Why You're Sad In The Winter

Do you get sad more in the winter? Is seasonal affective disorder real?

Read More:
People in Snowy, Cold States Sleep Longer
"On a cold and snowy day, you may want nothing more than to stay in bed until the weather's a little better."

Seasonal Affective Disorder
"Every year, as the days become short and dark, people with SAD develop a predictable set of symptoms."

The Dangers of Winter Darkness: Weak Bones, Depression and Heart Trouble
"Long periods without sunshine can play a role in a surprising variety of physical and mental disorders."

Vitamin D deficiency, depression linked in international study
"Vitamin D deficiency is not just harmful to physical health -- it also might impact mental health, according to a team of researchers that has found a link between seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, and a lack of sunlight."

Biochemical cause of seasonal depression (SAD) confirmed by researchers
"New research confirms why some people suffer from the winter blues while others get through the winter without any problems."
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[YKrSHMN]

Winter sucks. So gray. So lifeless. 
I don't get people who like it.

[Sprotdude]

Winter is like Justin Bieber, it was cute at first but now it's annoying and probably should just stay in Canada.

[artistofthenight]

I am sad in winter I love spring and summer

[lucidexistance]

This is very true for me. Every winter I battle a very deep depression, a couple times getting close to suicide. As I've gotten older I've learned to recognize that these feelings are not natural and I do my best to ignore them, but if I'm working I tend to lose my job. I'm a very social person who loves being around people, but winter comes and I can't stand being around people, I become terrified of them. Every day it's hard to get out of bed, so I launch myself up as soon as I get up. During Summer spring and fall I can wake up looking forward to the possibilities of each day, whereas now I dread having to get through each day and wonder how I will and or if it will be the day that will break me. I have trouble sleeping because of such thoughts then I have trouble waking once I do because of such thoughts. As of right now I'm caring for my sick mother, and force the optimism and do my best to teach her to look at the bright side of life, but inside I'm just a few steps away from taking a hand full of pills to just go away for good. The only thing that seems to help me battle the darkness is Weed, which as yet to be legalized in Minnesota, and well, of course having lost everything recently in a self destructive not giving a shit, I don't have any means to getting any so it's been a winter of no relief. Anyway, correlation is not causation and I have been diagnosed with depression but it's not really a problem in the long summer days. I did however just take some Vitamin D supplements that I happened to have available a few minutes ago and will try taking them daily. Antidepressants have only made me feel strange and some cause me to do weird things in my sleep that I don't normally do. So, I stay away from those from experience, Oh, and to let you know, I live in Minnesota and I find myself shocked at how much people love the winter here. I just don't understand it. But, I am pushing through for my Mom. She doesn't have much time left and I want her to experience as much joy as possible before she goes.

[samanthaanna]

As someone who lives in Minnesota, which has some nasty winters, I can confirm that SAD is very real.

[Dynamic_Entry]

Dec 15 2023, already feeling this even though winter hasn’t officially started yet. 3 months to go! Let get through this.

[TimTarling]

I hit the bottom in winter with suicide thoughts and loneliness and the thought that I have no friends...life is hell

[jon]

The night is dark and full of terrors 

[MichaelStephenLordReserei]

I'm happier in the winter. I'm hyposensitive to cold, and hypersensitive to heat. I get irritable in the summer. 

[Alkoholwioslaidziwki]

To all the people living in warm and sunny areas of the world saying that they get "depressed" in summer, not in winter please go and try living in a place, where you actually have seasons before you say crap like that, mkay? Couple days ago there was a bit of sunlight and i stood in awe because i forgot that the sky is actually blue, not grey. Try enjoying couple months of waking up in darkness and going home in darkness with couple hours of that grey bullshit trying to pass off as "daylight" and we will see how much happier you will be :P.

[laisa.]

Absolutely. I just realized that cold temperatures makes the body tense - which actually triggers anxiety and depression. We know this about tight muscles. A light bulb went off in my head as Ive been crying for two days not wanting to live... actually.. I live in a northern country and this is the first winter Im not able to keep myself going like usual.

[Dr_Bille]

I'm fucking mess during the winter, I almost can't cope and it just get's worse with every passing winter. But the sweet, sweet summer makes up for it all. If the summer sucks however, then it get's really bad

[babbooskax]

Fall is wet, Grey, uncomfortable, and moist. It’s also when school starts.

Winter is cold, grey, uncomfortable, and dark

[nekovego]

40C air temperature in shadow makes me sad not winter.

I love winter. Sure I sleep more - but because it's so cozy to sleep in winter in the warm bed. On the other hand, in the summer it's so hot I actually can't sleep when I want to which annoys me so much. It's so hot I feel like I can't breathe proper air and I sweat all the time - I have to live off ice cream and ice and ice coffee and ice. More ice please.

Also, here in summer we're advised not to be outside in the middle of the day because it's too hot and old people may actually fall ill or sometimes die.

[herpsenderpsen]

I live in the northernmost city in europe, far north in Norway, and it is a struggle. My productivity goes down to zero, i become apathetic to everything that is happening around me. I'm already diagnosed with severe depression and anxiety, so it doesn't really get better in the winter. I've tried light treatments and all sorts of vitamins but it doesn't seem to help me. What's worse is that i get far more suicidal thought in the winter than any other season. Some day i'll move to a warm place where it never snows, because i've had it with winter for the rest of my life! 

[BallyBoy]

Winter Blues are painful for me, I get so many feels, I can't help myself. I love the snow, but that's literally it about Winter. Summer is when I truly feel happy.

[InnovumTechnology]

Is it just me, or is there some type of color filter on this video? The color seems a lot duller. I'm even checking this video to other recent DNews videos and the colors are noticeably duller.

That would certainly make sense in a video about winter and depression though.

[tertiuscarstens]

I live in South-Africa and we are going through winter now. End of last year I moved from Pretoria (which is on lower altitude) to Johannesburg (higher altitude). The winters in Johannesburg are much colder. I started feeling...sad...these past couple of days and this is why I ended up watching this video.

[liga]

I hate the cold, and I hate how it gets dark at 4pm.

[Conorei]

0:37 was she trying to say Glasgow? Glass-cow... seriously?! It's pronounced "Glaz-go"
and I thought the way Americans pronounced Edinburgh was bad.