The winter holiday season often brings sentiments of joy and togetherness; however, shorter, darker days can also trigger mood changes for many. As the sun sets earlier during the fall and winter months, some may experience symptoms of seasonal affective disorder (SAD)—a type of depression related to changing seasons.
Have you ever felt like the seasonal change – you know, the one that swaps sun-kissed afternoons for cozy nights by the fire – actually drains your energy and hijacks your mood? That’s Seasonal Affective Disorder in a nutshell.
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is characterized by depressive episodes that occur at the same time every year, most commonly manifesting during the fall and winter months. According to the American Psychiatric Association, approximately 5% of U.S. adults suffer from winter-pattern SAD, which can cause:
- Loss of energy/increased fatigue
- Difficulty concentrating
- Lack of interest in normal activities
- Increased appetite/weight gain
- Oversleeping
- Feelings of hopelessness or sadness
While the exact causes remain unclear, shorter daylight hours during winter limit exposure to mood-boosting sunlight and disrupt the body’s internal circadian rhythms. Mental health experts classify SAD as a form of major depression and encourage seeking treatment, as symptoms tend to worsen without intervention.
Reducing Seasonal Depression – Treatment Options
If enjoying crisp winter days or the holidays seems out of mental grasp, individuals should consider exploring treatment options. Seasonal affective disorder responds well to both therapy and medications. Treating seasonal affective disorder often involves a combination of strategies.
- Light Therapy – Exposure to artificial sunlight via specialized light boxes helps compensate for the shortage of natural light exposure. Most daily use in fall/winter helps boost mood.
- Vitamin D Supplements – Low Vitamin D levels are associated with depressive symptoms. Most physicians recommend daily supplements.
- Counseling – Talk therapy aids in managing SAD by identifying unhealthy thought patterns and developing healthy coping strategies.
- Antidepressants – If symptoms persist despite therapy/light exposure, physicians may prescribe antidepressants, typically cleared out of one’s system by summer.
While temptation looms to hibernate until spring arrives, maintaining social connections and staying active also helps lessen seasonal depression’s toll.
Community Support Makes a Difference
Beyond pinpointing physiological causes of seasonal sadness, darker short days limit opportunities to enjoy sunshine, socialize outdoors, or remain active – all pivotal for mental health. Finding motivation to exercise or maintain social ties grows more challenging amidst winter doldrums.
However, community support makes all the difference in managing seasonal depression. Consider joining a local fitness class, volunteering through the holidays, scheduling outdoor meetups when possible, organizing engrossing at-home activities with friends and family, or joining a SAD support group.
While the prospect of extra self-care or social planning feels daunting when already low, building a go-to list of mood-boosting activities to replace canceled plans due to cold weather will help circumvent the urge to isolate. Maintaining community connections remains essential to emerge renewed when warmer weather returns.
It’s okay to admit when you’re struggling – and Orion Homes is okay with that, too; the facility’s doors are open to anyone fighting to find their footing during the darker months. Their experienced clinical team helps craft personalized treatment plans catered to one’s unique needs and challenges.
More details on their behavioral health residential services can be found at www.orion-homes.com. Difficult seasons come and go, but with a supportive network and clinically tested approaches, people can empower themselves to break through.