When SAD doesn't lift with spring, it's something else.

If your depression symptoms don’t improve as days get longer and you’ve been consistent with light therapy for weeks, it’s time to stop assuming this is just a stubborn seasonal slump.

The big red flag is timing. SAD typically follows the light — it creeps in as fall deepens, peaks in midwinter, and starts loosening its grip by mid-February. If you’re in late winter (say, March) and things are flat or getting worse, that’s not a pattern. That’s a sign the depression has unhooked from the season.

Other clues: sleep changes that go against the SAD script. SAD often causes hypersomnia (sleeping too much) and carb cravings. If you’re waking up early, can’t fall back asleep, or your appetite is gone entirely, that’s more classic major depression. Also, if you’ve historically bounced back by daylight-saving time and this year you just don’t, listen to that.

Treatment needs to shift. Stop leaning on light therapy as the primary tool — it works for SAD but is weak for non-seasonal depression. You want to add or adjust an antidepressant (SSRI/SNRI) or start structured psychotherapy like CBT. Talk to your pres