Feeling SAD? How you can start feeling perkier during the dark months ahead
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a lot more complex than just mourning the end of summer and being a bit glum, as discovers
Autumn has arrived and it already feels like we’re heading into the depths of winter. With the annual ritual of putting the clocks back too, it’s easy to feel a bit gloomy about the darker evenings to come.
For around 6% of the UK population though, the onset of winter brings ‘major depressive episodes’ that can be extremely debilitating, making keeping up everyday tasks very difficult.
Far from being just a touch of ‘winter blues’, seasonal affective disorder — otherwise known as SAD — is a form of clinical depression that has a clear pattern, occurring at the same time each year during winter.
“People with SAD regularly feel low in mood during the winter season, but recover during the summer,” says LloydsPharmacy pharmacist Anshu Kaura, (lloydspharmacy.com).
“You might notice a loss of pleasure or interest in normal activities, feeling irritable, worthless, guilty or in despair, a lack of energy or lethargy during the day, and struggle to get up in the mornings.”
While only a small percentage of the population suffer with chronic and very debilitating SAD, experts believe many more of us may suffer mild effects of the disorder during the winter months; a case of the winter blues that can’t be remedied simply by supping on a pumpkin spice latte or listening to Christmas songs.
“The NHS estimates that around one in 15 people in the UK are affected by SAD between September and April, and symptoms can increase during December, January and February,” says Kaura, who adds that “women are four times more likely to be affected than men, and are more at risk if they are between the ages of 18 and 30’’.
A family history of depression, bipolar disorder or SAD may also increase your risk. There are lots of different ideas about why SAD occurs, but evidence seems to point towards lack of sunlight being a trigger for some people. Less daylight hours in winter means the body produces more of the sleep hormone melatonin, which can cause lethargy and symptoms of depression.
So, what can you do to combat it?
Kaura explains: “If you experience SAD, lifestyle changes like regular exercise and getting as much sunlight as possible (for example trying to take at least a 20-minute walk outside every lunchtime) can make all the difference.” Other behavioural habits — like making your workspace light and airy and sitting near windows when you’re indoors — can have a positive effect on your overall mood too.
The power of vitamin D shouldn’t be underestimated. “In the UK, winter sunlight from October to early March doesn’t contain enough UVB radiation for our skin to make vitamin D,” says Kaura. “During these months, we rely on getting vitamin D from food sources, such as oily fish, red meat and egg yolks.”
However, the NHS suggests everyone in the UK should take a vitamin D supplement during winter, and vitamin D deficiency is fairly widespread, which can impact on your health in a number of ways. “You should speak to your GP if you suspect you may be deficient and they can perform a simple test,” says Kaura.
There’s tech that can help too. “You could also consider using