In fact, “we might even be in some respects more prone to it in some capacity because we’re so used to the sunny weather,” she said.Īlthough people say L.A. While SAD is more prevalent in latitudes farther north, even people in Southern California who might catch a bit of midday sunshine in the dead of winter can develop it, Raftery Ryan said. Can Southern Californians get seasonal affective disorder? We’re primed for a sort of psychological hibernation that modern life doesn’t afford us. People are already dealing with increased weight gain and alcohol consumption and financial upheaval on top of the effects of isolation, loss and trauma, Palinkas said. This year’s time change lands its blow amid another pandemic winter and all the psychological symptoms and traumas we’ve endured in the last two years.

Basically: When we turn back our wall clocks, our internal clocks are getting thrown off too. SAD, he explained, is caused by prolonged exposure to darkness and cold temperatures, which disrupt our neuroendocrine systems, particularly the hormones that regulate mood. Palinkas is a professor of social policy and health at USC who’s studied seasonal affective disorder as well as the psychological effects of things like isolation, space missions and polar expeditions.

I hate mountains 2