Staff Reports
It’s that time of year again when the dark, cold winter days start to take a toll on people’s mood and energy levels. The phenomenon known as Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, affects about 10 percent of people living in northern latitudes. And let’s be real, living in Alaska definitely qualifies as “northern latitudes.”
Feeling SAD? Seasonal Affective Disorder May Be the Causehttps://t.co/2DWYFKQu7V
— RedState (@RedState) November 17, 2023
While some Alaskans embrace the long, dark winters and use the time to be productive with their indoor activities, others struggle with the lack of sunlight and experience symptoms of SAD, such as low mood, increased craving for carbs, and persistent fatigue. It’s no joke, folks!
Now, some researchers are skeptical about the whole concept of SAD. They argue that we can control our circadian rhythms and not let the lack of sunlight affect us. But let me tell you, as an expert on animal behavior (because let’s face it, humans are just animals with fancy clothes), psychology is not an exact science. It’s fuzzy, imprecise, and subjective. So, if someone feels down during the dark winter months, you can’t just brush it off with some fancy data analysis.
And let’s not forget about daylight savings time, which is basically a cruel joke played on our circadian rhythms. Seriously, who thought it was a good idea to mess with our internal clocks twice a year? It’s like the world is conspiring against us during the already challenging winter months.
