TYLER, Texas — It's almost time to turn our clocks back an hour and "fall back", but while some of us are excited about getting an extra hour of sleep, other people are triggered by the decrease in daylight.
It's called seasonal affective disorder. Jeffery Matthews, chair of the psychiatry department at UT Health Science Center says the disorder can cover a wide range of emotions.
"Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D.) is a seasonal component or a seasonal recurrent decrease in mood, it can progress to just kind of winter blues all the way to full major depressive," Matthews said.
Matthews did a fellowship at the National Institute for Mental Health and has been studying the disorder for years.
"In the 1980s and 1990s, psychiatrists recognized that this was really a phenomenon and related to major depression," Matthews said. "And it's interesting, most people who have depression, they have a decreased appetite, a decreased sleep while they're depressed. The opposite is true for people who have seasonal affective disorder that they have an increased appetite, increased sleep during those months, it's almost like they're hibernating."
According to the Mayo Clinic, typically symptoms start in the Fall and continue into the winter months.
"Especially on days, like this week, you know, we've had overcast, it's been rainy that it's going to precipitate for people who may have this propensity," Matthews said.
Symptoms of S.A.D. include feeling lethargic, moody, and having difficulty concentrating. Matthews says for people with this disorder to get out and soak up as much sunshine as possible.
"So I really encourage people get outside, maybe try to, if the weather is permitting, have lunch outside, get that light in the morning, maybe a brief walk in the morning to get outside and get that sunshine," Matthews said.
One of the main treatments for people with Seasonal Affective Disorder is light therapy.
"Light therapy isn't just being out or turn the lights on in your apartment," Matthews said. "It's really how we measure light and intensity and a measurement called lux. And a office is usually 150 lux, a well lit office. Outside is maybe 10,000 lux.
Matthews says people with this disorder should try to get 10,000 lux for an hour a day. You can purchase light boxes that emit that much light at many retailers including walmart, target and amazon.