What is seasonal affective disorder and how do you identify it?

How to combat the winter blues Dr. Meaghen Johnston from Intentional Futures Counselling on signs of seasonal affective disorder and how you can combat the winter blues.

WINNIPEG — With the weather getting colder and the days getting shorter, some Manitobans may be feeling the winter blues.

As winter approaches, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) – a type of recurring major depression that has a seasonal pattern -- can become more prevalent.

According to Meaghen Johnston from Intentional Futures Counselling, research shows that SAD is caused by changes in the brain’s chemistry.

“We have a decrease in serotonin, which is a neurotransmitter that helps stabilize our mood, and also an increase in melatonin, which often tells us to go to sleep when it’s dark,” she explained.

“The change in light actually changes our mood and our brain chemistry. That’s one of the things that we believe has an impact on mood for individuals from seasonal affective disorder.”

Johnston said what makes SAD unique is that it is related to the season, but what makes it similar to depression are the symptoms.

These symptoms include increased sadness, low energy, lack of concentration and higher emotional reactivity. Johnston said many people might be feeling these emotions due to the pandemic, but what is important to look for is how long the symptoms are lasting.

“With major depression, we look at – is it lasting as long as two weeks? Are you noticing a change in your activities, your sleep, your eating?” she said.

“There are all kinds of assessments that your health-care provider can do to help you assess whether or not this is part of a depressive disorder or is this something that maybe can be changed by awareness and some activities that might improve some of your mood.”

As for the impacts of the pandemic, Johnston said everyone’s mood has been affected by what we are living through.

“We have lived through a period of pervasive uncertainty that has caused really prolonged stress on our bodies, on our minds, and really on our mental health,” she said.

Johnston said she hears about cases of SAD every year, but this year, she’s hearing about them a little bit more.

“Hearing the impact of even the snow that’s just arrived here and the shorter days for sure is affecting people and their activities,” she said.

“So they’re stopping maybe doing some things that they were doing before and starting to get concerned that they’re slipping into a pattern, which is what we always want to pay attention to.”

- With files from CTV’s Rachel Lagace.