Seasonal Depressive Disorder SAD
Have you ever noticed significant changes in your mood and behaviour when the seasons change?
Some people experience feelings of sadness, lack of energy, loss of interest in usual activities, oversleeping and even weight gain.
The hourly distribution of the daylight and night time changes with seasons. Days tend to shorten during the winter and are accompanied with longer nights, which confuses the biological clock. This can trigger anxiety along with disturbed sleep schedules.
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of major depressive disorder (MDD) that typically occurs in people during the winter months. But SAD doesn’t only occur during the winter months. Summer onset SAD, which occurs during the late spring and summer months, may also relate to the sun and chemical changes in your brain.
Participation question
How do you feel when the seasons change?
If you suffer from seasonal affective disorder what helps you to cope?
Helpful Videos:
Seasonal Affective Disorder - Mayo Clinic Health System
Helpful Resources:
Seeking Help
Mental stress can cause us not to be able to see the good things in life and lead to excessive rumination or worries which can result in serious health problems. If you have serious, long-term problems with negative thinking and feeling depressed, see your doctor or talk to a therapist if they are related to any mental challenges.
Are you looking for a therapist? 7 Cups has online, certified therapists with a paid option. For more information on what happens in online therapy at 7 Cups, Read Lisa’s (a therapist and director of therapy) explanation
https://www.7cups.com/forum/therapy/General_2432/WeveLaunchedTalkTherapyon7Cups_319430/
To apply for 7 Cups online therapy, click on this link (must be logged into member account) https://www.7cups.com/online-therapy/?ob=1
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@amiablePeace77
How do you feel when the seasons change? Autumn is usually a sad time for me as all the leaves turn brown and fall off the trees. In winter there are usually many dreary cloudy days and I notice it more than in summer.
If you suffer from seasonal affective disorder what helps you to cope? I have bright lights in the room and keep the room warm. I spend more time at 7 Cups and socializing.
@soulsings autumn has already started🙁 are you ok?
How do you feel when the seasons change?
Actually, I love the seasons change even before I lives in the countryside. My lifestyle changes with the seasons as well. Winter is a little harder because this house has no rental heating and is anyway a thermal sieve (nature and fresh air inside and outside) because it's close to about 300 years old and would require a lot of renovation and restoration. When I was living in Montreal, that was a real winter but the winter stayed outside.
The way I deal with winter is to wear a lot of layers, make sure I have wood on hand, use a mattress warmer and eat a lot more hot meals.
@Fradiga
I can understand that you rather deal with the cold in your way than making a huge investment in a house of 300 years. It seems you got quite good at find out what works. I hope there will be lots of wood available to you for the future cold seasons.
@Fradiga and don't forget you use your dog as a foot warmer too ❤
@Tinywhisper11
I just got two pairs of fingertip-less gloves for when the temperature here is under 13C, because I work on 7cups in the morning before the living-room has had time to heat up. That way, my hands will stay warm, not just my feet!
@Fradiga fingerless gloves🤔🤔 I don't think I've seen them. I have mittens, cause of my weird fingers. I hope you have plenty of blankets to keep you warm in your living room ❤
@Tinywhisper11
The gloves have fingers, but no fingerTIPS. Often used by musicians who are playing outdoors in the cold.
@Fradiga I looked them up, they are actually really cool ❤ if you need to use your fingers for lots of things they would be handy😁 most of my fingers are missing now, so yeah mittens are best, and I only need to use them when I go sit outside in the garden under the willow tree ❤
@Tinywhisper11
So they are handy when I am on 7cups early in the morning when the room is still cold.
Glad you liked the idea
I'm depressed and anxious in every season, unfortunately.
@Zeraphim sorry to hear that.
@Zeraphim gives zera a giant tiny hug ❤❤ I'm here for you ❤
Oh wow. I've always thought about the possibility of this, didn't know it was actually a thing. Every year around July, my mood swings tend to get really intense. My diary attests to this being the saddest period of the year for me. Kinda cringe.
@1CuriousHeart july is my worst month, but should be my happiest. It's crazy how the brain works. Gives you a giant tiny hug ❤
Crazy fr 😫 glad we survived another July 💪 here's to many more awesome ones. 🥂
@1CuriousHeart cheers🍼🍼😁
It starts about the end of September. The shorter days and longer nights. The temperatures are getting colder. The leaves start to fall. Sadness creeps in. It feels worse this year
I try to get in as much natural light as possible and take supplements and use sun lamps
@mytwistedsoul this sounds like September in the northeast US!
To me the worst is usually by November all the leaves are off the trees except pine trees. Everything looks dead. Then I really struggle to find a bright spot..
@soulsings Lol I live in the north east! And yes everything looks dead and barren. I live in the woods and the difference is so noticable when it changes. It gets so cold sometimes that it feels like you'll never get warm. So you have to dress in layers and it feels so constricting having to be so bundled up
@soulsings oh you suffer from it too🙁 sorry soul, I'm here for you ❤ we all are ❤
@mytwistedsoul oh no, that's sad 😢😢 if you ever need to cry it out I'm here for you ❤❤ I love you ❤
@Tinywhisper11 Lots of love to you too ❤️ I haven't cried in a long time but thank you! ❤️
@amiablePeace77
How do you feel when the seasons change?
In the beginning not good tbh only bc seasons stay the same for 2-3 months, either way that’s over one month so you get used to the weather/temperature, how to live in each season, so on and so forth. Then suddenly by the time you’re fully used to it all and are comfortable living life with that season, you know it’s only a matter of time (and not too much time left) before the season changes again and you have to go through that entire process all over again. It’s more annoying for me honestly than anything.
If you suffer from seasonal affective disorder what helps you to cope?
I honestly don’t know whether I suffer from seasonal affective disorder or not but if it turns out I do, I’d cope with it by being consistent with my schedule like for example I’d sleep every night and wake up every morning at the same time all 365 days/nights a year no matter what season it is so that my body and the rest of me will be used to and trained to that schedule and follow it all year long. That way the seasonal changes won’t affect me at all or at least not as much.
@akunknown
Sleeping every night and waking up every morning at the same time is a great routine and very helpful for the body! 👍
@amiablePeace77
Yes. Also for the soul and mind too.
@amiablePeace77 I do not suffer from seasonal depression. I always get excited when a new season begins, they all have so much to offer ❤ 😁 although I do tend to sleep more in autumn and winter. I think if I could hibernate I definetly would😂😂
@Tinywhisper11
You might be secretly a bear! 😀 I believe that many people want to sleep more when there is less sun like in autumn and winter.
@Tinywhisper11 If you hibernated you would have to change your name to Tiny Bear! ☺️
@soulsings tiny bear sounds cute😁
I normally struggle to deal with the raining and cloudy days as I live in the UK. It makes me feel quite low and I normally spend the day at home/isolated 😅.
I love when is sunny and everything gets better, my mood, my energy… It also makes me want to go for nature walks ✨
How do you feel when the seasons change ?
- I often feel down during winter; it’s as if the world is coming to an end. Additionally, I tend to feel sad in the evenings. The sunset and the onset of darkness drain my energy, making me just want to sleep.
- I don't have any specific coping mechanisms, but having some tea or warm food tends to lift my mood.