Is It the Winter Blues, or Something More?
When I was little, I remember always ecstatically telling people my favorite season was winter. Think back for a moment; remember the excitement of seeing those first few flakes fall? How that usually would mean getting that random day off from school, being able to drink hot coco, go sledding, have a snowball fight… So many magical things as a kid! What's not to love? Now, as an adult, with the reality of having to shovel a driveway looming over my shoulder, I can confidently say spring is my favorite season.
The impending dread of shoveling is not the only hardship that comes around during the colder months. With the shorter days, and longer nights, the cold winds that not enough jackets in the world could prevent you from feeling, we all experience a shift in mood one way or another. Some people, however, experience something more than a slight annoyance; some people experience a lingering sadness that they can’t quite seem to shake off. This lingering sadness may be more than missing-the-summer-blues, it may in fact be Seasonal Affective Disorder.
Seasonal Affective Disorder, often referred to as SAD, is a form of depression that occurs for individuals around the same time every year when the seasons shift to being darker, and colder. People who have SAD may experience things like feelings of sadness, loss of interest in things that typically bring them joy, low energy, and overeating or over sleeping. An important distinction to note about this form of depression is that it is not caused by something else, like a difficult life event, or personal hardship, it is purely caused by the shift in seasons.
According to the American Psychiatric Association, Seasonal Affective Disorder affects about five percent of the population; however this statistic can vary depending on where you are in the United States, going as high as ten percent in certain areas. When you think about it, it makes sense right? Here in New Jersey, we are lucky (and maybe a little unlucky depending on who you ask) to experience the broad range of seasons in their entirety. Such a dramatic shift from the warmth and sunshine of summer, to the frigid dark of winter is not something everyone experiences all across the country. If you were to say, talk to someone from Southern California, about their experience of winter, they may lament that a 50 degree day is cold… Yes, someone I know who lives in Cali said that to me, and no, I am not over it.
Differences in climate (and opinion on what cold actually means) aside, Seasonal Affective Disorder can really negatively impact a person’s quality of life. Question is: what can be done about it? First off, it is always important to consult a healthcare provider about symptoms first, to ensure that the symptoms you are experiencing can not be explained by another issue. One treatment that is specific to SAD is something called light therapy, which basically is using a light to artificially simulate sunshine. This kind of light can be either experienced at home via a purchasable light box, or at a business that provides a higher tech version you can sit in. Like most things, there are some unlikely, but possible risks with this kind of treatment, so talk to your doctor first if you have any concerns!
When thinking about possible treatments, it is also important to recognize SAD for what it is: a form of depression. Attending counseling has been found to be a very effective tool for addressing depression. Medication can be an additional helpful tool that addresses the chemical imbalance that can come with depression. In addition to light therapy, counseling, and medication, some “things you can do for yourself” as John Hopkins University calls them includes exercising regularly, eating healthy, engaging in activities you typically enjoy, and staying connected with friends and family.
Keeping a consistent schedule that emphasizes physical health, leaning on your social supports, and utilizing an effective tool like counseling could help alleviate the heaviness that SAD brings. These tools can’t change the weather, and can’t remove the fact that you might have to shovel snow, but they may just bring back a bit of that childhood enjoyment of the colder months.
