of Biology and Medicine. One way to try bright light therapy is by using a light therapy box.
Also known as phototherapy boxes, these devices give off light that mimics sunshine and can help manage SAD, according to the Mayo Clinic. The light from the therapy boxes is significantly brighter than regular light bulbs and is provided in different wavelengths.
Typically, you will sit in front of the light box for about 20 to 30 minutes daily. This will result in a chemical change in your brain that boosts your mood and alleviates symptoms of SAD, the Mayo Clinic reports.
Experts recommend using the light box within the first hour after you wake up in the morning, the Mayo Clinic adds.
Although often safe and effective, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate light therapy boxes. Be sure to talk with your doctor about whether a light therapy box is correct.
4. Add Aromatherapy to Your Treatment Plan
Aromatherapy — using essential oils for therapeutic purposes — may also help those with SAD.
A review published in June 2020 in the Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine indicates that essential oils could potentially help lessen symptoms of depression and other psychological issues like anxiety and sleep problems. That said, the review's authors note that evidence of the mental health benefits of essential oils thus far is small and limited in usefulness.
When it comes to SAD in particular, essential oils could potentially influence the area of the brain that is responsible for controlling moods and the body's internal clock that affects sleep and appetite, Dr Kalayjian says.
And although the evidence for aromatherapy may be limited, using essential oils could be a simple and safe way to improve mental well-being — particularly when paired with another relaxing activity, like taking a bath or enjoying company by candlelight.
The safest ways to use aromatherapy include body oils, aroma sticks, and jewellery made with absorbent materials to which you can apply essential oils, Johns Hopkins Medicine reports. The organisation advises against ingesting essential oils or using essential oil diffusers.
5.Get Moving
As with other forms of depression, exercise can help alleviate SAD. Exercise can also help offset the weight gain that is common with SAD, Kalayjian says. Malinowski says she is more vigilant about sticking with her training and yoga routine in the dead of winter.
Outdoor exercise is most helpful for relieving SAD symptoms. But if you cannot exercise outside because it is cold or snowy, try using a treadmill, stationary bike, or elliptical machine set close to a window at home or the gym.
Not comfortable going back to the gym yet because of COVID-19? You can still break a sweat at home by following instructional workout videos online from organisations like the American Council on Exercise and the National Strength and Conditioning Association.
6.Get Enough Vitamin D
Vitamin D deficiency may be a risk factor for depressive symptoms. The National Centre for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) states that low levels of Vitamin D — caused by inadequate dietary intake of this Vitamin or not enough sunlight exposure — are typical in people with SAD.
Experts do not know whether taking Vitamin D supplements can relieve symptoms of SAD, the NCCIH reports. But ensuring you get enough sunlight during the day and incorporating Vitamin D-rich foods into your diet may help. Talk to your doctor about testing your Vitamin D levels and whether supplements would be right for you, Kalayjian suggests. Malinowski upped her Vitamin D during the winter at her psychiatrist's suggestion and has found that it helps.
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Click here to discover 14 ways you can ease the symptoms of SAD: https://bit.ly/3RXBmz3