Each year, when the skies are grayer and the days are shorter, the mind falls steadily out of its rhythm. Sleep patterns are disrupted, moods shift for the worse, and periods of inactivity grow increasingly more frequent and crippling.
This doesn’t happen to everyone, but it can happen to anyone. And for some, it happens every year, like clockwork. Regardless of how vulnerable you are to SAD, it's something you should arm yourself against because it's often preventable or curable. For more insight and solutions, we sought the expertise of Ravi Shah, MD, psychiatrist and assistant professor of psychiatry at Columbia University. His main piece of advice? Get proactive about staving it off.
First off, what causes season affective disorder?
SAD happens at certain times of year, primarily in winter—after Daylight Savings Time steals precious sunlight from an already short day. Individuals experience episodes of depression or mania, though Shah says many of his patients experience milder symptoms that can worsen throughout the grayer season.
Shah says that SAD’s causes aren’t entirely known, though several studies suggest that it’s “a disruption in circadian rhythms.” In particular, your melatonin secretion may decrease along with the loss of daylight, thus affecting your quality sleep.
Who gets the most SAD of all the SAD people?
“People with a history of depression or bipolar disorder are most susceptible to SAD,” says Shah. He says many studies indicate that people who live at higher or lower latitudes from the equator are also at higher risk for SAD (since their sunlight levels vary most drastically). "However, subsequent studies were not able to replicate those findings."
What are the signs and symptoms?
The symptoms of SAD are generally the same as those of depression, says Shah. These include: persistently low mood, decreased experience of pleasure with activities that the person normally enjoys, excessive guilt or self-loathing, disturbances in sleep (either oversleeping or trouble sleeping), decreased or increased appetite or unintentional changes in weight, fatigue, difficulties concentrating, as well as suicidal thoughts or behavior.
How bad does it have to be before you should get help?
Shah says to seek help from your physician if you are experiencing several of the above symptoms—even if they’re mild. You can minimize stress and symptoms by staying proactive, especially if this recurs each year.
