Have you ever noticed that you tend to feel gloomier on a cloudy day? Or how your mood improves when the sun is out and it’s warm outside? This may be surprising, but these shifting moods can be associated with seasonal depression, or ironically, a disorder that is literally called SAD. Here’s what you need to know:
Many people go through “funks” or periods when they feel unlike their usual selves. These mood changes can be affected by the changing seasons. This usually begins after the time changes in fall as days become shorter, darker, and colder, and leaves when Spring returns in the following months. If you have noticed these feelings, you may be experiencing a Seasonal Affective Disorder.
Seasonal Affective Disorder can be characterized as a type of depression that lasts for about 4-5 months of the year. Some symptoms include;
- Persistent sad, anxious, or “empty” moods lasting most of the day, almost every day, for at least 2 weeks
- Feeling hopeless, worthless, or pessimistic
- Feeling irritable, frustrated, or restless
- Loss of interest in hobbies/activities
- Decreased energy (fatigue)
- Forgetfulness and difficulty concentrating
- Changes in sleep or appetite
- Thoughts of death or even suicide
Symptoms differ for winter and summer SAD patterns. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, “It is estimated that millions of Americans experience SAD, although many may not know they have this common disorder.” However, it’s important that the winter-pattern SAD is not confused with “holiday blues,” which are feelings of sadness or anxiety brought on by stress during certain times of the year such as the holidays, work or school schedules, or family visits etc. The depression associated with SAD is brought on by the brain’s response to the seasonal changes in daylight, so it’s important to differentiate the two.
According to Nemours Teens Health, some teens’ brains react differently to fewer hours of daylight. Scientifically, daylight impacts two chemicals within our brains: serotonin and melatonin. When it’s sunny, the brain produces more serotonin. Higher levels of this chemical boost feelings of happiness and well-being, while lower levels can cause you to feel sleepy and have less energy. Therefore, when the brain makes more melatonin when it’s dark, the higher levels can lead to depressive thoughts and feelings. This is especially prevalent with our inconsistent weather patterns in Livermore recently, ranging from sunny and in the high sixties to dark, rainy, and in the lower fifties.
Fortunately, there are ways to treat SAD. The best and most natural way is to increase your light exposure. Have you ever had someone tell you to “touch some grass” because it’ll make you feel better? Well there is a scientific reason for this. Taking a daily walk or doing other exercises outdoors will increase your vitamin D intake and as a result, better your mood. Other ways include spending time with loved ones, improving your diet (including drinking lots of water, eating fruits, vegetables, and whole grains), reducing isolated screen time, listening to music, getting adequate sleep every night, and in the more extreme cases, speaking with a therapist and taking antidepressants. For the more extreme cases, make sure not to self diagnose. If this sounds like you, talk with your parents or doctor. In order to confirm, your doctor will ask several questions and you’ll likely need a health checkup to see if the symptoms are actually due to SAD or related to something else.
Listed below are confidential helplines with 24 hour availability provided by Nemours Children’s Health for those who do not have a trusted adult to speak with. SAD can be serious, so please consider taking action if you or someone you know is experiencing similar symptoms but doesn’t know how to put a name to their feelings.
- SAMHSA’s free helpline: Call 800-662-HELP (4357) for provider referrals in the area. Or text your zip code to 435748 (HELP4U).
- The Trevor Lifeline for LGBTQ community: Call 1-866-488-7386 or text START to 678678.
- Crisis Text Line: Text “HOME” to 741741.
- 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988.
