SAD? Here's What You Need to Know About Seasonal Affective Disorder

What is seasonal affective disorder?

Seasonal affective disorder is a subtype of depression that begins and ends around the same time each year. Most people who develop SAD experience symptoms from late fall through the winter months. In some cases, spring and summer can cause seasonal depression but it’s far less common.

What’s the difference between seasonal affective disorder and depression?

Though seasonal affective disorder and major depression do share common symptoms, they aren’t quite the same thing. When a person is depressed, they may experience persistent symptoms for months or years, that only go away with treatment. However, symptoms of seasonal affective disorder are temporary and typically go away as winter ends and spring begins.

These variations also affect how each type of depression is diagnosed. To be diagnosed with seasonal affective disorder, you’d have to meet the following criteria:

• Experience the symptoms of major depression AND
• Experience the symptoms for at least 2 years AND
• Experience seasonal depression more frequently than any non-seasonal depression

If you experience the symptoms of major depression but it’s not season-specific, it’s likely that you’ll be diagnosed with depression, not SAD.

How can seasonal changes affect people with bipolar disorder?

Bipolar disorder is a condition that affects around 3 million Americans. It’s characterized by mood swings that range from depression to mania. In other words, people with bipolar disorder can experience really “high” moods that make them feel on top of the world (manic). Then, within days, weeks, or months, depending on the severity of their disorder, they can sink into a deep state of depression. Not all people with bipolar disorder experience dramatic mood swings, especially if they are on medications that help balance the chemicals in their brain.

Seasonal changes can have a strong impact on people with bipolar disorder. They may find that their depressive episodes are much more intense during the fall and winter, with their manic moods higher in the spring and summer. This is called seasonal bipolar disorder and can be identified and treated much in the same way that seasonal affective disorder is.

What causes seasonal affective disorder?

Doctor’s aren’t entirely sure what causes seasonal affective disorder but most agree that it has to do with the reduced amount of sunlight in the winter and the way that it affects your body’s natural rhythms. When you don’t get as much sunlight as you’re used to, two main things can happen.

• Your serotonin levels get too low — Serotonin, sometimes called the “happiness hormone,” affects everything from your mood to your bone health. When your levels of serotonin are low, you’re more prone to depression. During the fall and winter months, this can be particularly problematic; reduced sunlight can inhibit serotonin production, causing you to develop seasonal depression.
• Your melatonin levels get too high — Your brain produces a sleep-related hormone, called melatonin. As the days get shorter and darker, your brain can interpret this as a signal to create more melatonin. Essentially, this causes your body’s internal clock to be thrown off, which has been linked to seasonal affective disorder.

Though these are thought to be the main causes of SAD, some other factors that can trigger it include:

• Traumatic life events
• Physical illness
• Alcohol or drug use (or withdrawal from either)
• Change in medication

Who can get seasonal affective disorder?

Anyone can get SAD but there are certain risk factors that make it more likely. If any of the following apply to you, you could be at a higher risk for SAD:

• Being female — 4 out of 5 people who have seasonal depression are women.
• Being young — People aged 20 to 30 are at the highest risk of developing SAD, though younger and older people can have it, too.
• Having a family history of mental illness — People with SAD are likely to have a relative who has SAD or another type of depression.
• Having major depression or bipolar disorder — Though symptoms may be present at other times of year, people who have a history of mental health conditions can experience worse symptoms in the winter.
• Living far from the equator — The further away from the equator you live, the shorter the days are in the winter and the longer they are in the summer. When you live far North or far South of the equator, the lack of sunlight during the winter can be a major cause of SAD.

What are the symptoms of seasonal affective disorder?

Seasonal affective disorder, along with other types of depression, can affect people differently. The symptoms exist on a scale, ranging from mild to severe. While some people may have most or all of the symptoms, others may only have one or two. Some of the most common symptoms of winter SAD include:

• Lower energy levels than usual
• Craving for sweets and carbohydrate-heavy foods
• Weight gain
• Fatigue
• Frequent oversleeping
• Irritability
• Trouble concentrating
• Losing interest in activities you usually enjoy
• Avoiding social situations
• Feeling hopeless or worthless
• Having thoughts of death or suicide
• An increased sensitivity to rejection

Remember, many of the symptoms of winter SAD are the same as major depression. You can tell the difference by noticing when you experience the symptoms. If they only happen, or happen most often, during the winter, you likely have SAD. If the symptoms are present throughout the year, you probably have non-seasonal depression.

It’s also important to note that winter blues and depression are not the same thing; when people talk about the “winter blues,” they’re usually describing very mild symptoms of SAD. Unlike seasonal affective disorder, you can’t be diagnosed with winter blues.

Can seasonal affective disorder be treated?

Yes, much like other mental health conditions, SAD can be treated. In addition to talking to a therapist and practicing relaxation techniques like meditation or yoga, the most common treatments for seasonal affective disorder are:

Light therapy

Also called phototherapy, light therapy is a safe and effective way to treat SAD. Essentially, it’s a light box that mimics natural sunlight and helps your body produce more serotonin and less melatonin, naturally.

Medication

Antidepressants are a common method for treating seasonal affective disorder, along with other types of depression. If you’ve been experiencing symptoms of SAD for multiple years, your doctor may even recommend starting antidepressants before your symptoms typically start. Any antidepressants should be used as ordered by your doctor — it may take several tries to find the medication that works best for you and stopping too soon could have adverse health effects.

Some other tips for treating SAD on your own include:

• Exercise regularly
• Get enough (but not too much) sleep
• Make an effort to spend time with friends and family, even if you don’t feel like it
• Spend time outside, even on cloudy days

Can you go to urgent care for mental health?

Booking an appointment with your primary care physician can take up to 24 days, according to a recent study conducted by Merritt Hawkins. If your doctor refers you to a psychiatrist or other mental health specialist, you could be looking at a wait of up to 4 months. That’s an incredibly long time to wait when symptoms of seasonal affective disorder are affecting your quality of life.

Alternatively, some people choose to make a trip to the emergency room when they feel depressed, believing that they’ll be treated quickly. However, this isn’t exactly how it works. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the average ER wait time is around 2 hours — and that does not include the time you’ll spend receiving care, filling out discharge paperwork, and being cleared to leave. Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania found that people who went to the ER for mental health services waited, on average, 2 hours longer than patients with other health concerns.

Luckily, there does exist a middle ground: urgent care. Typically, urgent care centers treat acute, non-life-threatening illnesses and injuries like sore throats, broken bones, and the flu. So you may be wondering, “can urgent care centers diagnose and treat mental health conditions?”

It’s a fair question. There are some urgent care centers that focus primarily on mental health services but these are not the norm. Still, many urgent care centers will be able to evaluate your symptoms and give you short-term medication to help treat your seasonal depression. You’ll also leave the urgent care clinic with resources on where to seek additional support, treatments you can try at home, as well as recommendations for long-term care that you can address with your primary care physician.

Most urgent care centers offer same-day, walk-in appointments, so you can skip the hassle, long wait time, and high price tag of the ER and get seen sooner than you would by your primary care doctor. Even better, you can cut your wait time in half when you use Solv to book an urgent care appointment online.

Note: The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.