How to Manage Seasonal Affective Disorder
Between grey skies, shorter days and our tendency to stay indoors due to cold weather, it’s normal to feel like you’re in a slump during winter. Some of us experience a dip in mood that goes beyond the blahs. It’s called seasonal affective disorder (SAD).
SAD is a type of depression that often occurs during the fall and winter months. Anyone can develop SAD, but women and those living in northern states are at higher risk of developing symptoms.
Inadequate exposure to sunlight in particular can cause decreased levels of vitamin D, a critically important nutrient that promotes serotonin activity. Serotonin is a brain chemical that helps to regulate mood. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), people with SAD exhibit lower-than-normal serotonin levels in the winter. They also tend to produce too much melatonin, the “sleep hormone.” As a result, they may experience changes in their mood, sleep, energy and behavior.
Read on for tips from Dr. Jesse Allen-Dicker, Assistant Attending Psychologist and Assistant Professor of Psychology at Weill Cornell Medicine, on how to identify the symptoms of SAD and bring them down to size.
What are the symptoms of SAD?
Symptoms may include:
- increased sadness
- depressed mood
- negative thinking
- reduced socialization
- tiredness
- changes in sleep patterns
- increased carbohydrate cravings
What steps can I take to relieve these symptoms?
If you notice any of the symptoms listed above, it's a good idea to take a step back and prioritize your mental health. In the meantime, Dr. Allen-Dicker suggests the following action steps that can help:
- Get outside and exercise during the day.
- Work on developing a healthier sleep schedule. Try not to sleep too much or too little. Aim for 7 to 9 hours a night.
- Be more socially active.
- Challenge those negative thoughts…
- …and above all, take care of yourself.
What are the most effective treatments for SAD?
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, there are several proven treatments for SAD—most notably, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), antidepressant medications and light therapy.
A light box can be a great investment. You can sit in front of it in the morning for 30 to 45 minutes. Dr. Allen-Dicker says his patients swear by it.
Some people also benefit greatly from taking a vitamin D supplement. Sunlight helps us process vitamin D, so vitamin D deficiency during the winter months is fairly common. A vitamin D3 supplement is not exactly a substitute for sunlight, but it can boost your vitamin D levels at a time of year when sunlight is in short supply.
The season is about to change
Daylight Savings Time's on March 10, and it will be our new normal for 8 whole months. In setting our clocks forward, we lose an hour.
The time change comes with its own issues as we all adjust, especially for the first few days when the mornings will be darker and the afternoons lighter than they have been since November. But that adjustment will be short-lived. Soon, we’ll be spending more time outside again, soaking up more sunlight and processing vitamin D to beat the band.
For most of us, that means the winter blahs will be gone for a good long while.
If you continue to suffer from SAD or any other type of depression, find a therapist at Weill Cornell Medicine.