Seasonal affective disorder: What is a connection between Winter and depression? With the change in weather, most people also experience a change in their mood.
Millions of people around the world experience mood swings with the seasons, and with the onset of winter, they experience regular bouts of depression, sadness, and anxiety known as Seasonal Affective Disorder or ‘SAD’.
Medical experts consider the feeling of stress or depression during weather changes, especially in cold weather as a mental problem, but it is not a disease but just a condition that can be easily controlled.
What causes depression?
Experts say that shorter days and less sunlight in winter cause a chemical change in our brain that causes symptoms of depression to appear.
Scientists are investigating how our eye cells convert the blue color found in light into signals specific to our mood changes and alertness.
Sunlight is full of blue light, so when sunlight reaches our eyes during the day, our brain becomes more awake, active, and happy, but in winter when the same sunlight decreases, our brain and mood are also affected.
Lack of sunlight also reduces serotonin levels in our brain, which causes feelings of depression, serotonin is a brain chemical that also affects mood, appetite, and sleep.
People living in very cold regions are more prone to this condition because there is no sunlight for long periods and there is very little light inside the houses.
Another reason for this is the lack of vitamin D in our body, sunlight helps our body produce vitamin D, which increases serotonin levels and maintains a good mood, lack of sunlight in winter. Vitamin D deficiency can affect your mood.
SAD can be treated with light
Interestingly, depression caused by lack of light can also be treated with light.
Dr. Paul Dessan of the Winter Depression Research Clinic at Yale University says that light therapy is used to treat seasonal depression.
Using a device that emits light 20 times stronger than indoor light, this therapy often cures patients without medication.
SAD can be controlled by yourself
People suffering from depression due to climate change can easily get rid of this problem themselves.
Your priority should be to not let the condition get to your head.
Secondly, try to spend as much time as possible in sunlight because ultimately the main cause of this condition is lack of light.
If it is not possible for you to spend a lot of time in the sunlight due to education or professional engagements, then be sure to take vitamin D supplements as directed by your doctor.
Remember that depression cannot be cured suddenly, but it is possible to improve the condition over time.
So the next time you start feeling down in the cold weather, don’t feel alone and engage yourself in as many positive activities as possible.