Suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder

Depressed? Don’t want to socialise? Hate the weather? You might be suffering from SADs
Curtains pulled, dirty dishes lying around, un-made bed and the long sigh? And of course, the never ending downpour. Looks like some Delhiites are in the grip of the rainy-day blues. Cranky, depressed, eating too much or too less and not socialising are the typical symptoms of SAD, or Seasonal Affective Disorder.
“I feel depressed nowadays for no apparent reason, and it’s so gloomy. The moment you step out, you have to think about whether you’ll get stuck in the rain or not. If I had my way, I’d rather stay home,” rues Amrita Sharma, 23. Many like her seem to be suffering from seasonal blues, which occur mainly during rainy and winter months.
Dr Sameer Malhotra, HOD, psychiatry and psychotherapy, Fortis Hospital, explains, “Even in movies, one sees that saawan or the rainy season is at times marked by sad songs. With the change in weather, mood changes come to the fore, and are generally of two types, winter depression and summer mania. May-September are the peak months, where there’s a rise in mood disorders, and if it persists for more than two weeks, getting your thyroid checked and consulting a mental health professional is a must.”
Says Smriti Khanna, 25, “At nights, I can hardly sleep, and in the mornings all I want to do is lie in bed! And I’m on a binging spree. I feel lazy and depressed and it’s all due to the rain.” JNU student Sushmita Nath states, “Too much rain means gloomy weather, which means low attention span during lectures, ‘coz all you think of is curling up and sleeping.”
Adds Karishma Gupta of Kamala Nehru College, “Even though my college is nearby, I hate getting up in the morning and going. Even while in college, I only want to sleep. Though I feel like hanging out with my pals, the thought of getting stuck in jams and all that muck that awaits me on the roads puts me off.”
Affective disorders, according to senior psychiatrist at Apollo Hospital, Dr Sandeep Vohra, can be of two types - depression or a low phase, marked by social withdrawal, and mania or a high phase, marked by overactive behaviour. “People experience SADs during rains due to sunlight deficiency. There are some people who go into depression with every change in the seasonal cycle, and are back to normal afterwards. But if SADs persist, then one must see a mental health professional,” says he. However, if the SAD spell is only for a day or two, trying small things like maintaining sleep, a balanced diet and forcing yourself to socialise can help. So go out and break that spell of SADness!
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