We frequently hear about psychological disorders, particularly depression and anxiety, but we barely hear about cases of SAD.
Seasonal Affective Disorder is classified under depression which hits during a particular season, usually winter, however, some people undergo its symptoms during the summer months (Parekh, 2017). Just like depression, seasonal affective disorder, a.k.a. SAD, is a serious psychological disorder which can lead to dysfunction in one’s daily life. Although it is important that those who experience SAD in the summer are not ignored, many information focuses on those who experience it in winter and this affects knowledge distributed even about treatment. Connections between biochemical imbalances due to changes in daylight hours and SAD have been established.
Common symptoms are similar to those of Major Depression Disorder such as feeling very low, lack of motivation, decrease in energy, guilt feelings, lack of concentration, suicidal thoughts, changes in sleep (usually an increase), either increased restless movements or slowed ones and, interestingly enough, an increase in appetite, particulary for carbs. Its onset is usually between the ages of 18 and 30.
Why don’t we hear more about SAD?
A reason for this could be that SAD tends to be dismissed as the ‘winter blues’, when in fact, symptoms are as severe as those of major depression; in fact, SAD has yet to be considered a depressive disorder which requires clinical attention (Williams, n.d.). Moreover, the fact that SAD specifically targets a particular seasonal period and not the whole year, it could be regarded as mere low mood and not as something serious. We wonder what these people have to say. One spreads awareness about how having a sedentary job indoors can aggravate the disorder due to lack of exposure to sunlight (Cassie, n.d.). This same person sheds light on how therapy is still very helpful, despite the fact that the person experiences depressive symptoms during one particular season. An interesting pointer is that we should let our bodies flow through the sleep patterns that each season brings about – sleep is an important factor in SAD because energy levels change according to the differing daylight hours in different seasons and it is important that people suffering from SAD do not resist these changes.
What can you do?
Experiencing SAD, Cassie on Wholefully writes about techniques that people with SAD can do to make themselves feel better. She suggests making less use of social media, lighting a fire, avoiding working in an office, meditating, making use of saunas (she points at an interesting factor which might affect SAD i.e. body temperature), increasing use of light as therapy and finally, as with any other psychological disorder, accepting it.
Betapsi’s aim is to educate people about issues related to psychology and mental health and while we keep pushing towards a society where stigma is reduced, it is important to raise awareness about certain phenomena that are not given enough attention. We acknowledge the advances being made towards being more knowledgeable regarding mental health, however, it is imperative that we think more broadly. The scope of this paper is to shed light on psychological disorders – in this case, SAD – that are less common and for this reason, they quickly tend to be considered as less serious.
Cover Image: Credit
