When the dark months bring more than a slump
Plenty of Michiganders feel slower once the clocks fall back in November. It is dark on the drive home, the sky stays gray for days, and the couch looks better than any plan. For most people that is an ordinary seasonal dip. For some, it is a recurring depression with a calendar of its own.
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) describes seasonal affective disorder (SAD) as a type of depression with a recurring seasonal pattern, with symptoms lasting about four to five months of the year. In most cases it starts in late fall or early winter and goes away in spring and summer. A less common summer pattern exists too.
What Michigan winters actually look like
Daylight changes a great deal over the year in Michigan. According to U.S. Naval Observatory calculations for the Franklin area, the sun rises at about 8:00 a.m. and sets at about 5:03 p.m. on December 21, 2026, a little over nine hours of daylight. On June 21, 2026, it rises at about 5:56 a.m. and sets at about 9:14 p.m., more than 15 hours. Days are shorter still farther north, in the Upper Peninsula.
Clouds add to it. The National Weather Service explains that lake-effect weather is common across the Great Lakes region in late fall and winter: cold air crossing the relatively warm, unfrozen lakes picks up warmth and moisture, the air rises, and clouds form. So even the daylight hours Michigan does get are often overcast.
That matters because NIMH notes that SAD is more common in people living farther north, where winter days are shorter, and Cleveland Clinic lists living in cloudy regions among the factors that raise risk. Neither means everyone in Michigan will develop it. It does mean a winter pattern of low mood here is not unusual or imagined.
Signs it may be more than the winter blues
SAD includes the usual symptoms of depression, such as persistent low or empty mood, loss of interest, hopelessness, low energy and trouble concentrating. NIMH lists some additional signs that are typical of the winter pattern:
- Oversleeping, and still feeling tired
- Overeating, particularly craving carbohydrates, with weight gain
- Social withdrawal, a feeling of wanting to "hibernate"
The NHS adds feeling restless or irritable and feeling guilty, hopeless or worthless. It also notes that some people feel unusually energetic at the start of spring or summer. If that shift is dramatic, with much less need for sleep or racing ideas, mention it to a clinician. When Depression Might Be Part of Bipolar Disorder explains why.
What separates SAD from a winter slump is the same thing that separates depression from a bad week: how persistent the symptoms are and how much they get in the way. NIMH notes that, for a diagnosis, the seasonal episodes occur for at least two consecutive years and are more frequent than episodes at other times of the year, though not everyone has symptoms every single year.
Not the same as the holiday blues
NIMH draws a useful line here. The holiday blues are sadness or anxiety brought on by the stresses of a particular time of year, such as family gatherings, money or travel. SAD is tied to changes in daylight, not to the calendar. Of course, in Michigan the darkest weeks and the holidays arrive together, so both can happen at once. The Holidays, Anxiety and Depression covers the holiday side.
Why it happens
Researchers are still working this out. NIMH describes studies pointing to lower serotonin activity in people with winter-pattern SAD, possible effects of low vitamin D, and changes in melatonin, a hormone that helps regulate sleep. People with winter-pattern SAD may produce too much melatonin, which can increase sleepiness. Together, these changes may disrupt the body's daily rhythm so that it does not adjust well to shorter days.
Thoughts play a part too. NIMH notes that negative thoughts about winter and its limits are common in people with SAD. It is unclear whether they are a cause or an effect, but they can be a useful focus of treatment.
Who is more likely to have it
NIMH notes that SAD occurs much more often in women than men and usually begins in young adulthood. It is more common in people who already have depression or bipolar disorder, especially bipolar II, and it sometimes runs in families. Cleveland Clinic estimates that about 5% of U.S. adults have SAD and that 10% to 20% may have a milder form of winter blues.
Practical steps for a Michigan winter
The NHS suggests several self-care steps that fit a Michigan winter well:
- Get as much natural daylight as you can. A walk at lunch, even under clouds, counts.
- Keep regular exercise going. Indoor options matter when sidewalks are icy.
- Stay in contact with friends and family, even when hibernating sounds better.
- Keep up your usual activities rather than shelving them until spring.
- Go to bed and get up at the same times each day, and put screens away before bed.
- Do not drink too much alcohol, which the NHS lists among things to avoid.
If you know your pattern, plan for it in October: put social plans on the calendar before the dark sets in, and book a check-in with your doctor or therapist before symptoms peak.
Treatment options
NIMH groups SAD treatments into light therapy, psychotherapy, antidepressant medication and vitamin D, used alone or together. Light therapy has its own considerations, including eye conditions and medications that increase light sensitivity; Light Therapy for Seasonal Depression covers it. Medication and vitamin D decisions belong with your physician or prescriber. The NHS notes that many people need treatment every winter to keep symptoms from coming back.
Psychotherapy can help with the low mood itself, the withdrawal that deepens it, and the dread that can start building in September. Dr. Lehmann offers depression therapy in person in Franklin or by telehealth for clients in Michigan, which can be easier on days when roads are bad.