Effects of seasonal depression

Holiday music, shopping for gifts, and snow forming thickets of beautiful landscape. This rose-tinted view is one many hold during the wintertime. It is a lovely period of the year, complete with visiting family and winter cheer. However, the same cannot be said for those affected by depression, as the glittering snowfall season of winter might bring them the most discomfort.

Seasonal affective disorder, also called SAD or seasonal depression, is an emotional disorder that correlates to the time of year. Usually, symptoms start up around autumn time, worsen during winter months, and clear up around spring or summer. However, there is also a contrasting version of SAD for symptoms of depression starting in spring and clearing up around fall.

Some of the symptoms of seasonal depression include feeling sad during most of the day (almost every day), having low energy, sleeping far too much, and losing interest in activities that were previously enjoyed. Many of these symptoms match with major depressive disorder, making it a profoundly serious condition that much of the world experiences.

At its core, seasonal affective disorder can be traced mostly to dreary weather that occurs each year depending on each person’s view of the seasons. This may also affect those who love seasonal shifts but lack them after moving to a more tropical climate. Or for people who prefer cold weather and are left to suffer through the heat that they have never experienced or enjoyed.

Tropical climates are often the most difficult for those with SAD to endure, including summer depressions. Being in a warm climate all year can lead to an unphased sense of importance in the heat, making the summer seem less comforting than for the average person. An even rarer version of SAD can be the lack of seasonal change itself which many regions across the Earth are familiar with.

Symptoms for this disorder are subtle and aren’t caught as fast as others, but that fact alone doesn’t deny its existence. Seasonal depression is as common as it is a mystery to the professionals who study it. However, it is not a lost cause. There are different forms of treatment for SAD, such as light therapy, psychotherapy, and medication. Most importantly, mental health is just as high of a priority to maintain as with other health. 

Written by Kylie Bronder  | Graphic Designed by Kylie Bronder 

Published February 20, 2023 | ePathfinder | Feature