What is the Cause of Seasonal Affective Disorder?
It is caused by a biochemical imbalance in the hypothalamus due to the shortening of daylight hours and the lack of sunlight in winter. As seasons change, there is a shift in our “biological internal clocks” or circadian rhythm, due partly to these changes in sunlight patterns. This can cause our biological clocks to be out of “step” with our daily schedules. The feelings of depression will usually be at worst in the afternoon and at night. Sufferers with this form of depression become ill when the days grow shorter and they are deprived of as much sunlight as they need. Many sufferers have found that taking holidays somewhere sunny in winter helps.
