Winter… A SAD Time

The wintertime may come with the “winter blues”. Winter shifts us from sunny and warm temps to cooler weather, cloudier skies, and shorter days.  This shift may result in people feeling gloomy and sloth-like.  If these feelings get in the way of daily life, it might be seasonal affective disorder, or SAD.

What is SAD? 

SAD is a type of depression that begins in the fall and last through the winter months, likely caused by a lower level of vitamin D that we can naturally get from the sunshine, which may affect an individual’s serotonin, a neurotransmitter that is linked to mood and depression.  Darkness increases melatonin and is also linked to sleepiness and mood.

Since SAD is a type of depression, it has similar symptoms to major depression. They can include:

• Feeling depressed for most of the day, almost every day

• Feeling hopeless

• Loss of energy/fatigued

• Losing interest in the activities once enjoyed

• Sleeping problems (can’t fall asleep, stay asleep or sleep too much)

• Having changes in appetite (overeating, under eating, loss of appetite)

• Having thoughts of death or suicide or self-harm

Treatment and prevention

There are different treatments that can help reduce SAD symptoms:

• Sunlight. If the sun is out, go outside to get some Vitamin D!

• Exercise. Staying physically active is a good way to reduce SAD symptoms. Exercise can increase serotonin and endorphins; both are positive in mood production.

• Light therapy. Light therapy uses artificial light from lightboxes to copy natural sunlight, managing the release of melatonin.

• Psychotherapy. Psychotherapy is talk therapy which is done with a mental health provider.

• Medication. If the above therapies don’t work, talk to your doctor about taking antidepressants.