Experts explain how dark winter nights and the clocks going back contribute to making us SAD
When the nights draw in, the darker days bring with them a mental health condition that can make life incredibly difficult for many.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) affects many people and sees the lack of light lead to depression and anxiety - this is worsened when the clocks go back.
Caroline Cogdon of Tyneside and Northumberland Mind and Edward Dean of Anxious Minds both told ChronicleLive how people can recognise the signs of SAD - and what they might be able to do about it.
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Caroline, who heads up Mind's counselling services, said: "We don't know why this is but what we do know is that this sometimes runs in families, so if you are thinking you might have SAD it's definitely worth for example speaking to your parents to see if it's something they recognise.
"It usually happens in winter but that's not always the case and it can happen in the summer months. It often hits about this time of year when...the clocks go back. It's all linked to our circadian rhythms, which tell our bodies' systems what they should be doing. When we get to this time of the year, we aren't getting as much natural light, perhaps we're working in a dark office or in a shop all day."
While sometimes it's easy to make jokes, Caroline said it was vital not to see SAD as a laughing matter. She said: "Because it's a kind of depression, it's when low mood has been ongoing for a long period of time and it isn't lifting. You should go to the GP in the first instance and they can talk through the options.
"And as with any depression, if it doesn't go away and you don't seek help it can lead to suicidal thoughts."
Caroline explained how people can find it difficult to go out and socialise, but said if someone has experienced SAD or symptoms like it one year, it can be useful to plan ahead and make changes before things get too difficult again. She added: "Joining groups can be things that help, that can help lift them and tackle some of this."
She added that maximising the natural light we get - whether by considering how to incorporate a quick walk into someone's lunch break or even just by trying to move where someone works, if they work from home - was another way of trying to improve things.
Edward Deans, chief executive at Anxious Minds, had a similar point of view. The Wallsend-based charity runs a drop-in three times a week at the Forum and also offers counselling, which doesn't deal with SAD specifically but often sees the issue come up.
He said: "We often find at this time of year that there's an increase in people coming in for support. People might have feelings of despair ahead of the dark winter nights. They can find it hard to get up in the dark mornings. But yes in extreme cases it can lead to thoughts of suicide."
Edward explained that support could be in the form of counselling - with cognitive behavioural therapy being a tool some people struggling with SAD find helpful - and he encouraged anyone in need of support to consider attending a drop-in, where at the very least there would be support to talk through someone's experience of symptoms and point them in the right direction.
Tyneside and Northumberland MInd runs a support line Monday to Friday (2pm-10pm) and over the weekend (12pm through to 8pm) which people can access by calling 0330 174 3174 or 0191 477 4545. It offers a range of suport including counselling and wellbeing support.
Anxious Minds is based in Wallsend and has a drop-in session three times a week. The charity also runs a range of specialist support and therapy services and has won awards for its work with military veterans.