As the seasons change and fall turns to winter, many people find their mood changing as well – they are tired more frequently, may have less energy, crave more carb-heavy foods, and feel less social. You might have found yourself wondering if 'seasonal depression' as some call it, is real. Why else would you start feeling so 'down' once the sun starts setting earlier? You’re not the only one – 10 to 20 percent of Americans get the “winter blues” during the fall and winter months, when they may feel sadder, unlike themselves, and just generally more unhappy. It’s harder during the fall and winter months to get out and spend time in nature, people are back in school and it might be harder to see your friends, and if you’re working or in classes all day, you might only get a few hours of real time out in the sunlight. It’s easy to feel like the 'winter blues' are out of your control, and just something you need to wait for spring to get through – but there are absolutely ways to make them less impactful!
Some things that can help mitigate the ‘winter blues’ are making an effort to spend some time outside, even if it’s only 20 minutes to get fresh air; purposely doing activities you enjoy like reading, cooking, or spending time with friends and family, taking Vitamin D supplements to offset the lack of sunlight you’re getting, and eat nutritious meals when possible (meal prepping can be a great way to still eat nutritiously when you’re low on energy)! However, if your low mood is lasting a long time, is intense, and happens every year, you may be experiencing Seasonal Affective Depression (SAD), a type of depression that has a recurrent seasonal pattern. This might be either winter-pattern SAD when symptoms occur during the winter months, or summer-pattern, which is less common. Symptoms of SAD are the same as those of other types of depression, including persistent sad or anxious mood lasting more than two weeks, low energy, changes in sleep and appetite, withdrawal from friends and family, and feelings of hopelessness, pessimism, or even suicidal ideation. The key difference between SAD and other types of depression is that symptoms start, or onset, during specific times of year (e.g. fall and winter), for at least two consecutive years, and also subside at specific times of year (e.g. spring).
If you think you may be experiencing symptoms of SAD, there are ways to seek help. People who are more at risk for SAD include those who have another mood disorder, such as major depressive disorder or bipolar disorder, those who have family members with SAD, live in cloudy regions, and live very far north or south of the equator. The good news is there are treatment plans and ways to help mitigate the effects of SAD. You can seek professional help, such as cognitive behavioural therapy or psychotherapy, ask your doctor about light therapy or antidepressants, and do your best to be easy on yourself – don’t isolate or feel that you’re not doing enough to help your depressive symptoms, because you’re likely doing all that you can handle! Some resources to help if you think you may have SAD are linked below.
References
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/seasonal-affective-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20364651 Assessed and Endorsed by the MedReport Medical Review Board