Seasonal Affective Disorder

Have you ever felt drowsy, weary, or unmotivated due to the surrounding environment not being illuminated with the sun on a gloomy day? Well, this is a hard hit reality for many people who encounter this type of disorder through the months of November to early July.

This type of depression is called SAD, or Seasonal Affective Disorder. Though SAD is generally not the kind of disorder that quickly escalates, without proper treatment and care, it can cause detrimental mental health effects, which can negatively impact one’s body on a larger scale.

Before we get deeper into the specifics of SAD, let’s have a look at the background of SAD and how it was discovered. In 1981, the Washington Post published a story named “I wish I was a bear” (Rovner, S., & Rovner, Y.). This story highlights an anonymous young woman under the alias Ingrid Bush. The lady used the word “bear” to represent her mood because during the winter months her energy would be completely depleted, similar to that of a hibernating bear. After these months, her mood would fluctuate from season to season. Ingrid also stayed in different places, such as in Quebec, New York, and Atlanta for long durations. She observed her mannerisms and later told her therapist that the farther north she went, the earlier those depressing symptoms would start and the longer their effects would last.

Ingrid’s description intrigued Norman Rosenthal, a researcher from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) who was studying the relationship between lack of sunlight and mental health issues. He investigated deeper into this case while the NIMH started to receive similar patients after the publication of the story. After more studies were done, the institute’s chief of Clinical Psychobiology, Dr. Frederick Goodwin started to see the relationship between SAD and biological rhythms. Rosenthal later theorized that “in rare cases, the human brain may respond negatively to the diminishing exposure to the sun”(Itkowitz, C.). “I thought I was dealing with a very rare syndrome,” he said in an interview. “I thought we’d get maybe half a dozen and we could do something. We got 3,000 responses from all over the country”(Itkowitz, C.). Because of the influx of cases, Rosenthal started to devote more time and research into the condition, which led to him creating a possible solution to combat SAD— artificial light during the winter months, which could boost mood and energy. Since 1984, Rosenthal, his colleagues, and many other researchers around the world have been trying to devise various ways to combat this disorder. Interestingly, some restaurants have found that putting Vitamin D supplement pills in drinks can boost energy and mood in customers, reducing the effects of SAD.

But how does SAD even occur on a chemical level? One of the reasons proposed by many researchers is that a lack of sunlight or even artificial light can slow the process of releasing serotonin, a chemical influencing mood. Due to that, people who receive minimal light start to eat sweets, which are rich in carbohydrates, in addition to fatty foods, which increase their level of serotonin. This explains why there is a sudden increase in appetite with the onset of SAD. Another possibility is that when it is dark, especially at night, the brain triggers the release of melatonin, a hormone that helps the body get ready for sleep. However, people who have SAD or receive very minimal light tend to overproduce this hormone, causing fatigue and a drastic loss of energy similar to what happens when animals hibernate during winter.

Hormonal fluctuations are the main cause of SAD, but pre-existing depression is also another variable as it has great links with SAD. It is essentially a form of depression that is related to the environment. Understanding the connection between SAD and depression is quite difficult to understand as SAD is just recently discovered in1984 in comparison to depression (c. 1900s). Rosenthal used a great analogy to explain how SAD works: “the seasonal depression has made you lethargic and you miss a deadline at work. Your boss is angry and gives you a poor review. Now you feel worse. Desperate for the comfort you eat three donuts. You put on a few pounds. Your clothes are tight. You grow more despondent”(Itkowitz, C.). The main symptoms of depression are the loss of hope and interest which is also a symptom of SAD. Rosenthal explains this through the analogy of eating food for comfort which results in being more lethargic and all hope is lost.

People who encounter SAD typically show various symptoms from November to early summer. The condition is broken down into 3 main categories of symptoms. The first category consists of general SAD symptoms, though some people have a shorter term of SAD compared to others, as the length is reliant on an individual’s mental strength. The general symptoms which have been researched by the Mayo clinic state as below:

• Feeling depressed most of the day, nearly every day

• Losing interest in activities you once enjoyed

• Having low energy

• Having problems with sleeping

• Experiencing changes in your appetite or weight

• Feeling sluggish or agitated

• Having difficulty concentrating

• Feeling hopeless, worthless or guilty

• Having frequent thoughts of death or suicide”

The second category is fall and winter SAD, also known as “winter depression.” Symptoms include:

• Oversleeping

• Appetite changes, especially a craving for foods high in carbohydrates

• Weight gain

• Tiredness or low energy”

The last category is oriented for the spring to summer months, hence the title “summer depression.” These include:

• Trouble sleeping (insomnia)

• Poor appetite

• Weight loss

• Agitation or anxiety

On the whole, SAD is still a newly understood disorder and has many possible causes and outcomes. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle of exercise, sunlight, and proper eating can reduce your chances of exhibiting SAD’s symptoms. According to Mayo Clinic, the best way to face SAD yourself or help someone you know is not to “Brush off that yearly feeling as simply a case of the "winter blues'' or a seasonal funk that you have to tough out on your own. Take steps to keep your mood and motivation steady throughout the year” (Seasonal affective disorder, SAD).

Bibliography:

- Mayo Clinic. (2017). Seasonal affective disorder (SAD). https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/seasonal-affective-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20364651

Itkowitz, C. (2019). The Washington Post helped discover seasonal affective disorder. Now here's how to beat it. Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/inspired-life/wp/2015/10/29/the-story-of-how-seasonal-affective-disorder-came-to-be-recognized-as-a-problem/

- Rovner, S., & Rovner, Y. (1981). HEALTHTALK: Seasons of the Psyche. Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1981/06/12/healthtalk-seasons-of-the-psyche/f744a361-b849-4c1f-925d-c32845a11897/?itid=lk_inline_manual_5

- Horizon View Health. (2018). 5 Tips to Manage SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). Retrieved October 10, 2020, from https://www.horizonviewhealth.com/seasonal-affective-disorder/