
The cold is pressing in, the days are short and dark, and colorful gardens are sleeping and gray. It’s easy to get a case of the Winter Blues, but you might also be dealing with something a little more insidious – Seasonal Affective Disorder. If you notice a pattern of depressed moods at the same time every year, you might have S.A.D.
What Causes Seasonal Affective Disorder?
Also known as S.A.D., this subset of mood disorders causes depressive symptoms at the same time every year. Unlike regular depression, S.A.D. comes and goes regularly with the changing seasons.
Though winter-pattern Seasonal Affective Disorder is more common, some people suffer from the mood disorder in the summer. In both varieties, the change in mood coincides with the change in temperature and length of daylight.
The causes of S.A.D. are not entirely clear, but researchers believe it may be related to serotonin, melatonin, or Vitamin D levels. Some scientists believe the change in daylight hours interferes with the brain’s ability to absorb serotonin. Others point to changes in daylight hours messing up melatonin and sleep schedules. Another common hypothesis is that lack of sunlight causes a vitamin D deficiency, leading to mood disruptions.
Other factors that may contribute to winter-pattern S.A.D. include environmental causes. Cold weather often forces people indoors, curtailing opportunities for exercise and social interaction. Fresh fruits and vegetables are less accessible, and those available in grocery stores are generally less nutritious after being force-ripened or shipped long distances. Winter holidays might also contribute to S.A.D., both in the stress leading up to them and the letdown after they’ve passed.
Symptoms of S.A.D.
The symptoms of S.A.D. are very similar to those of general depression, including empty moods, lack of energy, and loss of interest in usual pleasures and hobbies.
In addition, winter-pattern S.A.D. often includes symptoms that make the sufferer look a bit like a hibernating bear:
- Oversleeping
- Overeating, particularly of carbohydrates, leading to weight gain
- Social withdrawal (feeling like “hibernating”)
On the other hand, summer-pattern S.A.D. can cause symptoms that are nearly the opposite:
- Trouble sleeping
- Poor appetite, leading to weight loss
- Restlessness and agitation
- Anxiety
- Violent or aggressive behavior
S.A.D. History
Knowledge of Seasonal Affective Disorder goes back at least 2500 years! The Greek physician Hippocrates (c 460-377BCE) noted the correlation of seasonal changes and both mania and melancholia all the way back in the 4th Century BCE. Aulus Cornelius Celsus (c 25BCE-50CE) blamed bad weather for a spike in melancholia, madness, and epilepsy.
Some ancient physicians recognized the role of sunlight in treatment for S.A.D. The Greek physician Aretaeus of Cappadocia suggested treating lethargics by laying them in the light and exposing them to the rays of the sun.
Fast forward a few thousand years, psychiatrist Norman Rosenthal noticed that his moods fluctuated much more in the winter after moving from South Africa to New York in 1976. He conducted a study with the National Institute of Health on the relationship between melatonin, light, and mood. In 1984, the NIH research group published the results of their study, naming Seasonal Affective Disorder for the first time in print. The American Psychological Association recognized S.A.D. in 1990 as a mental disorder.
Since that time, many advances in science and medicine have created more effective S.A.D. treatments. Scientists were able to make full-spectrum lamps all the way back in the 1920s, with a combination of incandescent and fluorescent bulbs, but those bulbs are now easier to make and more effective to use. New anti-depressant medications have had promising results in trials for treating Seasonal Affective Disorder. People with S.A.D. can now download phone apps to track circadian rhythms, monitor hormone levels, or set a morning alarm that gradually increases light to mimic dawn.
S.A.D. Treatment
Treatment for Seasonal Affective Disorder overlaps in many ways with treatment for other forms of depression. However, the external factors involved in S.A.D. mean that there are some different options. For one thing, the seasonal nature may allow those affected by S.A.D. to anticipate and prepare for changes before symptoms start to occur.
- Light therapy
- Dawn simulators
- Maintaining a regular sleep schedule
- Exercising outdoors or next to a window
- Seeking out socialization
- Psychotherapy
- Antidepressant medication
- Vitamin D supplements