Winter Blues: Combating seasonal sadness as the light fades

Millions of people around the world experience the winter blues. The long, sunny days of summer are over, and you suddenly struggle to get out of bed and find the energy to get through the shorter, darker days of late fall and winter. For some people, though, their depression goes beyond a short-lived feeling of sadness and lingers through the entire winter season. Seasonal affective disorder, often shortened to SAD, is a real affliction that can be severe enough to interfere with daily life. The good news is there are proven actions you can take to help beat these winter blues. 

What is SAD?

Seasonal affective disorder is a type of clinical depression associated with cyclical changes in light. Lack of exposure to sunlight is the main trigger for SAD symptoms, resulting in hormone and brain chemistry fluctuations that affect your internal biological clock. Serotonin, a neurotransmitter that carries messages between nerve cells and acts as a mood regulator, is particularly affected by light. Likewise, melatonin levels in the brain drop off with decreased amounts of daylight, potentially impacting sleep and mood. 

SAD symptoms usually appear and peak during the winter months, especially in climates that are far from the equator with fewer hours of daylight. As spring and summer approach, these symptoms disappear. SAD can cause:

• Depressed mood and feelings of sadness
• Fatigue and lack of energy
• Irritability
• Oversleeping or insomnia
• Weight gain
• Decreased sexual desire
• Social withdrawal
• Difficulty concentrating

Who is most at risk for experiencing SAD?

Adolescents and women seem to experience SAD at a higher rate than other groups, but others may suffer, too. Up to 25 percent of the total world population have from a mild version of SAD, with five percent tormented by a more debilitating version. While the causes of SAD are not entirely understood, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) believes these factors increase a person’s risk of developing it:

• Being female. SAD is diagnosed four times more often in women than men. The female sex hormones estrogen and progesterone also may be involved, especially in the years between puberty and menopause.
• Living far from the equator. SAD is more common in people who live far north or south of the equator. One study found that less than one percent of Floridians suffer from SAD, but up to 10 percent of Alaskans and New Englanders are afflicted. 
• Family history. People with a family history of other types of depression are more likely to develop SAD.

How is SAD diagnosed?

Your doctor can diagnose SAD by understanding your symptoms and medical history. In general, SAD may be diagnosed if:

• You have had annual symptoms for at least 2 years.
• You have not experienced other major depression during non-winter months.
• You have complete symptom relief during the summer months.

What can you do to beat the winter blues?

Fortunately, there are several ways to help combat the winter blues. Those with milder cases of SAD may be able to find relief on their own, while people with more severe cases may need to seek professional help. These treatment options, alone or in combination, can help you feel better and improve your outlook on life. 

Exposure to Sunlight

A 30-minute walk in the sun each morning is sometimes all that is needed to up your brain’s production of serotonin and ward off SAD symptoms. Likewise, sitting near a window can help provide enough sunlight to get an extra boost of energy.

Light Therapy

If sunlight exposure is hard to come by, light therapy is another good alternative. It involves sitting close to an ultra-bright light that simulates the sun for about 30 minutes each morning. Your eyes remain open, so you are able to read or work while getting the benefits of the light. In fact, there is evidence that light therapy works as well as antidepressant medication for some people. Light therapy boxes are readily available online or through a physician. 

Physical Activity

Studies show that daily physical activity plays an important role in regulating mood. In addition to improving overall health, exercise is key to combatting feelings of sadness during the long winter months. This doesn’t mean you have to train for a marathon—even a short walk each day will help elevate and regulate how you feel. 

Antidepressant Medications

If light exposure and exercise are not helping enough, or if your depression is severe, your doctor may prescribe an antidepressant medication. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) increase the levels of serotonin in the brain and are widely used for clinical depression, including relief of persistent SAD symptoms.

Psychotherapy

Cognitive behavioral therapy is used to change your patterns of thinking and to help relieve stress. Learning to recognize your body’s reaction to certain situations, like feelings of sadness as winter approaches, allows you to alter your thinking pattern and decrease the symptoms of SAD. You can be proactive in increasing your exposure to light, starting a daily exercise program, or discuss medicinal or therapeutic treatments with your doctor.