As the seasons change and the beginnings of winter crystallize from the last remnants of autumn, you may be noticing more than the changing of the leaves and the cooler temperatures.
You may be noticing you’re feeling tired, have gained some weight or are having difficulty concentrating.
Is this you? Then, according to the American Psychiatric Association, you may be suffering from SAD — Seasonal Affective Disorder.
According to the APA, this disorder affects somewhere between 10 and 20 percent of Americans and is defined as depression-like symptoms that arrive with the winter months and dissipate in the spring and summer.
However, the disorder’s symptoms, including an increased desire for sweets and carbohydrates, weight gain, energy loss and fatigue, seem suspiciously like side effects of a much less sinister culprit: the bustling holiday season celebrated by many in the U.S., which just so happens to coincide with the fall and winter months.
It makes sense to me that a craving for sweets might just coincide with the proliferation of pies, cakes and cookies in my kitchen courtesy of holiday gift-givers.
A lack of sleep is easily attributed to holiday shopping, cramming for finals and stressing about year-end business.
Weight gain comes with the various holiday meals, parties and functions we attend throughout the winter months and a dip in energy could be related to all of these things, including a reduced capability or desire to exercise with cold temperatures and tightening schedules.
Rather than blaming it on a disorder, individuals should more closely examine his or her holiday behavior before blaming its ill effects on a psychological disorder.
That being said, some aspects of SAD may bear some relevance.
According to the APA, “SAD has been linked to a biochemical imbalance in the brain brought on by the shortening of daylight hours and a lack of sunlight in winter.”
As our natural circadian rhythms are in part regulated by the presence of light, it makes sense that our bodies can be thrown into a funk when light suddenly becomes unavailable. In fact, phototherapy is one of the treatment options available for individuals diagnosed with SAD.
But again, individuals, especially younger people and women who, according to the APA, are at higher risk, can be proactive about avoiding the symptoms that come along with SAD or the winter months in general.
Despite the cold, making an effort to spent time outside and exercise can improve one’s chances against SAD, or any other “disorder.”
Kristen is soaking up the sun … in her parka. Reach her at kckelle2@asu.edu
