Perception is a fascinating thing. Have you ever thought, what does this person feel or think when someone mentions my name? One can look at you and form an entire opinion just by your outward appearance, while someone else may see you once after experiencing a reasonably traumatic experience with you and feel nothing and everything simultaneously. It’s insane to me to think how every person you ever come into contact with has a different perception or opinion of you. And the actual perception people have of you changes based on who is doing the perceiving. The way you perceive seasons differs from the way someone else may perceive them, fascinatingly enough.
We all experience and feel a variety of emotions daily. And acting upon or coping with them may look different for every person experiencing them. A lot of these emotions are linked to past experiences, so when thinking of them in relation to seasons, it’s probably easy to picture the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word: winter. What were your first initial thoughts? Maybe you thought of all the coziness the cold outside brings inside, or maybe you thought of the night your dad died just two weeks before Christmas and the warmth inside turned piercingly frigid. Whatever you feel when thinking about the winter season, I’m almost positive that another person has the exact opposite feelings linked to it.
With the Christmas season around the corner, I thought about the very taboo topic of depression at Christmas. So many people usually link Christmas to warm feelings and memories even if it’s subconscious, but I don't think seasonal depression is discussed enough. You may have never given the feelings of sadness, loneliness, or depression a single thought during the holiday season, but if you have, this one’s for you.
Maybe it’s a situation where you can name a date and time that caused the perception of the winter season to alter for you forever, or perhaps you have no idea why you feel the way you do. But either way, you are not alone. There is an actual diagnosis to what you may be feeling, called SAD (seasonal affective disorder) or seasonal depression.** And it’s not just a mental health disorder that can occur when the weather gets colder; it can be linked to spring, summer, or fall. Most commonly, however, this mental illness is diagnosed during the winter season.
In this article, I am going to address the varying levels of seasonal depression as well as some tips for recovery.
What are some things that cause seasonal affective disorder (SAD)?
Less sunlight: With time change, individuals’ biological clock can be thrown. This can have effects on one’s hormones, sleep, and overall mood.
Melatonin boost: Scientific studies done by medical institutes such as John Hopkins Medical have proven that the body releases more melatonin when it’s dark outside.
Brain chemical imbalance: Closely related to the change in sunlight during the day, brain chemicals can be unbalanced due to the lack of neurotransmitters sending communications to the nerves. Many of the exchanged chemicals include serotonin (also known as the happy-hormone) which can be the leading reason for sadness during the season. In addition, sunlight can help regulate serotonin levels and because of the change in time, one already lacking some of the light they were used to having during the warmer months
Negatively associated thoughts with the winter season: Many people who have been diagnosed with SAD experience a flow of negative thoughts throughout the season, especially when an individual has overcome a past traumatic or sad experience during the season. The subconscious can be a fascinating and overlooked factor in terms of this disorder. You can link negative feelings from past experiences without even being aware of it.
What are some various symptoms people experience?
Some of the most common symptoms people experience include but are not limited to the following:
General sadness almost all day, every day
Anxiety
Increased sleep and abnormal day drowsiness
Loss of interest in formerly enjoyed activities
Irritability
Trouble concentrating
Feelings of guilt and hopelessness
Arms and legs feel heavy
Issues involving sleep (typically oversleeping)
Headaches
Thoughts of death or suicide
What are some commonly used recovery methods?
If you experience any of these symptoms during the winter season, it is okay to get help! Many who battle seasonal affective disorder may also battle mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and/or bipolar disorder. Those individuals may already know what works for them, but if this is a new concept for you or someone close to you who may be struggling, here are some commonly used methods for coping:
Intensional exposure to natural light https://www.tricitymed.org/2018/08/5-ways-the-sun-impacts-your-mental-and-physical-health/
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=F6ARDAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR11&dq=benefits+for+seasonal+affective+disorder+using+CBT&ots=CQYY88dF63&sig=QMkKQLGwTBnEHtJqdAoXnaXaI14#v=onepage&q=benefits%20for%20seasonal%20affective%20disorder%20using%20CBT&f=false
Increased Vitamin D https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8584834/
Antidepressants *Always talk to your doctor about potential medications that can be prescribed before taking any*
Increased time spent talking to or just with other individuals https://www.everydayhealth.com/emotional-health/social-support.aspx
**It’s typically self-diagnosable, but always check with a professional before taking medical steps toward recovery.
Work cited:
Seasonal affective disorder. Seasonal Affective Disorder | Johns Hopkins Medicine. (n.d.). Retrieved November 16, 2022, from https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/seasonal-affective-disorder
Seasonal Depression (seasonal affective disorder). Cleveland Clinic. (n.d.). Retrieved November 16, 2022, from https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9293-seasonal-depression
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