More Than Just the Winter Blues: Understanding Seasonal Affective Disorder
Jan 27 | Written by David Bowers
You know that feeling when October hits and suddenly getting out of bed feels like wading through cement? Or when the sun sets at 5 PM and you just want to eat pasta and disappear under a blanket?
Most people chalk it up to winter. The cold. The dark. Whatever. And yeah, a lot of us get a little grumpy when summer ends. But some people experience something heavier. Darker, even. A pattern that repeats every year like clockwork, dragging mood and energy down with it.
That's Seasonal Affective Disorder. SAD. (Yes, the acronym is unfortunately on-the-nose.)
It's not just being bummed about snow. SAD is depression with a calendar. A recognized condition that follows the seasons, usually lasting about four or five months. You wouldn't tell someone with major depression to just "push through it," and the same goes here. This isn't about willpower or positive thinking.
At LifeWrx, we see this pattern play out every year. The days get shorter. Energy drops. And people start wondering if something's actually wrong or if they just need to tough it out until spring.
Two Versions of the Same Problem
Most people think of SAD as a winter thing. They're mostly right. Winter-pattern SAD shows up in late fall, digs in through the dark months, and finally lifts when spring arrives. This is the version people know.
But there's also summer-pattern SAD, which is rarer and honestly kind of surprising. Some people spiral when the days get longer and hotter. Depression arrives with the humidity and doesn't leave until fall brings cooler air and earlier sunsets. The research on this version is thinner, but it's real.
What It Actually Looks Like
SAD starts mild. A little extra tired. Maybe you're snoozing your alarm more than usual. Then it gets worse. The heaviness settles in and won't budge.
The core symptoms look like regular depression: feeling sad or empty most of the day, losing interest in things that used to matter, struggling to focus, feeling worthless. That hopeless cement-in-the-chest feeling.
But the seasonal patterns create different flavors. Winter-pattern SAD makes people want to hibernate. Literally. You sleep too much. You crave carbs like your body is trying to store fat for a famine. Weight creeps up. Social plans feel impossible, so you cancel everything and hole up at home. Everything slows down.
Summer-pattern SAD does the opposite. You can't sleep. Food loses its appeal. Weight drops. Instead of sluggish, you feel wired and irritable—restless in a way that has no outlet. Anxiety spikes. It's depression with a jittery edge.
Why Your Brain Does This
Nobody knows exactly why SAD happens, but we have some good guesses. All roads lead back to light.
When fall arrives and the sun starts setting at dinner time, your circadian rhythm—the internal clock that tells your body when to sleep and wake—gets confused. Your brain chemistry shifts. Serotonin, the neurotransmitter that helps regulate mood, drops when you're not getting enough sunlight. That's a problem.
Then there's melatonin, which makes you sleepy. In winter-pattern SAD, your brain might produce too much of it. You're dragging through the day because your body thinks it should be asleep. In summer-pattern SAD, melatonin might be too low, which could explain the insomnia and agitation.
And Vitamin D? Also drops when you're not outside in the sun. Vitamin D helps serotonin do its job, so low levels create a feedback loop of blah.
Women are diagnosed more often than men. Younger adults more than older ones. If major depression or bipolar disorder runs in your family, or if you already have one of those conditions, SAD is more likely to show up.
Treatment Options That Actually Work
Here's the good news: SAD responds well to treatment. You don't have to white-knuckle your way through every winter for the rest of your life.
Light therapy has been around since the 1980s and it works for a lot of people with winter-pattern SAD. You sit in front of a specialized light box—not just any lamp, but one that emits 10,000 lux and filters out UV light—for 30 to 45 minutes every morning. It tricks your brain into thinking you're getting more natural sunlight. Does it work for everyone? No. But it helps many people feel noticeably better within a week or two.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy teaches you to recognize the thought patterns that make depression worse and gives you tools to interrupt them. The behavioral activation part is key. When you're depressed, you stop doing things. You cancel plans, avoid hobbies, stay home. Therapy such as CBT can help you schedule activities—even small ones—to break that cycle. Go for a walk. Meet a friend. Cook something. The research suggests CBT's effects last longer than light therapy alone, which is worth knowing.
Our therapists at LifeWrx work with clients to build personalized treatment plans that might include therapy, medication referrals, or a combination approach. Because no two people experience SAD the same way, and what works for your coworker might not work for you.
For many people medication really helps. Meds can help change how your brain produces and uses mood-regulating chemicals. Some people take them year-round. Others start them before the hard season hits and taper off when spring arrives. This isn't a moral failing or a weakness. It's brain chemistry. If medication helps, you might want to take it.
Vitamin D supplements might help if you're deficient, though the evidence is mixed. Talk to your doctor before you start dumping supplements into your routine. Blood tests can tell you if you actually need them.
Getting Ahead of It
Although it might be a little late to talk about this in January, because SAD follows a pattern, you can start treatment before symptoms hit. If you know November is when things go south, start light therapy or medication in October. Prevention is easier than waiting.
When should you actually call someone for help? If you're dragging through days without motivation for things you used to care about, that's a sign. If your sleep or eating habits have changed dramatically, that's another. Book an appointment with LifeWrx here. We can figure out if what you're experiencing is SAD or something else, and we can build a plan that fits your life. You don't have to just endure the seasons.
If you're using alcohol to cope or feel hopeless or—this is important—if you're having thoughts about suicide, you need to reach out now. Call 988 or visit any hospital emergency room for evaluation and help if you're in crisis.