Health Matters: This Seasonal Affective Disorder Season Hits Differently. Here’s How Black Women Can Cope

Getty Although we’re almost to the New Year, many of us may be feeling the effects of Seasonal Affective Disorder, commonly known as SAD. Seasonal Affective Disorder is a type of depression that occurs during certain seasons, primarily winter. Even though people suffering from SAD leverage light therapy and vitamin D, in addition to psychotherapy and antidepressants to help alleviate symptoms, Black women are still more susceptible to feeling the effects of SAD, according to Jenet Dove, a licensed counselor. “As the days grow shorter and the sunlight wanes, many of us feel the familiar weight of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) settling in. Reduced exposure to sunlight disrupts the production of serotonin and dopamine, neurotransmitters essential for mood regulation, making it difficult to feel joy or motivation. While SAD is a recurring challenge, this year’s seasonal blues hits differently for Black women,” she shares with ESSENCE. Dove continues, “On November 5, the climate shifted for us in more ways than one. The results of the recent presidential election carried a heavy emotional toll for the 92% of us Black women who showed up, yet again, in support of progress and representation. The message was clear: the world doesn’t see us...