Often, we think of the winter season as a time of enjoyment, just coming from the end of festivities like Diwali and Thanksgiving, and moving on to winter break and enjoying Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa, New Years Day, and many other fun celebrations. A time to enjoy the gentle descent of snowflakes as our landscape turns into a new shade of white. However, not everyone feels the same way whenever Old Man Winter approaches. In fact, some people feel a sense of lethargy and depression whenever this time of year comes. Why is this, and what can we do about this?
According to an article by the New York Times, people who often suffer a sense of lethargy and depression during the wintertime might be affected by a condition known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a type of depression that simultaneously occurs with the continuous changes of the seasons. Depending on where people live, it can affect up to ten percent of people living in the United States. It is a form of clinical depression, with symptoms that can start and stop in different months. These symptoms include near-constant and daily feelings of depression, loss of interest in activities and hobbies you typically enjoy, changes to your appetite or weight, sluggishness and fatigue, trouble falling asleep at night or oversleeping during the day, or even thoughts of death and suicide. These feelings typically start in late fall or early winter, with the most severe symptoms occurring in January and February, and typically end during the spring and summer times, although there is a summer variant of SAD. It is usually common among women living in northern regions in the United States like Alaska or New England, and sometimes also runs in families.
It is theorized that SAD is caused by a shift in the biological clock. The body normally produces melatonin at night to help the body to sleep. Melatonin decreases as the body prepares to wake up, ready for a fresh new day. However, those with SAD struggle with the melatonin decrease, sleeping in the morning, creating a cycle of a lack of sleep and an increase in negative feelings. It is also theorized that SAD is caused by the negative anticipation of shorter days.
However, there are some suggestions that people have on how to deal with seasonal depressions. Of course, first, consult a health professional before deciding to take action if you believe SAD applies to you. One solution that people have is bright light therapy, where after you wake up, you sit in front of a light therapy box, which mimics sunlight, for about thirty minutes when you wake up, to stimulate your body and get the right hormones in order to go through your day. Another suggestion is cognitive behavior therapy, where you try to rethink negative thoughts in a more positive way. Taking antidepressant medication as well as walking outdoors is also a strategy that people take in order to reduce SAD. Taking these steps can help reduce the negative effects of SAD whenever the winter time comes and find the right energy to go through your day.
