Why Seasonal Affective Disorder is more than just the ‘winter blues’

LA CROSSE, Wis. (WEAU) – Seasonal Affective Disorder is a mood disorder that is characterized as seasonal onset major depression. Symptoms of the disease include fatigue, agitation, potential changes in appetite or sleep schedules. And in addition, those affected might feel hopeless or feelings of despair.

“Seasonal Affective Disorder has many different probable causes. However, the running theory right now is that Seasonal Affective Disorder is caused by the changes in the amount of light that occur at certain times of the year, and that then changes our brain chemistry that can lead to these symptoms and feelings of depression,” says Gundersen Health System wellness education assistant, Cora Vercellotti.

While December is the awareness month for the disease, Vercellotti says December is not the month that sees the most of the disease.

“January and February are when we see spikes in Seasonal Affective Disorder, and that is probably due to the lack of light, those short days that we experience in the winter months. And this is especially prevalent far away from the equator where we see the biggest changes in amount of light from the winter season to the summer months,” says Vercellotti.

Vercellotti says it’s important to take action when you notice yourself showing symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder.

“Anyone who is experiencing increased feelings of hopelessness, fatigue, or despair should actually absolutely take action. So anyone who is experiencing these symptoms should take action. Be that by reaching out to their support system, their medical provider, or they can take action in their daily life, such as creating small goals that might help them feel better, such as taking one 10 minute walk in the morning. Getting increased exposure to what daylight is available can really help people who are who are experiencing increased sadness during this time of year,” says Vercellotti.

Vercelloti says medications that work best against the disease are SSRIs and serotonin reuptake inhibitors.

Gundersen officials say Seasonal Affective Disorder affects 5% of Americans, the majority of whom are women. However, an estimated around 20% of Americans are experiencing a lower level of Seasonal Affective Disorder that might be underneath the diagnosable level, but still is interfering with their daily life.

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