How to beat the autumn blues?

“When the days get so short that I have to leave for work in the dark and return at dusk, it’s like I hibernate,” admits 27-year-old Alina. – With difficulty I force myself to get up in the morning, and in the afternoon I feel sleepy. Everything annoys me, and the most unpleasant thing is that I eat something all the time. ”

Alina’s feelings in the autumn-winter period are shared by about 10% of completely healthy people in different countries. Once upon a time in the old days, this depressed state was called the autumn blues, today it is called seasonal affective disorder (SAD) or winter depression.

“Most of us don’t even notice seasonal mood changes, but some of us can no longer cope with the usual stress,” says psychiatrist Pavel Alfimov. – They feel sad and depressed, easily offended and worried about trifles.

However, psychological manifestations may not be as noticeable as physiological ones – lethargy, increased appetite and drowsiness. By the way, with classical depression, the patient, on the contrary, loses sleep and eats worse. If these symptoms are observed for at least two weeks, we can talk about seasonal disorder.

Why is the mood unstable in autumn?

According to statistics, SAD is most often affected by women who live far from the equator. Indeed, in the northern latitudes in the autumn-winter period, the day becomes noticeably short, and the occurrence of the disorder is, in fact, associated with the lack of sunlight.

“We feel the change of seasons first of all … with our eyes,” the expert explains. – In autumn, the amount of bright light entering the retina of the eye decreases, and paths stretch from the retina to the suprachiasmatic nucleus in the hypothalamus – the main generator of circadian rhythms. This core controls the secretion of melatonin, the sleep hormone, and synchronizes the body’s biological clock. During the dark months of the year, melatonin is produced in excess, and that is why we feel lethargic and overwhelmed even during the day.

But serotonin – the “hormone of joy” responsible for mood stability, which is just what we need during the day – is formed much less. All this disrupts our circadian (daily) rhythms and knocks down the work of the nervous system. In young people, due to the greater plasticity of their brain, circadian rhythms are even less stable, and this, apparently, is the reason for their particular vulnerability.

“In general, it is not very physiological for a person to live in northern latitudes,” adds Pavel Alfimov. – There is a theory that the homeland of our ancestors is the savannah, the African steppes, that is, latitudes closer to the equator. And our brain is evolutionarily tuned to perceive a lot of light. In fact, it is adapted to life in conditions of constant summer.

Hence the conclusion: the higher the geographical latitude, the higher the risk of SAD. This fact, by the way, is clearly confirmed by the data of a large-scale study conducted in the United States. Analyzing the well-being of residents of the northern and southern states, psychologists recorded only 2,8% of residents with SAD symptoms in sunny Florida, while in Alaska there were 8%. In Russia, this issue has not been studied, but it can be assumed that the difference between the conditional Anapa and Norilsk will be about the same.

Dark or cold?

Having parted ways with a rainy and cold summer not so long ago, we are speculating that the absence of the usual heat and the transition from spring to autumn can exacerbate the symptoms of seasonal depression. Is it so?

“The effect will not be as noticeable as we tend to think,” Pavel Alfimov comments. “Despite the fact that it was quite humid and cool this summer, in general, the length of daylight was satisfactory, as it should be in summer.”

“Of course, it is more comfortable for us to live in warmth, but the signs of seasonal disorder are associated precisely with a decrease in daylight hours, and not with a drop in air temperature,” the expert continues. – Therefore, in principle, bad weather can create an additional unfavorable background, but most likely it will not change the number of seasonal depressive episodes.

Most often, seasonal fluctuations in mood and well-being do not poison our lives so much as to require the intervention of a specialist. But if you can’t work at all, don’t want to see anyone, take psychoactive substances and feel completely hopeless, you should contact a psychiatrist.

The fact is that in some cases, SAD can be another (seasonal) episode of one of the serious diagnoses – recurrent depression (major depressive disorder) or bipolar disorder.

Cheer up

Of course, not everyone is lucky enough to live near the equator. But there are ways to ease the symptoms of the autumn blues. Pavel Alfimov gives several recommendations.

Add light. A person with seasonal mood swings needs 10 times more light than the rest. Unfortunately, it is impossible to stock up on ultraviolet for the future – the sun’s rays do not have a cumulative effect. Therefore, from the beginning of September until the end of winter, it is necessary to carry out insolation. It is best to walk outdoors with natural light. If this is not possible, turn on the fluorescent lamp every morning for 30-60 minutes. According to Boston professor of psychiatry Nassir Gaemi, this duration is most effective.

Take vitamin D and melatonin. The skin also absorbs the sun’s rays, under their influence, vitamin D is formed in the body, which acts as an antidepressant and helps with sleep disorders. Its source in ultraviolet deficiency is fatty fish and nutritional supplements containing vitamin D. Melatonin drugs help regulate disturbed circadian rhythms, but they should be taken after consulting a doctor.

Move. Get at least 30 minutes a day of aerobic exercise – cycling, running, swimming, dancing. Movement saturates the body with oxygen and increases overall tone.

In most cases, seasonal disorder is treatable, and it is especially useful to combine different methods, combining sun exposure with sessions of cognitive psychotherapy or taking medications. Don’t expect it to go away on its own. Unless, of course, you are planning to move to the southern latitudes.