SACRAMENTO, Calif. — With grey skies and rain in the forecast, its important to be aware of symptoms of seasonal depression.
With the rain and the upcoming daylight saving time on Sunday, Nov. 7, means losing a lot of sunshine.
Neuropsychologist Dr. Angela Drake with UC Davis said the lack of sunshine can bring about Seasonal Affective Disorder, also known as SAD, in people with stable mental health.
"Season affective disorder is really depression," Drake said. "In fact, exposure to light is very important component of our mood and how we feel."
Because sunlight is one of the factors tied to our serotonin levels – a neurotransmitter which regulates our mood – a series of gloomy days may influence your mood.
The winter blues impacts about 5% of the U.S. population, and the main age of onset symptoms occur for those between 18 to 30, according to psychiatry studies. Drake says it is easily treatable though — by catching more sun.
It tends to not be an issue in California, but with COVID-19 and flu season keeping many people indoors, their circadian rhythms can be thrown off.
"When you're inside more, you tend to have problems sleeping because you don't get exposure to light during the day," Drake said.
Less light doesn't necessarily cause symptoms of depression though.
"it's just one factor of this extremely complex ecosystem that we live in," Drake said, adding to be mindful of mood changes for yourself and those around you.
READ MORE FROM ABC10:
ABC10: Watch, Download, Read
WATCH MORE:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipOla9tB5hU&ab_channel=ABC10