Seasonal Affective Disorder can affect anyone during the change of any season, but right now is primetime.
With the beginning of autumn this month and the onset of rainier weather over the past few days, there’s no denying it: the colder seasons are upon us. Worryingly, for a number of us, this change in the weather, plus the shorter days, can bring with it an unwelcome effect on our mental health. As the darker evenings draw in, and the mornings often begin in total darkness, some of us begin to experience the inescapable feeling of depression, exhaustion and anxiety, which can be caused by Seasonal Affective Disorder.
According to research from the Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPsych), some 3% of the UK population suffer a “significant” version of this condition, defined as experiencing symptoms badly enough “to interfere with your life”. However, it is predicted considerably more may suffer from a milder form – with testing company York Test citing research that three in ten Brits are susceptible. Celebrity gardener Monty Don has opened up in a number of interviews about suffering from the condition.
What’s less publicised is the gendered nature of this condition: according to RPsych, women are three times more likely to be affected by SAD than men, with women of childbearing age the most affecting. SAD syndromes strike as soon as summer ends and sunlight diminishes, a low mood every autumn and winter specifically can be a sign.
Seasonal Affective Disorder symptoms
Also described as the winter blues, according to sufferers this really doesn’t cover the true debilitating extent of SAD. Symptoms include depression, fatigue, low self-esteem, withdrawing from social events and commitments, tearfulness, reduced libido and anxiety. The fatigue can be crushing; a tiredness which seriously restricts day-to-day activities.
Although primarily linked to low serotonin levels and a disrupted body clock, a physical illness or trauma can trigger SAD too. It could also be attributed to higher amounts of melatonin being produced in the night and later into the morning, resulting in a greater desire for sleep. With light being a natural stimulant, once this starts reducing, natural circadian rhythms are dramatically disrupted. Because of where we are positioned, those of us in the UK and Ireland undergo substantial changes in light due to being in the higher latitudes of the northern hempishere.
It’s also believed that your birth season could have an effect on your likelihood of developing SAD, with those born in the winter months more susceptible according to a 2010 study.
Recognised treatment for SAD includes Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, anti-depressants and light therapy.
Seasonal Affective Disorder treatments
While there is no permanent cure for SAD, there are a number of treatments that can be employed during the months when it occurs.
“Everyone’s affected differently by SAD, so what works for one person won’t for another,” Sue Pavlovich of the Seasonal Affective Disorder Association (SADA) has told the NHS. “But there’s usually something that will help, so don’t give up if the first remedy you try doesn’t work. Just keep trying.”