Clocks going back fills people with dread if they have this medical condition

Brits have shared their struggles of dealing with the winter months as they prepare for the clocks to go back.

The dreaded news is fast upon us, with people across the country getting ready to brace themselves for the colder and darker nights. On October 27, the clocks will go back by an hour, which will offer you an extra hour .

However, the change can affect sleep patterns and cause a direct hit to mental health. The dreaded switch will come into effect at 2am, and has already caused concern for people who suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder ().

SAD, also known as "winter ", can cause a noticeable drop in moods just weeks before the clocks change. According to Healthwatch, one in 20 people in the UK are diagnosed with the condition, while many others might not realise they have it. It's often - but not always - triggered by the arrival of darker evenings and colder weather, and symptoms vary from person to person.

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Megan Rigby, from Salford, said she begins to notice a change in her wellbeing as early as mid-August - when darker nights first start drawing in. "I think I thrive on the light," said Megan, 31. "I don't like being out as much when it's dark - there's nasty stuff out there. I've got kids now and I can't do as much, I like being able to see more people out, the sunshine and more stuff happening. I start not wanting to go out as much. I start holding back and staying in, avoiding people. I get quiet in myself, I'm not asas I would be in the spring."

Megan has struggled with the of SAD since childhood. She said: "I remember being a kid, playing out in the garden, I could just feel myself getting depressed because of how dark it was getting and I couldn't play out as late. I just remember being down about it."

She later spoke to a therapist and her about it, before being prescribed a type of antidepressant which she stopped using when she became pregnant, . Megan says her mood is already "not the best" - but expects the clocks going back next week will make it worse. The dark nights literally get longer straight away," she added. "It's not the best."

According to the , SAD is often linked to a reduced exposure to sunlight, which comes in the autumn and winter. While the exact cause of SAD is not fully understood, the main is that the lack of sunlight stops the part of the brain known as the hypothalamus from working properly.

The NHS says this affects the production of two - melatonin and serotonin - and the body's internal clock. Melatonin, serotonin and the internal clock all affect a person's sleep - while serotonin also affects appetite and mood.

James Holt, 25, explained how the change of seasons affects his moods. He said: "I think for me at least, it's a constant ow, feeling quite down and negative. It's also tiredness, I feel a lot more lethargic and drained, have much less energy and I actually eat a lot. I don't know if it's a feeling of boredom, but I certainly have a bigger appetite and less desire to really do anything, to go out in the evening. I feel completely sapped of energy and getting out of bed is a real struggle sometimes."

James struggles with SAD from late September, when the sky appears "drab and dreary", through to March. He feels a "shift in and happiness" that becomes even more jarring once the clocks change. "I absolutely dread the clocks going back," he said.

"You are used to longer days and evenings with a nice golden glow that you up. Peering out of the window and seeing at 5pm you are almost barricaded by darkness, I really hate it. People say it's great when the clocks go back and you get an extra hour's sleep - yeah you do for one night, but you get months and months of darkness, which I don't think is a good trade-off."

James recalls experiencing symptoms when he was younger, but he never necessarily drew a link to the condition at the time. He says the symptoms have become more prominent in recent years, and the stresses of adulthood can be "heightened" at this time of year.

"I've always detested autumn and winter, I've never enjoyed it," added James. "Being at school, you would get off the bus and by the time you got to the front door it would be pitch black, I always hated it even then." Regular exercise is one of a number of recommendedfor SAD, according to the NHS. But juggling exercise with a nine-to-five job can be particularly challenging in the winter months.

Anna Wiley, from Chorlton, describes it as a "double whammy" - with SAD having an immediate impact, while also preventing the exercise that could improve it. "I've started struggling already in the last couple of weeks," said Anna, 30. "My patterns are really difficult to manage, a lot more difficult than in other times of the year. The darkness is already impacting on what I'm doing.

"I'm not running or cycling because it's too dark in the evening and it's not safe to do the things that help maintain my and mental health." Anna added: "I dread the clocks going back every year. I think it's just the feeling of finishing work and it's dark outside. It's bleak and depressing. I do feel if the clocks didn't change, I think it would change things."