SAD isn't something that has a clear cause, but it appears almost certainly linked to sunlight and sleep rhythms, which are all affected by the seasons and your melatonin levels. A subgroup of the population may be born with a gene mutation that requires sunlight in order to release positive (good feeling) neurotransmitters in the brain, according to a 2003 paper.

It’s believed that melatonin is linked to serotonin, the neurotransmitter (or brain chemical) most commonly linked to anxiety and depression. Sunlight modulates your hormonal melatonin levels. During the winter months, especially, most people (especially in today's society) get very little exposure to sunlight. It's not entirely clear what leads to SAD, but most experts believe it has to do with exposure to sunlight. Possible Causes of Seasonal Anxiety Disorder Usually it's the winter months/colder months, but there are some people that seem to experience SAD during the summer months. Seasonal anxiety disorder, or SAD, is a complicated disorder where a person tends to experience more anxiety during certain months. However, there is a lot of overlap between depressive and anxiety symptoms, so seasonal affective disorder may also present primarily in terms of anxiety symptoms that come about at a certain time of year. Usually, this disorder is considered to be a subtype of depression and it may be given the name “major depression with a seasonal pattern”. Seasonal anxiety disorder is a layman term for the clinical term ‘seasonal affective disorder’. Introduction to Seasonal Anxiety Disorder During specific seasons - usually winter, but not always - a person experiences anxiety and depression for no obvious reason, other than the change in the season.Īt first this condition was believed to be a myth, and it was blamed on the winter months typically being a tough time (holiday blues, colder weather, illnesses, etc.), but now psychologists do believe that some people's mental health is affected by the change in seasons, and this can have an effect on your anxiety. Seasonal anxiety disorder is an unusual condition.

Anxiety by Danny Winter