Seasonal Affective Disorder: Less light can mean darker moods
10/21/2022
Does your mood seem to mirror the seasons - growing
darker as the winter days get shorter and lifting as the brighter days of
summer approach? You could have a condition known as seasonal affective
disorder (SAD).
SAD is a type of depression characterized by its
recurrent seasonal pattern, with symptoms lasting about four to five months per
year in late fall to early spring. According to the American Psychiatric
Association, about five percent of adults in the United States experience SAD.
“People may start to feel ‘down’ as the days get
shorter this time of year. This is ‘winter-pattern SAD’ and can make you feel
tired, crave carbohydrates, gain weight, avoid things you normally enjoy or
withdraw socially during the fall and winter months,” says Aspirus Licensed
Clinical Social Worker Heidi Pritzl.
Anyone can be affected by SAD, but according to the
National Institutes of Health (NIH), those who are the most at risk are women,
people living in the north, people living with other mental health disorders
and those a family history of depression. In most cases, SAD begins in young
adulthood.
If a patient is diagnosed with SAD,
a variety of recommendations may be made, depending on severity. Pritzl
recommends a well-balanced lifestyle and getting outside for regular walks when
the weather is mild. “Light therapy (utilizing a light box or dawn-stimulating
lamp), talk therapy, vitamin D and in some cases medications such as
antidepressants may be used alone or in combination. Talk to your health care
provider about which treatment, or combination of treatments, is best for you,”
says Pritzl.
Because the timing of the onset of winter-pattern SAD
is so predictable, people with a history of SAD might benefit from starting the
treatments mentioned above before the fall to help prevent or reduce the
depression. Therefore, people with SAD should discuss with their health care
providers if they want to initiate treatment early to prevent depressive
episodes.
If you’ve noticed significant changes in
your mood or behavior whenever the seasons change, talk to your provider, or
find a provider at www.aspirus.org/find-a-provider.
Heidi Pritzl, LCSW, MSW sees patients at
Aspirus Koller Behavioral Health in Woodruff and Eagle River.
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