SAD: A neglected disorder
How seasonal affective disorder may be influencing our lives.
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a mood disorder in which those affected show symptoms of depression around the same time each year, most often in Winter. Image Source: Flickr
We often fail to notice what might be right in front of us. After all, how many times have we lost our keys, and they were just sitting at the table? Similarly, many people experience symptoms of fatigue and sadness during winter, which they tend to associate with underlying psychological causes. However, the leading cause of such symptoms may actually be what’s right in front of us; the weather.
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) involves symptoms that are related to clinical depression. These include fatigue, difficulty to concentrate, uncontrolled sadness, excessive sleep, losing interest in social life and activities, and craving desserts accompanied by weight gaining. The symptoms come in a seasonal pattern, typically peaking in the winter, and predominantly affect women. According to psychiatrist Dr Norman E. Rosenthal, one of the first to actually describe the disorder in the early 1980s, one in 20 of us suffer from SAD syndrome. Since Rosenthal, SAD has been widely accepted as a medical condition by national health agencies, including the NHS, which offers advice on ways to battle it.
According to the latest figures from Google Trends, SAD is most prevalent in Canada, the U.S. and the UK. In these countries, populations have greater awareness of the disorder and its effects, mainly due to the fact that the condition has started making progress into becoming accepted and actually acknowledged, rather than hidden and considered insignificant. The UK being on the top of this list is reassuring; however, it remains crucial to continue to raise awareness on SAD, as students around the world may be experiencing symptoms in full force and yet, be completely unaware of the root cause.
SAD is closely related but still very different from winter blues. As Rosenthal explains, SAD “becomes a medical thing when it has consequences in people's lives, like not being able to get to work or their quality of life going down the drain." On the other hand, winter blues is associated with simple mood changes and lowered energy and enthusiasm for everyday activities. And, while winter blues is associated with a lack of sleep, people suffering from SAD spend a lot of time in bed.
In this special year, the combination of the pandemic and winter season will be tough on those who suffer from SAD. Symptoms are likely to intensify, with orders to stay at home during the long gloomy days. Not getting outdoor exercise, not travelling for work and constantly eating in will inevitably affect our motivation to get on with their lives.
However, hope is not lost. A variety of ways have been suggested to battle the condition. Dating all the way back to ancient Greece, Hippocrates was the first to provide proof that sun exposure has enormous therapeutic potential. Light therapy is a long-established theory. Here, one sits beside a certain type of lamp, called a light box, for about 30 minutes to an hour every morning. Light boxes produce a really bright light of high intensity, simulating the sunlight which people in cold countries miss during the winter. Through that light, the production of serotonin, the hormone that stabilises feelings of well-being, increases. However, at present, funding towards light therapies has not been accepted here in the UK, based on limited evidence of the technique’s success.
Light therapy isn’t the only solution proposed for SAD; according to the experts, changing up our routines and taking care of our daily schedules is a great first step to prevent or tackle the disorder. Simple acts of taking a walk at the park every morning, exercising in the house or going outside for a run can be really helpful to keep us going. Connecting with the natural environment around us is a great cure to isolation. Socialising with the people that you love is also crucial; the new lockdown rules should not stop us from calling our friends and family and checking up on them. These days it is especially important to continue pushing ourselves to keep being connected with people that make us happy. Finding happiness in your everyday life is fundamental. Appreciating our friends, the nature around us and taking up opportunities, such as online classes, journaling, painting or even spending a day in the library can be extremely fruitful.
The condition should not be seen as something fearful. Acceptance is a big and important step. We are all on the same boat, all scared and struggling during these times. Keeping a positive mindset can be a cure to the negativity surrounding us.
To learn more about SAD: click here