Are you feeling down or sad? Did it start around Thanksgiving and does it last until Spring? Many people feel “down” or have the “winter blues” when the days get shorter in the fall and winter, and feel better in the spring when longer daylight hours return. If you have noticed significant changes in your mood and behavior when the seasons change, you may be experiencing Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, SAD is a type of depression characterized by a recurrent seasonal pattern, with symptoms lasting about four to five months out of the year.
Symptoms of depression can include: Persistent sad, anxious or “empty” mood most of the day, nearly every day, for at least two weeks. You may also feel hopelessness, frustration, guilt, worthlessness, loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities, decreased energy, difficulty concentrating, changes in sleep or appetite or unplanned weight changes, insomnia or anxiety.
If you or someone you know is showing symptoms of SAD, talk to a health care provider or a mental health specialist about your concerns. While SAD is more common in people with depression or bipolar disorder, it can affect anyone.
Studies indicate that people with SAD have reduced levels of the brain chemical serotonin, which helps regulate mood. Research also suggests that sunlight affects levels of molecules that help maintain normal serotonin levels. Shorter daylight hours may prevent these molecules from functioning properly, contributing to decreased serotonin levels in the winter. Vitamin D deficiency may exacerbate these problems in people with winter-pattern SAD because vitamin D is believed to promote serotonin activity.
Treatments fall into four main categories that can be used alone or in combination Light therapy, psychotherapy, antidepressant medication and regulating exercise and sleep patterns.
Light Therapy has been a mainstay for treating winter-pattern SAD. It exposes people to bright light to make up for the diminished natural sunlight in darker months. Patients sit in front of a very bright light box (10,000 lux) every day for about 30−45 minutes.
Psychotherapy (also called talk therapy or counseling) can help people with SAD by teaching them new ways of thinking and behaving, as well as changing habits that contribute to depression.
Medications used to treat depression (antidepressants) can be effective for SAD when used alone or in combination with talk therapy. Antidepressants work by changing how the brain produces or uses certain chemicals involved in mood or stress.
Regular exercise and sleep patterns boost your endorphins (brain chemistry) and help you feel better.
SAD is predictable, people with a history of the disorder might benefit from starting the treatments mentioned above before the fall (for winter-pattern SAD) to help prevent or reduce depression symptoms.
