Why so SAD? Seasonal affective disorder and you 

Throughout the holiday season, the UNMC Wellness Team will be offering weekly wellness advice in UNMC Today. The team is comprised of Steve Wengel, MD, Sarah Fischer, PhD, and Priya Gearin, MD. Dr. Wengel is UNMC’s assistant vice chancellor for campus wellness and a professor in the UNMC Department of Psychiatry. 

Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, certainly has an appropriate acronym, because it definitely can make you feel sad.

First, let’s define Seasonal Affective Disorder. SAD is a form of depression where people feel more depressed at certain times of the year, hence the word “seasonal.” “Affective” refers to mood. And this is a recognized mental health disorder.

It is thought to be caused by the shortened hours of daylight seen in certain latitudes during fall and winter. The disorder is more common the further a location gets from the equator, because the seasonal daylight hours changes are more pronounced farther north or south of the equator.

Nebraska is far enough north that Nebraskans do see these mood changes, usually starting in October or November. (However, SAD can less commonly occur during the spring and summer for some people.) Typical signs of SAD are:

• A sense of sadness that is not dependent on your circumstances (that is, not a reaction to something negative happening in your life).
• An increase in your normal appetite, with a tendency to crave carbohydrates. 
• A tendency to sleep more than usual. 
• Lower energy than usual. 
• Difficulty motivating yourself to do the things you want or need to do. 

The good news is that SAD is a treatable condition. If the symptoms are really bothering you, I suggest you discuss this with your primary care provider, who can look for other causes of these symptoms, such as a thyroid problem.

If no such problems are found, your provider can consider referring you to a mental health professional, who can help you with symptoms. Treatments can include psychotherapy, medications or light therapy, also known as phototherapy.

Studies have shown that spending time in front of so-called SAD lights can alleviate or reduce the symptoms of SAD. It’s best, though, to use them with a health care professional helping supervise you, as overuse of phototherapy lights can be harmful. 

If symptoms are mild, some simple things may help: 

• Spending time outdoors can be helpful. This exposes your eyes to natural light, but there is also something healing about being out in nature. If you combine this with exercise, even simply walking around your neighborhood or a park, you can really help your mood.
• On those inevitable colder days this winter when you may not want to spend a lot of time outdoors, try spending some time near a sunny window – that can help, as well. (Of course, don’t stare at the sun! But you already know that.)

So there you have it – having SAD is nothing to feel sad about.