As the seasons change from the glorious fall colors to the drabness of winter, many of us face emotional challenges.. The question is whether these emotional challenges result from a temporary effect known as the “winter blues” or from a more serious mental health condition known as seasonal depression.
The following paragraphs briefly describe each of these conditions to foster an understanding of the differences and when it may be best to seek professional help.
The Winter Blues
The Winter Blues is a popular term for feelings of sadness, low energy, and withdrawal from some social activities. Winter Blues is often associated with the reduced sunlight hours and colder temperatures that geographic regions experience during the winter months. When the Winter Blues strikes, you may find that you want to stay indoors more, rather than feel compelled to explore outdoor activities compared to the outdoor activities you craved in summer. You are still able to enjoy life’s favorite activities during episodes of Winter Blues, however, and after a while, you regain the desire to socialize with your wider social circle. Most importantly, during Winter Blues, you find it easy to maintain the functions of everyday life.
The symptoms of Winter Blues are:
- Lethargy
- Low Energy
- Sadness
These symptoms are not long-lasting and often resolve themselves as the season progresses.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) A more debilitating mental health concern results from seasonal depression, also known as Seasonal Affective Disorder. You will see this discussed more commonly by its acronym, SAD.
SAD earned its classification as a seasonal disorder because it often asserts itself with the onset of fall and winter and lasts until spring/summer. Researchers are still trying to determine the exact cause of seasonal depression. The most common form is winter-pattern SAD that starts in the fall into the winter months and ends in the spring/summer season. Most of the research into SAD has been done on this pattern. Summer-pattern SAD also exists, but less research has been done on this version.
In contrast to the Winter Blues, SAD is not a temporary condition. SAD has long-lasting impacts. SAD symptoms impact the ability to conduct the functions and activities of daily living.
SAD is a crippling form of depression, combined with the following changes that can last for months:
- Mood changes, such as feeling sad or empty, hopeless or worthless
- Difficulty staying on task, making decisions, or experiencing memory lapses
- Low energy level, general fatigue
- Loss of interest in daily activities of living, such as bathing, dressing, and personal hygiene
- Variation in sleep habits, such as oversleeping
- Modifications to eating habits, such as craving carbohydrates
- Weight gain
- Social withdrawal from friends and loved ones
- Loss of interest in favorite activities loved before SAD
One theory indicates that the reduction in winter-pattern sunlight as the days get shorter upsets the body’s circadian rhythm (the human body’s biological clock). In addition, the shorter periods of sunlight reduce the brain’s level of serotonin. Serotonin is a chemical that carries messages in the brain and impacts mood. Sunlight influences the molecules that maintain serotonin levels. Less sunlight means the molecules do not act appropriately, causing lower levels of serotonin.
In other studies, less sunlight also increases the amount of the hormone melatonin in the body. Melatonin helps regulate each person’s sleep-awake cycle. If there is too much melatonin, the body wants to oversleep. On the other hand, summer-pattern SAD sufferers may experience reduced melatonin levels in the brain, as well as hotter nighttime temperatures and longer daylight hours, all negatively impacting sleep patterns. As mentioned above, summer-pattern SAD needs more research.
Still other research indicates that the reduction in sunlight in winter-pattern SAD lowers the body’s Vitamin D levels. Vitamin D deficiency produces serious impacts on the human body. In addition to hair loss, fatigue, and infections, Vitamin D deficiency can also contribute to lower serotonin levels, leading to depression.
Who Does SAD Impact the Most?
A family history of depression may increase the likelihood of SAD episodes. Women, young adults, and people who live far from the equator (and therefore feel the most reduction in sunlight) are also at increased risk for SAD.
Both the changes in serotonin levels and melatonin levels disrupt the body’s normal daily rhythms of the night-day cycle. When those normal daily rhythms are disrupted, the body can no longer adjust itself to the seasonal changes in sunlight or the length of the day. The disruption causes sleep, mood, and behavior changes the mental health community refers to as SAD. SAD sufferers should not face the impacts alone. They need winter depression help from mental health professionals.
Consult with a Mental Health Provider
If you suspect that you or a family member suffers from symptoms of SAD, consult with a mental health provider. An experienced mental health specialist can provide you with a diagnosis specific to your situation. You and your mental health provider can work together to develop a treatment plan that will help you cope with the symptoms of SAD.
Therapists may choose from several treatment options that are available. The options may be used as stand-alone treatments or as a combination of one or more of the options. Some of the common treatment options include:
· Talk Therapy – Talk therapy is another name for psychotherapy. Talking to a mental health therapist may be enough alone to help alleviate SAD symptoms, or your therapist may combine talk therapy with one of the other treatment options.
· Medication – Your health care provider may help by prescribing antidepressants. Not all patients will benefit from pharmaceutical medications. Patients need to understand that antidepressants take time to work, usually 4-8 weeks. Medications often improve sleep, appetite, and concentration before they help to lift the patient’s mood. Sometimes doctors will recommend serotonin reuptake inhibitors to treat symptoms, such as mood elevation. In addition, a drug called bupropion was approved to prevent recurring seasonal depressive disorder during the winter-pattern season. Your therapist will guide you as to your needs and discuss side effects and warnings with you..
· Light Therapy – A daily light box can help increase your exposure to light by using an artificial light source.
· Changes in Lifestyle – Some SAD sufferers find that exercising more, spending more time outside in the natural light, and practicing activities that reduce stress may help lessen SAD symptoms.
· Vitamin D supplements – If Vitamin D deficiency is a factor in SAD symptoms, a health provider may recommend Vitamin D supplements.
When faced with any kind of stressful situation, self-care is an important component to feeling better. Self-care includes getting enough exercise, eating healthy meals, and getting enough rest every day.
More about Light Therapy
Light therapy treatment requires the SAD sufferer to sit every day for 35-45 minutes in front of a light box emitting high-intensity light (10,000 lumens per square meter). Generally, light therapy takes place in the morning from fall to spring. Dangerous UV light is filtered out of the light box rays, so the rays are not harmful to patients. CAVEAT: People with eye diseases or sensitivity to sunlight may not be able to use light therapy. Your health care provider will let you know if this prohibition applies to you.
More about Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy, talk therapy, or counseling teaches patients with SAD to think in new ways and to change both behavior and habits that often contribute to depression. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) has been adapted for people with SAD into two weekly group sessions over a period of six weeks. The group therapy sessions focus the participants on replacing negative thoughts about the winter-pattern season with positive thoughts and pleasant activities, either indoors or outdoors. The emphasis on behavioral modifications helps dispel the feeling of loss occasioned by the end of fall/summer activities.
Choosing the Best Therapist for You
Refinery Counseling Services, LLC, offers a wide variety of talk therapy sessions that are designed to reflect your personal needs and goals. Contact us today to schedule a consultation with one of our experienced, licensed therapists. Your therapist will review your situation and recommend a personal treatment plan for you. The discussion will determine whether you would benefit more from group sessions or individual counseling. In group sessions, participants are free to share their experiences about their issues and learn from each other and support each other on their mental health journey. In contrast, individual counseling focuses on your individual needs. During the initial consultation, we encourage you to ask questions about the practice, the therapist’s educational level, and their clinical experience. We want you to feel comfortable not only with the firm’s scheduling procedures and fees. We want you to feel comfortable in the safe space we provide for you to discuss your sensitive thoughts and feelings.
Our therapists stand ready to support you in your mental health journey. Our mission is to provide the compassionate care and community engagement you need. Every person can grow and experience healing. We promise to provide the necessary support and resources needed for you to achieve your goals.
