It’s that time of year again when the days start getting shorter and the nights get longer. The chilly weather starts to come in and, for most of New England, it gets rainier. For most people, this can signal a lot of things: slowing down, getting ready for the holidays, enjoying winter, or any number of other seasonal changes. For some people, however, this means that depressive symptoms start to creep in, something we usually call SAD.
What is SAD?
Seasonal depression is often called ‘seasonal affective disorder’. This isn’t an actual diagnosis, however! The actual diagnosis is major depressive disorder with a seasonal pattern. What this means is that someone experiences depression, however, it’s limited to certain times of year. Most commonly, we see it in the fall into winter months. It can happen in the summer, but this is much rarer to see.
Generally speaking, SAD or the winter blues is something more significant than just feeling a little “off” in the winter. You usually see typical major depressive disorder symptoms. This means that often, someone will experience low mood, over (or under) sleeping, over (or under) eating, loss of interest in things, hopelessness, and other symptoms often seen in MDD. It can range from mild to moderate to severe, just like with standard MDD.
Who gets SAD?
SAD more often affects women than men, though we’re not sure if that’s because AFAB individuals are conditioned to be more likely to seek help for depression symptoms or because there is a biological difference that affects them more. We also see that individuals with a family history of depression are more likely to experience SAD, even if they don’t have year-round depression. We also see that those with bipolar disorder II are more likely to develop SAD, especially summer SAD. It also is often comorbid with other mental health disorders, like anxiety, eating disorders, and some panic related disorders.
We also see that winter SAD is more common in people living in the Northern Hemisphere and becomes more common the further away from the equator. This is why we see this more commonly in areas like New England, for example. This could be because we’re already deficient in vitamin D, because our circadian rhythms get all messed up with the changing seasons, or for any other number of reasons.
SAD could also be exacerbated in the winter months by the fact that it’s more difficult to go out and see people, some people have chronic illnesses that can be made worse with winter weather, and other changes to our routines.
How is SAD treated?
Winter seasonal depression is much more studied than summer, so we have more ideas on how to treat it effectively. Therapy can be a helpful way of dealing with SAD, especially if you work on it in therapy before you usually have it come on. Some individuals need seasonal antidepressants or need seasonal adjustments to their antidepressants. And for the winter, some individuals have reported success with using light therapy. Light therapy can be especially helpful for those who may have a hard time getting outside to get enough natural sunlight.
