Health & Fitness

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

[fa icon="calendar"] 09-Nov-2018 12:01:47 / by Emily Apps

sad4The clocks have gone back, the days are getting shorter and the temperatures dropping. Winter is here. Cue Seasonal Affective Disorder: A winter depression that hits when there’s less daylight during the winter months.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) affects more people than you may realise. Known as the ‘Winter depression’, it’s most commonly found in 18 – 30 year olds who live in countries further away from the equator, but realistically it can affect any person, any age, anywhere. It doesn’t even have to occur in winter – some people suffer in the opposite months than you’d think! Although symptoms can appear at any time of year, they most commonly appear between September and November can continue though until March or April when the days start getting longer.

It’s thought that 1 in 15 people in the UK suffer from SAD and 20% of the population experience mildly debilitating symptom s of SAD, which is also known as Subsyndromal SAD or ‘winter blues’.

There’s a spectrum of SAD suffering. Some will feel grumpy and a bit down whilst suffering from the Winter Blues and some will suffer more drastically leading to them having to take time off and drastically change and limit their daily life.

There’s many symptoms to look out for that could be a sign of SAD…

  • Persistent low mood
  • Loss of interest in every day activities
  • Feeling irritable
  • Feeling of despair, guilt and worthlessness
  • Lethargic/lack of energy
  • Sleeping longer and finding it hard to get up
  • Weight gain
  • Low self esteem
  • Stressed

Causes…

Although SAD causes are largely unknown, it’s often linked to reduced exposure to sunlight during the shorter days. It’s thought that the lack of sunlight might stop a part of the brain called ‘hypothalamus’ working which may affect

  • Production of Melatonin – the hormone that makes you feel sleep – those with SAD may have bodies which produce it in higher than normal levels
  • Production of Serotonin – the hormone that affects mood, appetite and sleep. Again, less sunlight = lower serotonin levels.
  • Body’s internal clocks (circadian rhythm) – your body uses sunlight to time various important functions (e.g. waking up) so lower light levels during winter may disrupt the body clock and lead to SAD.

Treatments...

Unfortunately, moving to warmer climates for 6 months of the year just isn’t feasible for most of us, so we’ve got some lifestyle changes you can make which will hopefully ease your SAD symptoms…

Getting as much natural sunlight is possible is key to helping lift moods.  If it’s not always possible to be near windows or out in the light, it may be worth investing in a Light Box. They’re effect for 85% of cases and have users start noticing a difference after using it for as little as an hour a day for 2 weeks! You don’t need to worry about hurting your eyes, you don’t need to stare directly at the box - just having it in front of you whilst you’re reading or watching TV can work just as well!

Heading out to exercise can be one of the best self-help solutions to help conquer SAD. Even just a 30 minute walk at lunch time or exercise class after work can make all the difference. Why not check out the sessions that we’re running this winter here at activeNewham!

Find a support network – many support groups for depression and mental health issues will have members that suffer from SAD or who feel their symptoms are worse are certain times of year. Sharing your experience with others can be therapeutic and will reassure you that you’re not the only one who feels like this.  If you’re unsure where to find your local group, talk to your GP or a mental health charity who will be able to advise you of groups in your area.

If you think you’re suffering from SAD symptoms and you’re struggling to cope, its time to speak to someone. Your GP will talk through you current lifestyle – your moods, eating habits and sleeping patterns etc and they will then be able to discuss with you the best treatment and preventative measure best for tackling your symptoms.

Remember, you don’t have to wait for the winter months to pass to start feeling better.

Topics: fitness, mental health, sport and leisure, Self care

Emily Apps

Written by Emily Apps

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