What Is Seasonal Affective Disorder and How To Deal With It

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression or anxiety that occurs in a seasonal pattern. This article will show you the signs, the causes, and the tools you can use to manage it.

Leaves falling and rustling underfoot. The trees spilling out in warm saffron and russet hues. The earthy scents, the crisp air, the flocks of geese honking overhead. And the wind that carries the first chill, heralding the change of season.

For me, it’s time to get my cashmere scarf out of the closet, sip a cinnamon latte, and cozy up in a chair with a book. Ideally by a crackling fire.

But it’s also a time of the year when tiredness overwhelms me. When getting out of bed is a sin against nature itself. It feels as though the life force I soaked up from the summer sun is beginning to seep out of me. I could sleep for a hundred years.

While fall is the favorite season among many people, others struggle with it because of how it affects their mental health. You might be one of the unlucky ones. If you are dealing with worsened anxiety and depression in the fall, stay tuned.

Here is more information about why this might be happening. More importantly, what you can do about it.

Why Anxiety and Depression Can Get Worse in the Fall

How about you?

Do you feel fatigued or lethargic? Do you become moody when one season changes into another? You are not alone.

When you experience anxiety or depression where the symptoms typically worsen during the winter months, it is called seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

Of all the seasonal transition disorders, there is one that seems to have more customers than others. It’s the shift from summer to autumn that seems to throw off many of us.

So much so that it got its own term – autumn anxiety. It’s a form of seasonal affective disorder that, you guessed it, occurs in the fall.

In the UK, 1 in 15 people is affected by seasonal anxiety disorder from September to April.

When your mental state deteriorates with seasonal transitions, and this happens annually, it is not a coincidence.

While this is more common in the colder months, some people also experience it in autumn, summer, or spring. Hence, the term seasonal depression.

What is Seasonal Anxiety?

The first internal change you might notice in the fall season is that your anxiety increases. Many people have noticed that their anxiety seems to peak around the time fall begins – but why?

This type of seasonal affective disorder is sometimes referred to as autumn anxiety. A type of anxiety that is triggered by the fall season. This is because the change between summer and fall can often feel like a drastic one.

Your days get shorter, the weather changes, your routine is different. Of course, the holidays are coming up as well. It just feels like everything is different and more stressful.

What Is Seasonal Depression?

You might also be experiencing worsened depression in the fall, which can happen for a number of different reasons. However, the most common reason, again, is seasonal affective disorder, or SAD.

SAD is often the result of the seasons changing, particularly with the gloomier, darker weather you get in the fall and winter. If you live somewhere with a lot of rain and cold days in the fall, then you are likely to get it this time of year.

It can give you all the same symptoms as other forms of depression, including mood changes, low energy, lack of motivation, lethargy, and simply feeling blue.

How You Can Manage Seasonal Anxiety and Seasonal Depression

But don’t worry, just because you feel off during this time doesn’t mean you have a mental illness.

SAD affects people to varying degrees.

Naturally, symptoms will be worse for those already dealing with mental health issues, such as depression or general anxiety.

For those of us who don’t usually suffer from mental health disorders, I don’t personally see this as a mental health problem, unless it is debilitating. To me, feeling off during this transition is natural. After all, look at nature.

Birds start migrating to warmer climates, trees shed their leaves, squirrels begin to frantically stock up on nuts and bears go into hibernation.

If SAD brings on serious symptoms, like insomnia or suicidal thoughts, then that requires professional intervention.

But if we just have mild symptoms, do we really need another medical term to make us feel like we’re out of order when what we’re going through is in tune with nature?

Whether you accept seasonal anxiety as a temporary natural occurrence or as a debilitating condition, the fact remains that it doesn’t feel great either way.

Here are some things to know about getting SAD in the fall season.

8 Common Signs of Seasonal Anxiety or Seasonal Depression

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and seasonal anxiety have very similar symptoms. This includes a combination of physical and emotional changes that may come on suddenly or start gradually appearing near the end of summer and beginning of fall.

Some signs and symptoms to look out for include:

Physical Signs of Seasonal Affective Disorder

The first signs you will probably notice when it comes to anxiety are the physical signs. These tend to occur before any emotional or behavioral signs, even if you don’t realize it is your anxiety. Here are some symptoms that might mean you have anxiety:

Restlessness – You may start feeling very restless, without understanding why. If you can’t sit still or focus, this could be a sign of anxiety.

Fatigue – Fatigue is a very common sign of anxiety, where you feel physically drained. You feel as though you can barely get anything done without needing a nap.

Dizziness – Dizziness has many causes, but when accompanying these other symptoms, it could be from your anxiety.

Panic attack symptoms – Many people experience a panic attack or symptoms related to panic, such as tunnel vision, a racing heartbeat, and uncontrollable sweating.

Emotional and Behavioral Signs

Emotional and Behavioural Signs of Seasonal Affective Disorder

The next series of symptoms experienced when you have anxiety are the emotional, mental, and behavioral signs. Some people only notice these, while others experience them along with the physical signs. Either way, it is important to understand that they could be signaling you to your anxiety.

Trouble Focusing – Focus and concentration are often lacking when you struggle with anxiety. If you notice you can’t focus more than a few minutes or concentrate on anything without your mind wandering, it might be from your anxiety.

Excessive Worrying – Everybody worries, but people with anxiety tend to obsess about worries and fears. Your anxiety convinces you of things that aren’t actually true, where one very small thing could mean disastrous consequences.

Agitation and Mood Swings – You might also notice you are irritable or easily agitated, without any other reason. You know it’s not PMS, stress, or another cause, so it has to be from your anxiety.

Sudden Nervousness – This is often situational. You are fine one minute, then when you get into a certain situation, suddenly you are very nervous and almost panicked.

As you can see, there is a wide range of symptoms you might experience from SAD, or from autumn anxiety.

What Can Cause Seasonal Affective Disorder?

While there is no single cause of seasonal depression and anxiety, experts believe there are a few different possibilities. With SAD, it is most likely associated with the reduced sunlight that you experience during autumn and winter. Days are shorter, darker, and colder. Less exposure to sunlight affects your circadian rhythms as well as the levels of melatonin and serotonin levels.

Less sunlight causes disruption to your circadian rhythm – your internal body clock that regulates your sleeping and waking pattern. Melatonin is a hormone produced naturally in the body in the absence of light and that makes you fall asleep. So, the lack of light causes your body to produce it at higher levels. Serotonin is a hormone that encourages your mood and appetite and is also affected by light. So, the lack of light causes your body to produce it at lower levels.

In short – less sunlight equals too much melatonin and too little serotonin. Bam! Bad combo for the circadian rhythm!

Fall anxiety likely stems from a similar cause. Though other factors can play a role here. Summer season comes to an end, and for many of us, the realization that ‘fun is over’ and the ‘back to reality’ feeling creeps in. Our routine switches from leisurely to business mode. Early morning starts, children go back to school, work gets busier, the rush hour grows worse, weather becomes gloomier. It is a complex condition with many variables.

5 Ways to Deal With Seasonal Affective Disorder

While it can be difficult getting through the fall season with anxiety and/or depression, you are not alone, and there IS help available to you.

When you are diagnosed with seasonal depression, it is important that you get proper treatment from your doctor or mental health professional. Depression from SAD is just as serious as any other type of depression.

If you are experiencing autumn anxiety, you can start with home treatments, though you should also see a therapist if it is lowering your quality of time.

Tips For Dealing With Seasonal Anxiety and Seasonal Depression

Here are some ways to get relief from your anxiety and depression this season:

• Practicing your breathing exercises – Breathing exercises help with anxiety the most, allowing you to be mindful for a few minutes, and focus on relaxing your mind and body. They are also fantastic for getting through a panic attack.
• Changing your daily routine – The end of summer heralds the arrival of a long busy period, as we return to our duties and prepare for the upcoming festive season. This can be a sheer overwhelm even for those who don’t suffer from anxiety. It’s important to set up a routine that will help you structure your time so that you can manage and prioritize your needs.
• Modifying your diet – What we eat has a significant impact on how we feel. Certain foods, like sugar, processed foods and energy drinks, will amplify your anxiety. So it’s important to stock up on healthier options and review your nutritient intake.
• Reducing caffeine intake – Caffeine is good for you, if your body is used to it. But it if not, it can make you edgy, nervous and can negatively affect your sleep cycle, which isn’t a good thing if you are already anxious. Consider whether cutting down on coffee might help you.
• Light therapy for SAD – If you suffer from SAD, one of the best options for you is light therapy. SAD typically occurs in the fall and winter because of the longer nights, darker days, and gloomy weather. Naturally, light therapy, called phototherapy, is the way to go. There are light boxes you can use indoors that give you bright light to reduce those depression symptoms.
• Taking a Vitamin D supplement – Studies have shown that people with low Vitamin D levels are at a greater risk of depression. Since we don’t get as much sunshine as in the summer, it’s a reasonable precaution to start taking this supplement in autumn, to minimize the anxiety.
• Seeking professional help – Please do not hesitate to reach out to a doctor or therapist if you need medication or talk therapy. There is so much they can help you with when your anxiety or depression is too much to handle.

Final Words

Don’t hesitate to talk to your doctor if these and other treatments aren’t helping.

Despite that sinking feeling we get when easy summer living is gone, it’s good to remember that we humans thrive on routines. Structure and constructive habits are good for our well-being.

Perhaps one way of combating autumn anxiety is to view it as an opportunity to set up new schedules and practices, in concord with the season, that will benefit you. So that when the darkness fades and the world begins to bloom again in spring, you’ll emerge from winter’s darkness like a beautiful swan.

A bit of poetry there, I couldn’t help it, watching the colourful leaves gracefully swirling through the crisp air.

Take your D, breathe, get some light, and maybe try to look at autumn with new eyes.

Disclaimer:

This article was written by Zuzana Halliwell. I am not a doctor or health professional and cannot be held liable for the information written here. This article is meant to provide information about the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. The content is based on my own personal experience and on information provided by medical professionals that is available to the public. It is not intended to provide medical advice. Do not use it as an alternative to seeking help from a medical professional.