By Melisa De Seguirant, LPC, LMFT ~ Oct 2024
Understanding Seasonal Affective Disorder
Up here in the PNW things are starting to feel colder and darker, making way for seasonal depression AKA seasonal affective disorder.
What is seasonal affective disorder? Does everyone get it? How can you manage it?
What makes seasonal affective disorder different from the typical “winter blues”?
It is common for people to experience lower energy and even mood during the colder, darker months, associated with a lack of access to adequate sunlight. What differentiates the typical “winter blues” from seasonal affective disorder, is a matter of meeting specific diagnostic criteria for a depressive disorder.
Common symptoms include (but are not limited to):
- Depressed mood most of the day, nearly every day
- Markedly diminished interest or pleasure in all or almost all activities most of the day, nearly every day
- Insomnia or hypersomnia nearly every day
- Psychomotor agitation or retardation, observable by others, nearly every day
- Diminished ability to think or concentrate, or indecisiveness, nearly every day
Talk to a licensed clinician if you are curious if you meet the full criteria for major depressive disorder or seasonal affective disorder, as the diagnostic process is not always straightforward and other underlying conditions or factors can cause any of the symptoms listed above.
Regardless if you believe you qualify for a formal diagnosis or not, if you find yourself struggling with your mental health at any point in the year, seek out professional support.
The thespians out there will know where this idea comes from… “yes, and” is pretty much the bread and butter of improvisation. What it means is, when someone throws a statement or a prompt at you during an improvised scene (ex: “I can’t believe you punched a hole through my wall!”), you first AGREE (“I DID punch a hole through your wall”), and then you add something new to the scene (“and I did it because I found out that you were draining money from my bank account!”)
In improv, if you were to disagree rather than responding with a yes (ex: “I don’t know what you are talking about, I never punched a hole through your wall”), the scene loses energy and comes to a halt. Likewise, if you skip the “and” part and nothing new is added, the scene becomes stagnant and doesn’t go anywhere.
Let’s talk about how this rule can be applied to life.
Much of our suffering comes from our resistance to accepting whatever circumstance we find ourselves in. Ever gotten stuck in the denial stage of grief? That’s exactly what I’m talking about. Mindfulness invites us to embody non-judgmental acceptance, and improv teaches us exactly how to do that. We say “yes! and…”, acknowledging our present circumstance and then figuring out what we need to add to it in order to move our lives forward.
Saying yes, and accepting challenging circumstances is a lot tougher in life than it is in an improv scene, to be sure, but the practice is no less valuable. This is the practice that builds resilience. This is the practice that helps us to bounce back from setbacks or perceived setbacks quicker, and potentially stronger than we were before.
Is Seasonal Affective Disorder just a winter thing?
Though less common and less researched, some presentations of seasonal affective disorder do occur during the summer months. The National Institute of Mental Health talks about the possible implications of melatonin changes during the summer, whereas winter seasonal affective disorder involves changing levels of serotonin.
Anecdotally, as a therapist in the PNW I have worked with some chronically ill people whose depression spikes in the summer months when the social scene is popping but they find themselves unable to participate or keep up. The reality of missing out on social experiences can worsen depressive symptoms any time of year, and for some is especially present during summer.
Feeling depressed in the summer can have the added impact of guilt, shame and frustration due to the belief that “we should be happy during the summer”.
Let’s be clear– depression can hit at any time. When it does, it deserves attention and professional care. Seek out community resources and support if you are struggling with symptoms.
Changing up self-care practices throughout the year is probably a good idea, whether or not you suffer from seasonal affective disorder.
For one, we respond to novelty. Doing new/ different things spontaneously to care for ourselves often has a bigger impact than engaging (usually mindlessly) in a self-care practice that has become just another part of the everyday routine.
For those who crave more structure and rely upon routine, try developing some sets of self-care rituals and rotate between them throughout the year. There is a way to develop consistent systems while still keeping things fresh… strive to find that balance!
Aside from it generally being a good idea to occasionally change things up, it is important to recognize that we are all dealing with different things at different times of the year. Effective self-care practices therefore need to account for that.
For people with seasonal affective disorder, the shifts they experience in their mood and functioning over the course of the year are linked directly to the changing of the seasons. For others, similar shifts may be linked to things like PTSD, grief, meaningful anniversaries, school or work schedules and a variety of other factors.
REFLECT
How does your mood and/or ability to function shift over the course of the year? Are there certain times of year you just expect to be difficult? What are the contributing factors? How can you pull in more support, and adjust your self-care practices for the times of the year that are the most challenging to navigate?
#seasonalaffectivedisorder #seasonaldepression #seasonalselfcare #mentalhealth #therapythings
Melisa is a licensed psychotherapist practicing in the states of Oregon and California, and specializing in working with individuals within the queer, polyamorous/ ethically non-monogamous and neurodivergent communities.