Winter Depression

By Andrea Bird, Counseling Care Center, Beloit Health System

Beloit Health System’s Counseling Care Center has experts who can help you with depression and other mental health concerns.

Have you noticed that you seem to want to sleep and eat more when the winter months arrive? Does your mood change and you feel sad more often as the daylight hours become shorter? These symptoms may be a sign of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). SAD is a mood disorder associated with depression that is related to the seasonal variations of daylight. Inadequate bright light in the winter months has been shown to alter the chemicals in the brain. SAD affects a half of a million people every winter and peaks in December, January, and February. Symptoms usually build up slowly in the late autumn and winter months and subside in the spring and summer months. The most common age of onset of SAD is between 18 and 30 years old and it is more common in women than men.

Symptoms of SAD may include:

• Hopelessness, despair, or apathy

• Irritability and difficulty concentrating

• Increased appetite with cravings for starchy or sweet foods resulting in weight gain

• Lethargy: feelings of fatigue and the inability to carry out a normal routine

• Increased desire to oversleep or difficulty staying awake

• Loss of interest in work or other activities

• Social withdrawal

• Sexual problems: loss of libido and decreased interest in physical contact

There are some steps that you can take to try to manage your symptoms at home:

• Get enough sleep.

• Eat a healthy diet.

• Participate in a regular exercise routine.

• Participate in activities that make you happy. Volunteer.

• Practice good sleep habits.

• Avoid alcohol and illegal drugs. These can make depression worse over time.

• Talk about your feelings to someone you trust.

If you need additional help, discuss your symptoms thoroughly with your family doctor and/or mental health professional. Some treatment options may include:

• Phototherapy or bright light therapy has been shown to be effective in up to 85 percent of diagnosed cases. Light boxes are generally used for 30 minutes or longer each morning, with bright light shining indirectly toward your eyes. People can carry on normal activities such as eating or reading while undergoing light therapy.

• For mild symptoms, spending time outdoors during the day or arranging homes and workplaces to receive more sunlight may be helpful. One study found that an hour long walk in winter sunlight was as effective as two and a half hours under bright artificial light.

• If phototherapy does not work, an antidepressant drug may prove effective in reducing or eliminating SAD symptoms. As with other mood disorders, psychological counseling (psychotherapy) tends to improve the effectiveness of medical treatment and therefore should be included in the plan.

Seasonal Affective Disorder may be an explanation for the changes in mood and energy that you notice as winter settles in. Take steps to keep yourself physically and mentally healthy. Consult your doctor if you feel the need for help with your symptoms. To seek help from a counselor in Counseling Care Services at Beloit Health System, please call 608-364-5686.