Why do anxiety and depression problems increase in autumn?
If you notice significant changes in your mood and behaviour as the seasons change, you may have seasonal affective disorder. The depression associated with this condition is related to fewer hours of daylight, not the calendar.
Have you heard that during the fall and winter, people tend to feel sadder? And even that depression increases during these seasons? According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), there are people who suffer from seasonal affective disorder. But what is this? Let me tell you.
Many people feel "down" when the days get shorter in the fall and winter (also known as the "winter blues") and feel better in the spring, when there are more hours of natural light again. Sometimes, these mood changes are more severe and can affect the way a person feels, thinks, and behaves.
If you notice major changes in your mood and behaviour when the seasons change, you may have seasonal affective disorder. In most cases, the symptoms of this disorder begin during the fall or early winter and disappear during the spring and summer, which is known as winter-pattern seasonal affective disorder or winter depression.
Other people have depressive symptoms during the spring and summer months, which is known as summer-pattern seasonal affective disorder or summer depression. However, this type of summer-pattern seasonal affective disorder is less common.
What are the signs and symptoms of seasonal affective disorder?
Seasonal affective disorder is a type of depression characterised by a recurring seasonal pattern, with symptoms lasting 4 to 5 months per year.
Not everyone living with this disorder will have all the symptoms of depression:
- Feeling sad, anxious, or “empty” persistently, most of the day, nearly every day, for at least two weeks.
- Feeling hopeless or pessimistic.
- Feeling irritable, frustrated, or restless.
- Losing interest or not getting pleasure from hobbies or activities. Having less energy, feeling fatigued, or slower.
- Having changes in sleep, appetite, or weight that you didn’t plan on having.
- Having thoughts about death or suicide, or trying to kill yourself.
The National Institute of Mental Health in the United States explains that winter-pattern seasonal affective disorder should not be confused with “holiday blues,” which are anxiety or feelings of sadness caused by stress at certain times of the year.
As for the symptoms of seasonal affective disorder are:
- Sleeping too much (hypersomnia).
- Overeating, especially craving carbohydrates, which leads to weight gain.
- Withdrawing socially (feeling like you want to “hibernate”).
The depression associated with this disorder is related to fewer hours of daylight, not the calendar, so stress associated with holidays or predictable seasonal changes in work or school schedules, family visits, etc., are not the same as seasonal affective disorder. Researchers have not yet determined what causes seasonal affective disorder.
To date, most research has been directed at possible causes of winter-pattern seasonal affective disorder, since it is more common and easier to study. But if you have some of these symptoms, don't hesitate to seek help to prevent this depression from becoming deeper and more difficult to treat.