How Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and Substance Abuse Work Together

A lot of people realize that they are not as cheerful during the winter, but psychologists say that Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a real kind of depression. It is easy to blame the negative feelings on the weather and on the need to stay inside and miss out on ordinary activities. But SAD is a real condition, and it is important to understand the role it can play in your recovery.

What Is Seasonal Affective Disorder?

SAD affects people differently, and many people only experience temporary, minor symptoms. For some people, though, Seasonal Affective Disorder can be debilitating.

Unlike other kinds of depression, SAD only lasts during a specific time period. If you have experienced Seasonal Affective Disorder before, you may be more likely to experience it again. Symptoms of SAD last for a season, usually during the winter months, and then go away on their own. Depending on the severity of symptoms, Seasonal Affective Disorder can interfere with work, family, and school. Symptoms of Seasonal Affective Order include:

• fatigue,
• a lasting feeling of sadness,
• loss of interest in normal activities,
• difficulty in getting to sleep or staying asleep, and
• sleeping too much.

If you are someone who has experienced these kinds of feelings during multiple winter seasons, you may have Seasonal Affective Disorder.

Can You Avoid Seasonal Affective Disorder?

There are some things you can do that may help you to avoid experiencing this kind of winter depression.

1. Find ways to get into the sun as much as possible, such as walking or sitting in a window. There are special lamps or light boxes you can purchase, so you get that important exposure to bright light even when you are inside. These special artificial lights imitate sunlight while reducing your exposure to UV light.
2. Watch your diet. It may be tempting to turn to comfort foods when you are tired and sad, but this is the time to make sure that you are taking in healthy nutrients. You may want to avoid fulfilling your need for sweets with cake and cookies and try to find fresh fruit instead.
3. Spend time with those who care about you. When you are feeling sad, this is the worst time to be alone. You don’t have to make a big deal out of spending time with your friends and family; just let them know that you want to be around them. Talk to them about what you are going through; they may be experiencing the same thing themselves without realizing it.
4. Move! Sometimes, exercise can help to lift your mood. It can be more difficult to find activities you can do during the winter, especially if the weather is really bad. Even if you can’t make it to the gym, you can be creative and take advantage of YouTube exercise videos. Even if exercise does not directly affect your mood, you will be better off staying healthy.
5. If your symptoms are extreme, you may want to talk with a professional. You can get relief from some symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder by using psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, or another kind of treatment.

What Is the Relationship Between Seasonal Affective Disorder and Substance Abuse?

It may seem completely natural to self-medicate when dealing with feelings of unexplained sadness. Some people might choose stimulants, especially if they are feeling a loss of interest in life and lack of energy. Others might choose a drug like alcohol or opioids to numb the pain if the feeling of sadness is overwhelming.

Self-medicating can lead to addiction; at the same time, the use of drugs can make your symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder worse. There is a high correlation between people with substance abuse disorders and mental health disorders: about half of all people with a mental health disorder experience addiction at some point in their lives, and about one out of every five people with an anxiety or mood disorder experience addiction at some point.

What Are the Risk Factors For Developing Seasonal Affective Disorder?

There are some things you can look out for to see if you or a loved one may be more prone to developing SAD at some point.

• SAD can affect anyone at any point in life, but it most commonly starts during young adulthood. The most common age group is from 18 to 30, but older adults and even young children may be affected.
• Females are about 4 times as likely to be diagnosed with SAD as males are.
• Anyone with a family history of any kind of depression may be more likely to develop Seasonal Affective Disorder.
• Someone who already has an existing mental disorder may be more prone to developing SAD. Someone who already suffers from a depressive disorder may experience worse symptoms during the winter.

Treatment Options For Seasonal Affective Disorder

Any treatment plan should take into consideration all the patient’s needs. If you are experiencing a substance abuse disorder and SAD, your conditions should be treated at the same time. If you only deal with one condition at a time, you will not experience relief, and it could lead to relapse. At the same time, an untreated substance abuse problem could make your depression worse.

• Psychotherapy is the use of light to relieve your symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder. If you take part in psychotherapy, you will participate in a schedule where you increase your exposure to light every day. Your therapist may recommend that you sit in front of a light box for at least 20 minutes every day. You may need to purchase the lights yourself.
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a kind of therapy that will help you change what you are thinking. CBT is used for a variety of conditions, including Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), substance use disorder, and depression.
• Prescription medicine may help your body by increasing the amount of serotonin available in your brain. People with SAD are often found to have low serotonin levels.

At Birmingham Recovery Center, we want to help you change your life so you can meet all your goals. If you are experiencing a mental or substance abuse disorder, we can help. Contact us online or call (205)813-7400 so we can set you on the path to recovery.