“Winter Depression” -Hmm, What’s That ??

It was a normal winter day in the northern part of the Indian Subcontinent, with no direct sunlight for days together, chilly gusts of wind all around, bodies wrapped around in layers of clothing, and people trapped in the confines of their homes. Such were the scenes in the winter of 2020.

The boy was sitting in front of the laptop, working on a piece of code that needs to be delivered before the day ends ( Read WFH software developers). With every bug and debugging cycle, the boy’s eyes well up, and begins to sob quietly.

Weirdly enough, just a few months before, he was just the normal boy, who was working merrily albeit in a meh … kind of team, but nothing drastic has changed, but still, he feels overwhelmed by things and he seems to have lost any control he thought he had on his life.

Why does this happen to him every winter? What is it with the winter season that brings with it such experiences while others seem to be enjoying the weather?

WHY!!!!!!

The explanation of such a thing is attributed to Seasonal Affective Disorder(SAD).

Pic Credits -Unsplash

What Is Seasonal Affective Disorder?

Seasonal Affective disorder in other words ‘’Winter Depression” is essentially a type of depression that lays its hold during the winter season notably during the months — November, December, January, and sometimes goes into late February as well. This is characterized by symptoms but not limited to — Depression, Fatigue, Social Withdrawal, and a feeling of hopelessness.

The Why ??

Articles estimate that about 10 million people suffer from SAD, in India itself. More often than not winter months, especially in the northern parts of India, don’t get enough sunny days and that leads to less than adequate direct sunlight for the general populace living in these areas.

Sunlight is often associated with being a good source of Vitamin-D, and that is not wrong, but people often tend to look at the finer aspects of sunlight that can have an impact on people’s lives. Sunlight is responsible for the chemical balance of our brains.

Lack of sunlight leads to decreased secretion of the chemical called serotonin — The chemical that is responsible for our mood. Sunlight also plays its part in, regulating our sleep cycles and that goes for a spin when we are not exposed to sunlight for extended periods of time. The biological clock also gets affected with shorter day spells as experienced during the winter months, which can aggravate the situation.

How Has Covid Played It's Part In SAD?

The world had its biggest setback in decades, and it had a staggering effect on mental health. People have been locked into their homes — Many have lost their jobs, the few who have jobs seem under the stress of line between personal and professional lives going hazy — courtesy WFH, Migrant Crisis, etc …we have seen them all in the media.

A mentally stressed person is any time more susceptible to SAD than a normal person and researchers have indicated that SAD might arrive sooner than normal due to the covid hitting people hard mentally.

Another risk factor is the overlap of the age groups most vulnerable for SAD and the age group that is most depressed which is 20–29 (Young adults who are striving to make their mark as they experience adulthood in actual terms ).

What to do if I feel the story of the boy similar to mine ??

• In these turbulent times, where people are quite secluded to their beds and workstations, having a family is a boon. For people living away from their families, the magic of video calls should be invoked as much as possible.
• EXERCISE — Yes, exercise at a time when one is barely ready to get out of bed might get painted as a sarcastic joke, but the fact is indulging in exercise releases endorphins and other feel-good chemicals that can pave your way out of SAD.
• There are therapies known as light therapy that also helps in reducing the effect that lack of sunlight can have on people. What this therapy does is that it mimics the sunlight and tricks the brain to release the feel-good hormones.
• Sometimes, even with our best of efforts, one is unable to control and deal, and that is a tell-tell sign that medical intervention is necessary that should not be delayed in any case.

The last point is not only limited to SAD affected people but to all the people in general — In this age of hustle mentality, don’t stretch yourself too far and try taking it slow and steady, after all, life’s a marathon and you do need recharge stations every few steps you move ahead.