What Is Seasonal Affective Disorder, & What Does It Feel Like?

If you’re experiencing depression, you’ve probably got a low mood. You’re irritable. Maybe you’re anxious and stressed, and not willing to spend time with those who care about you. You might be isolating yourself, suffering from consistent low energy, and feeling worthless, hopeless, and generally down. 

If you’ve got Seasonal Affective Disorder, you might be feeling all of these symptoms too, except this time they’re triggered by seasonal changes and tend to appear at the same time every year. IACP therapist Majella Kennedy says that there is a major difference between Seasonal Affective Disorder (commonly known as SAD), and simply feeling ‘blue’ during the winter period. It is also different from the depression that a person might experience consistently throughout the year. 

“What distinguishes SAD from a major depressive episode is the repetitive seasonal pattern,” she says. “How we know someone has SAD is that they’ll have been experiencing the same symptoms every year for at least two years. If someone is more prone to depression, they’re going to be more predisposed to SAD. But even if they’re not, they can still experience it. Anyone can experience that kind of pattern coming into the colder months and it can really affect your mood, until eventually when spring comes back around and you start to feel like you’re bouncing back.” 

Seasonal Affective Disorder is often misunderstood. The prevalence of marketing strategy ‘Blue Monday’ and the maybe unfortunate acronym of ‘SAD’ has led to the condition frequently being undermined and even under-treated. Where someone might wrongly presume that their sudden low mood is something that everyone experiences with the changing seasons, a person who has never experienced depression (seasonal or otherwise) may not believe that SAD is a real thing at all. 

“For someone who doesn’t experience Seasonal Affective Disorder, it can be difficult for them to understand,” says Majella. “Everyone has those mornings when you wake up and it’s cold and you just don’t want to get out of bed, but SAD is much more than that. It affects your mood, your sleep, your appetite, your energy, you might be craving more sugar and carbs… it’s significantly different.”

Although people can experience SAD during the summer months too (Majella says that a sensitivity to daylight changes can occur at both ends of the year), it is more common in the lead up to winter. According to a US study, Seasonal Affective Disorder affects between 0.5 and 3 percent of people in the general population, and between 10 and 20 percent of people with a major depressive disorder. 

Jennifer* has always dreaded the clocks changing in autumn. Each year as the days get shorter and the weather gets colder, she can point to the period when her mood is affected. She tells STELLAR that she can’t remember a time when the beginning of winter didn’t automatically make her feel lethargic, unfocused and down. “I suffer from generalised anxiety disorder which affects me year round, with occasional moments of depression,” she says. “Things just get so much worse in the winter months. On a gloomy, dark day, I feel a heaviness. My senses are dampened and I struggle to motivate myself. No matter how much I sleep, I lack energy. My work life can be negatively affected, as I lack focus and drive. I curl into myself.” 

Jennifer says that she only began hearing the term ‘SAD’ in the past five years or so. Its awareness has likely increased thanks to the growing popularity of so-called ‘SAD lamps’ – products that often come in the form of alarm clocks that gradually introduce light to a room during darker mornings, creating an artificial brightness that attempts to replicate a natural sunrise and trick the body into thinking the days are longer than they are. Elsewhere, many SAD patients have turned to light therapy to try and curb their symptoms. Majella says that people should always consult a doctor to ensure they know how much exposure they need, and to ask about medication and therapy too. 

“Aside from that, get as much natural sunlight as you can,” she says. “If you work indoors try to work close to the window, take walks in the sun, ensure you’re getting enough nutrients in your diet. Make sure that you’re staying connected – having a low mood can make us withdraw, so try to spend time with people as much as possible.” 

Jennifer says that although it can be difficult to do things that ease anxiety and depression when you’re experiencing a low mood, she has made some changes to her winter routine in recent years to try and relax her symptoms. “I’m interested to see how the darker, colder months will affect me, as I’ve made a lot of changes to my lifestyle,” she says. 

*Some names have been changed. 

This article originally appeared in the December 2023 issue of STELLAR magazine. 

Tags:

• health
• SAD