Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

A type of depression categorised as intermittent is sometimes referred to as the “winter blues”. It is a biochemical imbalance in the brain that changes in seasons, adjusting to new environmental factors, including lack of daylight, cold temperatures, and sedimentation. Primarily induced during the winter season, SAD can affect anyone but is seen more in women, who are four times as likely compared to men and youth. The risk of feeling symptoms of seasonal affective disorder decrease as you age; thus, younger people are more at risk of developing said symptoms.

Signs and Symptoms:

·       Feeling depressed

·       Feeling low energy

·       Fluctuation in weight (gain or loss)

·       Change in appetite

·       Changes in your mood (increased irritability)

·       Difficulty concentrating

·       Oversleeping and remaining tired

·       Thoughts of death or suicide

Treatments:

·       Phototherapy

·       Antidepressant Medication

·       Psychotherapy

·       Supplements

Phototherapy is the use of daylight or an equivalent form of light to treat SAD. Decreased daylight hours lowers the chance of sunlight exposure, in turn decreasing vitamin D absorption. The goal of phototherapy is to increase your time in direct sunlight, positively impacting your body’s melatonin regulation, which controls your sleep cycle or circadian rhythm. Melanin causes skin pigmentation; it lowers the skin’s ability to make vitamin D after direct sunlight. Studies show that this results in adults with darker skin being more at risk of vitamin D deficiency, and up to 42% of adults in America have low levels of Vitamin D. In low levels it harms the production of serotonin and dopamine, altering one’s mood and emotions. These pleasure hormones are produced when we feel happy, fulfilled and relaxed, and people with depression are seen to have low levels of them.  Insufficient vitamin D also affects your body in many ways due to its role in calcium absorption. Calcium is a mineral that maintains our bones, and the body uses Vitamin D to break it down. Low levels of calcium can cause muscle cramps, fatigue, skin irritation and osteoporosis.

Another course of action to treat SAD is the use of antidepressant medication. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are the most commonly prescribed antidepressant. SSRIs increase levels of the pleasure hormone in the brain called serotonin that people are suffering from depression low experience levels of.

Psychotherapy, or talk therapy, is used by therapists to help treat SAD. One form of psychotherapy is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), which helps you pinpoint negative behaviours or patterns of thought and change them into positive ones. For example, the feeling of self-hate after skipping a workout again can be examined and replaced with a more positive reaction such as “I will try again next time”. Doing so will train the mind to react differently to negative stressors and even changing the way one views a negative stressor. If a stressor, for example, a tight work deadline, is interpreted as motivation rather than upsetting, it decreases the negative effects of the stressor.

Taking vitamin D3 supplements can be used in conjunction with other therapies listed above. The Daily recommended intake of these supplements by the US Institute of Medicine is 1000-4000 IU for individuals who do not have regular exposure to sunlight. Please consult a health professional before taking any amount more than the recommended dosage.

How COVID-19 affects mental health:

As the world was forced to change due to the COVID-19 pandemic, symptoms of SAD have manifested at a higher rate. Being unable to go outside as often, staying home for longer periods of time, decreased physical activity, lowered vitamin D levels, and altered circadian rhythms all are negatively impacted by a regional stay at home orders and social restrictions. Adapting to the new guidelines of social interactions can be difficult, but as a community, we come together to help one another through difficult times. Things to try this week: incorporate a workout into your schedule, drink more water (start with 2L), fix your sleep schedule and most importantly, understand that it takes more than one attempt to make something a habit. Be kind to yourself, be kind to others around you and make sure your loved ones are doing well.

Who to talk to:

If you need help, always reach out to someone you trust and remember you are not suffering alone. If you are experiencing severe depressive symptoms, including thoughts of suicide or self-harm, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-TALK (8255).