[This article is based on part of a podcast discussion between Shaykh Ammar AlShukry and Ustadha Sarah Sultan. You can listen to the full discussion here. Some sensitive topics discussed in this piece may be triggering to some readers. Discretion is advised.]
“I pray all of my salah, I read Quran, I give sadaqah, I make dua constantly. So why do I still feel so hollow inside? Am I a bad Muslim?”
Mental health is still one of those conversations the community often feels too ashamed to have, and that silence comes with a heavy assumption: if someone is struggling emotionally, the problem must be their faith.
“Maybe her eman is low.”
“He’s being ungrateful to Allah.”
The reality is very different.
The World Health Organization estimates that around 5% of adults worldwide live with depression. That is roughly 1 in 20 people, and Muslims are not exempt from that statistic.
And for many people, fall and winter are the times of year when it starts to show up.
What is Seasonal Depression?
Seasonal depression, or seasonal affective disorder as it is called in more clinical language, is when a person experiences a serious dip in their mood at the same time every year.
The first signs tend to be physical; with seasonal depression, there is typically an increase in appetite and an increase in wanting to sleep. Alongside that comes a consistent low mood.
From there, it starts to affect everything else.
A person might feel a sense of sadness a lot of the time without being able to explain why, and their thought process starts to drift into negative territory. Their energy is low, so their relationships take a hit. They just don’t have it in them to show up for people the way they normally would. Over time, their ability to function in everyday life can be affected as well.
Chemically, seasonal depression usually stems from a lack of sunlight.
That is why it tends to hit in the fall and winter, as the days get shorter. But it depends on where a person lives. In a place like Houston, where the summer heat keeps families stuck indoors for months, some people might actually experience it in the summer. The season can be different depending on the place.
The Season That Speeds Everything Up
Shorter days are only part of the picture. Something people rarely talk about is how much the pace of life changes when fall arrives, especially for mothers.
The slow, relaxed rhythm of summer is suddenly gone. The kids are back in school. There are lunches to pack every night, everything to get ready for the next morning, and after-school activities to drive to.
Life shifts into go, go, go mode, and that can have a really big impact on mental health.
Some cultures have found a healthier way to approach long winters. In Denmark, the concept of hygge is all about embracing the good that winter can bring: community, warm blankets, a cup of tea by the fire. It gives people something to look forward to during those months. That kind of mental reframe can be so helpful, and it is something American culture has not embraced very well. Instead of slowing down and coming together in the colder months, the pace gets turned up, and the result is more isolation.
The Islamic tradition offers its own beautiful reframe. Winter has long been seen as a season of worship. The days are short, so a family can build a culture of fasting together. The nights are long, so there is time for qiyam al-layl. Winter can become something to look forward to rather than something to get through.
Misconception: “They’re Just Being Soft”
Picture someone who moves to a city with long, dark winters. Every year, around the same time, their energy drops and their mood sinks. And the people around them say, “Come on, you’re just being soft.”
That reaction comes from a very common misconception: that through sheer willpower, a person should be able to power through the symptoms and get themselves to feel better.
But depression is not the same as a simple low mood day. There is a real chemical component in the brain, and that is not something that can just be changed through willpower.
Understanding this matters for the person who is struggling, because they may already be blaming themselves. And it matters for everyone around them who might be tempted to tell them to just try harder.
How to Recognize It in Someone You Love
A lot of people can’t put into words what they’re feeling, let alone name it. So how can family and friends tell when something more is going on?
With any kind of symptom, the key is to understand the pattern. What is happening at the root of it? Where is it coming from?
With seasonal depression, the pattern is the clearest sign. It hits at around the same time every single year, and the same symptoms show up: changes in appetite, changes in sleep, a shift in mood, and lower energy.
Recognizing that pattern changes how people respond. It builds empathy, because it becomes clear that this is not a choice. The person is not deciding to give up on their responsibilities or stay in bed all day. Seeing how they function during the rest of the year makes it obvious that this is not characteristic of them.
It is also important to know how serious it can get.
In severe cases, seasonal depression can lead to depressive thoughts that reach the point of suicidal thoughts. That is a sign to be especially aware of and cautious about, and it is a clear signal that professional help is needed, because that is not something a person can just overcome through willpower.
If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please reach out to a local crisis line or emergency services right away. In the US, you can call or text 988.
Practical Steps for the Darker Months
A few steps that can help:
- Ask a doctor about vitamin D. Since seasonal depression is tied to a lack of sunlight, a lot of doctors recommend a vitamin D supplement.
- Wake up early. Rising early allows the body’s circadian rhythm to regulate to the sun’s schedule.
- Get out in the sunlight as much as possible. Whatever amount of sunlight is available, take it. Anyone working from home can try to work in the sun during daylight hours.
- Reframe the season. Build in things to look forward to during the colder months, whether that’s cozy, low-pressure gatherings with friends or a renewed focus on fasting and night prayer as a family.
- Get professional help when it gets serious. When the symptoms deepen, a licensed professional can provide support that willpower alone cannot.
Faith and Help Go Together
So, back to the question at the start: is depression a sign of weak eman?
Being tested is a guarantee in every person’s life. Allah says:
“And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits” (Quran, 2:155)
Accepting that a test comes from Allah is one thing. The real question is what a person does with that test.
Will they still look at it through the lens of Allah’s wisdom? Will they find something to be grateful for? What strength is being built through this that they never would have gained otherwise? And ultimately, is this test bringing them closer to Allah or further away from Him?
One of the steps that can bring a person closer is professional help when it’s needed. A simple way to know when that point has come is when daily functioning is affected over a long period.
If someone is having trouble keeping up with their job, going to class, or taking care of their family, and it keeps happening, professional help could be really beneficial. Everybody has days where they’re down. Some days, it’s hard to even get out of bed, and that’s okay. But when there are a lot of those days, that is the signal.
Getting help can even become an act of worship. When a person is not functioning at full capacity, they are usually not functioning at full capacity spiritually either. If they seek that help for the sake of Allah, with the intention that it will help them be more consistent in their salah and draw closer to Him, then that can be an act of worship too, inshallah.
Struggling with depression does not mean a person has failed in their faith. Taking the means Allah has provided, whether that is sunlight, community, or a counselor, can be part of how they hold on to it.
Ustadha Sarah Sultan has an entire course on handling mental health struggles from grief to anxiety, loneliness, and more. It’s called Grounded, and it’s available as free or ‘pay what you can’. If you’ve ever wondered how to navigate emotional difficulty, access the course here
