As we enter the winter months, cloudy skies and rainy weather are coming in fast. Winter can be a time of warmth, love, and family. But for individuals who struggle with seasonal affective disorder, winter can become one long season of gloom and sadness. Luckily, there are ways to combat seasonal affective disorder.
What is SAD?
Also known by the fitting acronym SAD or seasonal depression, seasonal affective disorder is a kind of depression that takes hold during the changing seasons. Typically, those who suffer from SAD will begin to experience symptoms in the late fall. Symptoms can last all the way till summer.
According to the American Association of Family Physicians, roughly 4 to 6 percent of people may suffer from major SAD, with another 10 to 20 percent experiencing milder symptoms.
While under the same umbrella as major depressive disorder, the two disorders are distinctly different. SAD is typically characterized by oversleeping, irritability, low engird, weight gain, appetite changes, and a hypersensitivity to rejection.
This video provides a great breakdown around the 1-minute mark on the difference between major depressive disorder and SAD
What causes SAD?
While the exact cause of SAD is a topic of debate, researchers have pinpointed 3 common factors that contribute to SAD.
- Circadian rhythms
- Serotonin levels
- Melatonin levels
Dysfunction in all of these categories can be traced back to sunlight (and lack thereof), and the effects of limited sunlight on the body at a chemical level.
During the winter months, when it’s dark for longer in the morning and gets dark early in the evening, it can wreak havoc on our circadian rhythm (our ‘biological clock’ that releases melatonin and wakes us up around the same time every day). Individuals who go to work when it’s dark, work indoors, then get home after the sun sets can suffer from a dysfunctional circadian rhythm as a result of less sunlight.
Reduced sunlight exposure can also mess with serotonin levels, the hormone responsible for feelings of pleasure and happiness. This is also true for melatonin production. Melatonin is the chemical responsible for making you sleep and helping you get to bed around the same time every night. This lack of production may contribute to the symptom of oversleeping.
Helping Fight seasonal affective disorder though exercise
If you experience SAD, you should first go to your doctor or psychologist to be evaluated. However, regular exercise, especially when done outdoors, may help alleviate symptoms. Similar to how exercise can help fight symptoms of depression, the serotonin and endorphins released during exercise can help to boost mood and reduce symptoms of SAD.
In addition to regular exercise, getting outside daily is a great way to stave off symptoms of SAD. Just 15 minutes of walking outside, even in cloudy weather, can help improve your physical and mental wellbeing.
For more tips of living a healthy lifestyle, read more from our blog!