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Live Well: Coping as Seasons Change
October 25, 2024
Seasonal depression is commonly associated with the arrival of winter and shorter periods of daylight. This is sometimes referred to as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
While it's common to feel a little blue during the winter, for some individuals the arrival of winter leads to a high level of emotional distress. If you have difficulty engaging in normal work and social activities each winter, you may be suffering from SAD.
In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5-TR), this disorder is identified as a type of depression: “major depressive disorder with seasonal pattern.” In order to receive a diagnosis, you must have episodes of depression that begin and then subside during the same time each year for at least two consecutive years. The most difficult months for people with seasonal depression are January and February, although in some cases, symptoms worsen in the spring.
Signs of seasonal depression
People with SAD usually experience several of the following symptoms each winter:
- feelings of sadness or depression
- social withdrawal and a sense of isolation
- increased appetite, overeating, and weight gain
- hopelessness
- lack of interest in activities that they normally find pleasurable
- irritability
- lethargy and low energy
- oversleep or insomnia
- excessive guilt
- suicidal thoughts (if depression gets worse when symptoms are not treated)
Talk to your health care provider if you have these symptoms, to rule out other causes. You may find help through mind-body support such as yoga, acupuncture, massage, and meditation. Some people respond to treatment aimed at compensating for the reduction of daylight, such as supplementing vitamin D or light therapy, or even just spending time outdoors every day.
Recognizing that you may deal with SAD each year may help you to adopt routines in advance to avoid feeling low. This might include a regular exercise routine and spending time outdoors, better sleep habits, tweaking your diet to eat healthier foods, and planning ahead for regular dates with friends to keep you out and about. The more coping tactics you have in place before the seasons start to change, the better you will deal with the onset of SAD.