Understanding Seasonal Affective Disorder and How to Cope with It

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), commonly associated with a depressive episode that cycles or rotates with the seasons. SAD is a form of depression, it is referred to as seasonal depression, winter depression, or a depressive episode “with seasonal patterns”. We all get down in the dumps sometimes, life is complicated. When the symptoms have come to a point of life interference, daily functioning, and long term emotional well being is being disrupted, it's time to seek help.

A pensive woman rests her head on folded arms at a weathered picnic table, surrounded by autumn colors, capturing the essence of seasonal affective disorder.

Typical Symptoms Include

Feeling sad or having a depressed mood, changes in appetite, weight gain, change in sleep, constant day time fatigue despite increased sleep hours, increase in purposeless physical activity (e.g., inability to sit still, pacing, handwringing), slowed movements or speech, feelings of worthlessness or guilty, apathy, low interest in sex, difficulty concentrating, or making decisions, Thoughts of death or suicide. (List taken from NAMI and psychiatry.com)

SAD can be treated with or without medications

It has been linked to changes in the brain with circadian rhythm prompted by shorter daylight hours and less sunlight in winter, and in rare cases it is seen in the summer season. Our circadian rhythm regulates our sleep and alertness when responding to changes in our environment (light, temperature, radiation, altitude, pressure, etc). It also has a hand in affecting our hormones, appetite, digestion, and body temperature. (CDC.gov)

Typical treatments can include

• Talk therapy, usually using cognitive behavior therapy (CBT)

• Light therapy, increasing exposure to sun or using a light box for around 20 mins a day

• Medications, antidepressants (SSRIs which carry signals between brain nerve cells.)

• Getting on a stable and consistent sleep and exercise plan can help regulate the circadian rhythms.

Helping a loved one cope

Loving someone through a tough time is difficult and imperative for living well together. Here are some ways that might seem obvious, but we forget about. (NIMH)

• Offer support, understanding, patience, and encouragement. This is a big task and you don’t have to do it alone. Ask your friends or other loved ones to help and realize that healing/getting better is not linear.

• Invite them out. Even if they always say no, showing that you still care about them despite how terrible they feel right now shows them that you care.

• Hold them accountable! This can include things like daily check-ins, setting reminders for medications, reminding them to eat/drink water, checking in on their hygiene, helping take a small thing off their todo list by doing it together, etc.

• Make sure they have transportation to or easy access to therapy.

• Remind them that depression can lift, it is not always going to be this way, and that you are there for them.

• TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF! Not only is taking care of yourself important for you, it is also important for showing your loved one that they are not a burden on you.