Overcoming Seasonal Affective Disorder to Enjoy the Changing Seasons

If you notice that your mood tends to change with the season you may be experiencing symptoms of a very specific type of major depressive disorder. This type of depression is more commonly known as “seasonal affective disorder” or SAD for short. If this seems to resonate with you, you may notice the relationship between how you feel and the seasons, but not know why it happens.

Mood Changes in Autumn and Winter

SAD is actually a type of depression. It coincides with the seasonal changes, hence the name. It is also sometimes referred to as “cabin fever”, being the kind of depression that is associated with the sunless and desolate days of autumn and winter. As the season starts to change from summer to fall the days begin to get shorter, the lack of sunlight can have a direct impact on your mood. Your mood isn’t the only thing that can be impacted.  The American Psychiatric Association identifies additional symptoms of SAD including; loss of interest, appetite changes, sleep disturbances, fatigue, difficulty concentrating and even thoughts of death or suicide.   

Spring-Summer Changes

Is there such a thing as SAD that occurs in spring or summer? Yes, there is and it occurs more often during summer than spring. According to Dr. Ian Cook of UCLA (Depression Research Program), the five main causes of summertime SAD are: 

1. Biological predisposition
2. Disrupted schedules
3. Body image issues
4. Financial worries
5. The heat

If you feel symptoms of SAD during the summer, you aren’t alone. Counseling and medication management can help! 

The Science Behind Seasonal Pattern Depression

There is clearly a connection between the changing seasonal patterns and mood. Research suggests that the lack of sunlight during some seasons can trigger mood changes. As we know, there is a connection between vitamin D levels and depression. Sunlight is needed for the body to create vitamin D so this is thought to be correlated. Lack of sunlight can cause the hypothalamus, a part of the brain, not to function well. Specifically, inadequate sunlight can cause the brain to produce more melatonin, less serotonin, and disrupt the circadian rhythm or biological clock. All this can result in depressive symptoms.

For summer patterned depression, it is suspected that symptoms such as loss of appetite, weight loss, difficulty sleeping, and other symptoms of anxiety are triggered by the sweltering heat and the high humidity. Some other complications can be body-image and weight concerns that warmer months can bring and, of course, the unbearable heat in some regions.

Find Help to Enjoy the Seasons

Seasonal Affective Disorder is real. It is not a figment of your imagination. Regardless of when you experience these symptoms, it is important not to ignore them. Whether it hits you in the summer or winter, what you are experiencing is real and you deserve to feel better.

Depression is treatable. Therapy and psychiatric medication management can help. Carolina Counseling Services in Fayetteville, NC contracts with skilled licensed therapists and psychiatric professionals. Providers are in network with most major insurances including Aetna, Aetna State Health Plan, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC) and many more. Call CCS today and our caring Scheduling Team can help you find the provider that is right for you!

Jaime Johnson Fitzpatrick LCMHCS, LCAS is one of the Owners and Vice Presidents of Carolina Counseling Services. She is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor and Licensed Clinical Addictions Specialist in the State of North Carolina as well as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in State of New York. Jaime is also certified in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy and utilizes various other approaches in her practice.