THE DESPAIR Of WINTER

Winter does sap one’s energy, to be sure, and you want to snuggle on the couch with a good book, but for some people, winter brings serious mental health issues

- LORRAINE KEARNEY

When it comes to weather, some people are bikinis on the beach types, and some of us are fondue by the fire types. Most can handle the ‘least favourite’ season just fine, with a few well-chosen additives (and here I am thinking air con and hot water bottles).

But there are those people who simply can’t, who have deep struggles with one or the other season. Yes, we’re talking about SAD, or seasonal affective disorder. It is a real thing, and it is debilitating and it lasts all season long, and then returns next year. SAD is not just a case of the winter blues, or the summer blues (yes, some people find summer depressing).

The Mayo Clinic, a renowned American academic medical centre, says there are symptoms specific to winter-onset SAD, including oversleeping; appetite changes, especially a craving for foods high in carbohydrates; weight gain; and tiredness or low energy.

Spring and summer SAD symptoms include trouble sleeping; poor appetite; weight loss; agitation or anxiety; increased irritability.

FEELING GLOOMY

SAD is a type of depression, says the US’s Johns Hopkins Medicine, that happens during certain seasons of the year, most often autumn or winter. It often starts in adulthood, and the risk of SAD increases with age. It’s rare in people younger than 20, and women are affected more often than men. It’s more than just feeling blue.

The jury is still out on the exact causes of SAD, but experts are leaning towards an imbalance in neurotransmitters such as serotonin and melatonin as the cause.

Less sunlight and shorter days are thought to be linked to a chemical change in the brain. The body naturally makes more melatonin, a sleep-related hormone, when it’s dark; when the days are shorter and darker, more melatonin is made.

Dark days also cause a drop in serotonin, a neurotransmitter that affects mood.