Rachel Andrews, MA, LPC, Southwest Health Behavioral Services   

Ever wonder why you feel different in the winter versus the summer? Or how the lack of sunlight makes you feel so tired right when you get off work? You don’t feel like you.  

Many people are affected by the change in sunlight, colder weather and general season changes. If you feel like you experience these effects more than others around you, you may be struggling with Seasonal Affective Disorder.   

Seasonal affective disorder is a form of depression also known as SAD, seasonal depression or winter depression. In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, this disorder is identified as a type of depression and occurs in 0.5 to 3% of individuals. Seasonal affective disorder often starts during adulthood, rarely impacts those younger than the age of 20 but the risk increases with age. It is also indicated to have more of an impact on women more often than men.  

Seasonal affective disorder can include feelings of sadness, hopelessness, or worthlessness, as well as changes in sleep and appetite, and difficulty concentrating. Other symptoms include:   

• Fatigue or feeling slowed down   

• Physical aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive problems   

• Thoughts of death or suicide   

• Loss of interest in activities you used to enjoy   

• Oversleeping   

These symptoms can make one wonder what the causes of Seasonal affective disorder may be. Research supports that it may be caused by shorter days, less sunlight, melatonin, or a chemical change in the brain.    

Recommended treatments are light therapy, medications, psychotherapy, or Vitamin D supplements. Other ways to improve seasonal impacts on your mood would be to make a habit of getting out for a daily walk, add nutritional changes, plan fun activities and stick to those commitments, get social with friends and family, move your body with physical activity, and reach out to your support system.  

If you feel down for days at a time, you can’t get motivated to do activities you normally enjoy and things that you have tried are not creating a noticeable change, please see your health care provider.   

No matter the season or the time of year, please reach out to your friend, therapist, or primary care provider if you are struggling with your mental health. Remember that how you feel plays a significant role in all aspects of your life and the lives of the loved ones around you. Let this be the season of giving back to yourself by taking care of yourself and your mental health.