Cold weather makes me depressed

Written by: CHIRATHI THISARA WIJETHUNGA, CLASS OF 2025

What is Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)?

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that's related to changes in seasons. SAD begins and ends at about the same times every year. If you're like most people with SAD, your symptoms start in the fall and continue into the winter months; sapping your energy and making you feel moody. Less often, SAD causes depression in the spring or early summer.

What are the symptoms of SAD?

• Feeling depressed most of the day, nearly every day.

• Losing interest in activities you once enjoyed.

• Having low energy Having problems with sleeping Experiencing changes in your appetite or weight.

• Feeling sluggish or agitated Having difficulty concentrating.

• Feeling hopeless, worthless or guilty Having frequent thoughts of death or suicide.

  
  

What are the causes for SAD?

The specific cause of seasonal affective disorder remains unknown. Some factors that may come into play include:

• Your biological clock (circadian rhythm). The reduced level of sunlight in fall and winter may cause winteronset SAD. This decrease in sunlight may disrupt your body's internal clock and lead to feelings of depression.

• Serotonin levels. A drop in serotonin, a brain chemical (neurotransmitter) that affects mood, might play a role in SAD. Reduced sunlight can cause a drop in serotonin that may trigger depression.

• Melatonin levels. The change in season can disrupt the balance of the body's level of melatonin, which plays a role in sleep patterns and mood.

When to see a doctor?

It's normal to have some days when you feel down. But if you feel down for days at a time and you can't get motivated to do activities you normally enjoy, see your doctor. This is especially important if your sleep patterns and appetite have changed, you turn to alcohol for comfort or relaxation, or you feel hopeless or think about suicide.

When someone experiences a monumental shift in their emotional and mental health during specific times or seasons, it is called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). It is important to consider the role that weather plays in the onset of SAD symptoms and why, how, and when it happens. Primarily, SAD is highly common during the fall and winter seasons and affects a huge population every year. Moreover, this affliction can drastically impact someone's ability to function in normal life. As foreign students in our Medical University and since most of us are from tropical parts of the globe, we are at a higher risk.

When someone is affected by SAD, they can have symptoms that mimic depression – overwhelming sadness, sluggishness, disconnection, neglecting daily responsibilities, ignoring healthy habits, a feeling of melancholy, a lack of interest in engaging in activities, suicidal thoughts, and more. These symptoms correlate to SAD when they begin to prevent someone from fully participating in their life, and, unfortunately, they are directly related to changes in weather.

When the weather gets colder, people stay inside more. Consider times when the weather has drastically shifted or when the weather stays cold and gloomy for a significant time. You may have found yourself thinking, "the cold weather is making me depressed" or "this cloudy weather makes me depressed."

When you stay inside due to poor weather, this leads to a lack of fresh air and increased feelings of isolation and can induce symptoms of depression. These symptoms are often temporary and usually resolve when poor weather lifts or when you get increased sun exposure. Light deprivation depression is a very common affliction and can arise from not getting enough sun providing Vitamin D.

Knowing that this lack of exposure and isolating inside more frequently when it is not warm continues to beg the question: can cold weather cause depression or not? Surely, we have all felt an emotional or mental shift when the weather changes in some way

The role weather plays in our emotional and mental health is significant and can lead to the onset of SAD, which is a recognized affliction by medical professionals. While we cannot change the weather, we can implement strategies to improve our response and increase our defence against SAD symptoms. Ensure that a medical professional is aware of your symptoms so that you can develop a plan for how to respond to them. Identify your coping strategies, what makes your emotions heightened or resolved, as well as a social support system for when symptoms get overwhelming.

Cold weather, cloudy weather, shifting seasons, shorter days, and less light directly correlate to SAD, and it is critical to know that it is a common affliction. Even more important, you can do something about it to prepare yourself. Though SAD can significantly impact your ability to manage your daily responsibilities, there are tools and strategies to cope with the affliction and live a healthy life effectively.

Treatment and Therapy

Treatment for seasonal affective disorder may include light therapy, medications and psychotherapy. If you have bipolar disorder, tell your doctor — this is critical to know when prescribing light therapy or an antidepressant. Both treatments can potentially trigger a manic episode.

• Light therapy

• Medications

• Psychotherapy

• Mind - Body Connection

What kind of lifestyle changes and home remedies can we use to combat this disorder?

• Make your environment sunnier and brighter. Open blinds, trim tree branches that block sunlight or add skylights to your home.

• Go on a long walk, eat lunch at a nearby park, or simply sit on a bench and soak up the sun. Even on cold cloudy days, outdoor light can help, especially if you spend some time outside within two hours of getting up in the morning.

• Exercise and other physical activity help relieve stress and anxiety, both of which can increase SAD symptoms. Being more fit can make you feel better about yourself, too, which can lift your mood.