Breaking the fall understanding winter blues
3 Jun 2013

Breaking the fall: understanding winter blues

2 mins to read
If you live in the southern half of Australia or New Zealand, over winter you could be more susceptible to SAD, seasonal affective disorder. By Rosie Brogan


SAD refers to feelings of low mood that may be experienced during the winter.

Due to the lower levels of light soaked up in the colder months. It really only affects southern Australia and places further south (here’s looking at you, Kiwis).

“Most of us feel better when the sun is shining – more cheerful and energetic. On grey, gloomy days, especially in winter, we tend to feel less enthusiastic, more inclined to stay indoors, to do less work, to socialise less and to eat more,” explains UK-based mental health organisation, Mind.

Why light affects your mood
Mind says: “When light hits the back of the eye (the retina), messages are passed to the part of the brain (the hypothalamus) that rules sleep, appetite, sex drive, temperature, mood and activity. If there’s not enough light, these functions are likely to slow down… Some people seem to need a lot more light than others, and these are the people who develop seasonal affective disorder (SAD), to a greater or lesser extent.”

SAD can:

1. Lower levels of the ‘mood hormone’ serotonin
2. Raise levels of melatonin, the ‘sleep hormone’
3. Disrupt your circadian rhythms

How SAD feels
A little bit like hibernation, according to mental health expert Dr Matthew Rudorfer, who spoke to the National Institutes of Health in the US.

“People with SAD tend to be withdrawn, have low energy, oversleep and put on weight. They might [also] crave carbohydrates,” he says.

Mind lists the symptoms as follows:

  • Lack of energy for everyday tasks
  • Being more prone to illness – some people with SAD may have a lowered immune system during the winter, and may be more likely to get colds, infections and other illnesses
  • Sleep problems
  • Depression – feeling sad, low, weepy, guilty, a failure; sometimes hopeless and despairing, sometimes apathetic and feeling nothing
  • Mood changes – in some people, bursts of over-activity and cheerfulness (known as hypomania) in spring and autumn
  • Anxiety – tenseness and inability to cope with everyday stresses; panic attacks
  • Social problems – irritability, and not wanting to see people; abusive behaviour
  • Concentration problems
  • Overeating – particularly craving carbohydrates and putting on weight (which may increase negative feelings)
  • Loss of interest in sex or physical contact
  • Alcohol and drug abuse

If you think you, or someone close to you, may have SAD, see your healthcare professional.



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