Herbs That Can Help Lift Seasonal Depression

Herbs can help ward off seasonal blues by strengthening the body’s coping mechanisms and allowing it to navigate the effects of seasonal affective disorder.

Lilac flowers of Colchicum autumnale, also known as autumn crocus or naked ladies. Shutterstock

While some welcome the cooler seasons—with a longing for hot chocolate, a hearty stew, or more rest—others dread the loss of daylight.

Individuals who experience the negative effects of seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a type of depression that usually hits when entering the fall or winter season, feel the loss of sunlight profoundly.

The Validity of SAD

The indicators of SAD include:

• Feelings of sadness, leading to potential (mild) depression
• Lack of energy
• Loss of interest in usual activities
• Changes in sleep patterns—oversleeping or hypersomnia, at times also insomnia
• Weight gain

Psychiatrists have long been researching the phenomenon of what seems to be a seasonally limited form of depression. In 1984, Norman Rosenthal performed a clinical trial, published in the Archives of General Psychiatry, and coined the term seasonal affective disorder. According to Rosenthal, SAD was marked by recurring depression each year at the same time.