Though the shorter days and colder weather might make anyone want to hibernate until spring, those who struggle with Seasonal Affective Disorder can find winter especially challenging.
SAD caused by changes in the seasons
SAD is a seasonal depression caused by changes in the amount of sunlight, melatonin and serotonin levels, and circadian rhythm.
Dave Dennis is a clinical therapist at Grow Wellness Group in Naperville who suffers from SAD. He was diagnosed soon after he moved from Florida to the Chicagoland area for college.
“You kind of aren’t yourself, and it’s hard to get out of that,” Dennis said. “I notice I get brain fog with it. I also feel a lack of motivation to do things that I enjoy doing.”
“It resembles what we may consider regular depression, like maybe the inability to have a lot of motivation and energy,” said Wendy Hayum-Gross, a licensed clinical professional counselor at Grow Wellness Group. “And if you’re predisposed to have those types of symptoms, the less sunlight we have, the more pronounced they are.”
But SAD doesn’t only appear when the weather gets colder. For some, it comes in the summer.
“We think of SAD as happening in the winter when we have less sunlight, but for a small percentage of the population, SAD could be the opposite. It could be when there’s all the sun and no darkness,” Hayum-Gross said.
And though it’s labeled seasonal, those affected by SAD often suffer from depression year-round as well.
“The truth is, seasonal depression, it’s a side, like a sister or brother sibling, to regular depression. So it would be highly unusual to have SAD and no other symptoms of some other type of depression,” Hayum-Gross said.
SAD can be more prevalent in Naperville area
Naperville residents with the condition can find the season change especially difficult.
“In the Chicago area, we have this wonderful resource called Lake Michigan, and we live on the west side of it. And if you go 150 miles west of us, or 100 miles east of us on the other side of the lake, they get more sunshine than we do. It’s a weather thing,” Hayum-Gross said.
Managing SAD symptoms
To manage symptoms, Hayum-Gross suggests getting outside and exercising.
“One of the best things anybody can do is start the morning with going outdoors for 10 to 15 minutes and getting some fresh air. If there’s sunlight, it’s a bonus. Other things that help are movement, a yoga class, play basketball with your kids, anything where you move your body,” Hayum-Gross said.
She also recommended light therapy, using a special lamp that mimics natural sunlight.
Though Dennis doesn’t have a light therapy lamp, he does increase the light in his home and workspace for a similar effect. He also takes vitamin D supplements and is proactive in making plans during the winter.
“For me, knowledge is always power, so when I was able to start understanding what I was feeling, I was able to start getting ahead of it,” Dennis said, “and so instead of fighting against it or not doing anything about it, I’ve learned to be more proactive about it.”
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