Seasonal affective disorder? It might be your hormones
Seasonal affective disorder? It might be your hormones
The “winter blues” are real. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) affects roughly , and nearly say their mood reliably tanks in winter. Less sunlight, shorter days, and melatonin going into overdrive all play a role.
While SAD may be a convenient scapegoat for every low mood between November and March, its symptoms—like fatigue, , —can also be driven by .
“Hormonal changes affect , , , —essentially all the systems people assume are disrupted by winter,” says Natalie Kunsman, M.D., an integrated health advisor and physician specializing in family medicine, regenerative medicine, and hormonal health in Colorado Springs, Colorado. “So anytime someone struggles with low mood, hormones should always be part of the diagnostic conversation.”
explores the connection between seasonal affective disorder and hormonal imbalances.
SAD 101: Why Winter Hits Like a Ton of Wet Snow
SAD is a subtype of depression with a fairly predictable pattern. Symptoms typically emerge in late fall, peak in winter, and improve as daylight returns. The usual drivers include shorter days disrupting , (less light hitting the retina alters brain chemistry), and (darkness extends the time your body spends producing it).
These shifts explain classic SAD symptoms: low energy, heavier sleep, , social withdrawal, and a strong desire to hibernate. But hormones regulate many of these same functions, which is why it can be difficult to pinpoint the source of your symptoms.
How Hormones Shape Mood
Hormones help regulate , , , optimism, and emotional resilience.
- by influencing serotonin and —neurotransmitters tied to motivation, confidence, and emotional stability.
- production and activity, helping stabilize mood and buffer against anxiety.
- effects that promote steadiness and sleep.
- governs the stress response; chronically high or abnormally low levels can mood, energy, and resilience.
Adding to the confusion, hormones themselves may follow a seasonal rhythm. show that testosterone levels in the winter months. also vary by season, with in stress-hormone dynamics across the year. In other words, winter doesn’t necessarily cause hormone imbalance—but it can amplify existing vulnerabilities.
Thyroid hormones and mood
Thyroid hormones play a critical role in mood regulation. Low thyroid function () is associated with fatigue, low mood, brain fog, and slowed thinking—symptoms that can closely resemble depression or SAD. can also or , causing mild mood changes.
Men’s hormone health and mood
Low testosterone has a well-documented relationship with anxiety, , depressed mood, and low motivation. Men with clinically low testosterone (hypogonadism)—and even those at the lower end of the normal range— than men with optimal levels.
Because testosterone declines naturally with age, many men develop these symptoms gradually and may not recognize the hormonal shift until they’re well into it. Roughly 1 in 10 middle-aged and to be clinically concerning, and several million U.S. men experience that can affect mood, energy, , and . The proportion increases sharply with age—for example, up to may have testosterone levels .
Winter often intensifies the problem, leading many men to assume they’re dealing with seasonal depression.
Randomized, show that significantly reduces depressive symptoms in men with low testosterone, reinforcing the biological role hormones play in .
Women’s hormone health and mood
Women’s hormones fluctuate monthly and across life stages, and those shifts can feel a lot like SAD.
- Monthly Cycles: across the month that can impact mood. When these shifts coincide with winter-related sleep disruption and reduced daylight, emotional symptoms may feel more intense, blurring the line between hormonal and seasonal mood changes.
- Perimenopause: During , which affects some each year, , , and unpredictably rather than declining in a straight line. consistently shows that hormonal fluctuations across the menstrual cycle and perimenopause significantly affect mood and emotional regulation. Women who are hormonally sensitive may experience during winter, when circadian rhythm and are already strained.
- Menopause: Some enter menopause each year. As , the brain loses one of its key mood stabilizers, often leading to persistent low mood, , anxiety, , and . Clinical research shows that lifting levels of estrogen and progesterone with can reduce emotional symptoms, including anxiety, underscoring how tightly estrogen levels are to mood regulation.
SAD vs. Hormone-Driven Mood Changes: How to Tell the Difference
One of the biggest clues is the pattern. SAD follows the calendar. Hormone-driven mood issues stick around past winter.
Some patterns that may suggest that your symptoms aren’t strictly seasonal:
- Symptoms beginning in your 30s, 40s, or 50s
- Mood not fully improving once winter ends
- or sexual functioning
- , , or new anxiety for women
- Little response to or
The only definitive way to determine the underlying cause of low mood is through . Your doctor will consider both your test results and the signs and symptoms you describe to reach the right diagnosis.
“I've found many patients have come in at the behest of their psychologist, therapist, or psychiatrist, recognizing that some of these overlapping symptoms may have hormonal issues contributing or causing them,” Kunsman says.
How Hormone-Driven Mood Issues Are Treated
If testing shows that your mood changes are driven by hormones, treating the underlying driver—whether that’s low testosterone, perimenopause, menopause, or thyroid dysfunction—can help resolve them.
Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT)
and may help support testosterone, but some men need medical treatment to restore levels to a healthy range. A found that testosterone therapy was associated with meaningful improvements in depressive symptoms in men with low testosterone.
Testosterone is not an antidepressant—but for men whose mood symptoms are tied to low testosterone, treating the deficiency can make a real difference. If you’re , work with a healthcare provider who can and discuss possible .
Menopause Hormone Therapy
Though (HRT) is primarily used to address the physical symptoms of menopause, like , , and , it can also in managing , including .
In a well-designed , perimenopausal and early postmenopausal women who used were about half as likely to develop clinically significant depressive symptoms compared with those on placebo.
Depending on your individual needs, hormone therapy may include , , and . Hormone therapy is not a universal fix, and outcomes vary based on timing, formulation, and individual biology. Many women benefit most from a combined approach that includes , therapy, and—when appropriate—.
Thyroid Medication
When thyroid hormones are out of range, will help lift mood. Restoring thyroid hormone levels can also improve energy, cognitive function, and depressive symptoms—sometimes for additional psychiatric treatment.
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