Seasonal Affective Disorder: Do You Do a Deep Dive into Depression as Winter moves in?

Have you noticed how your mood starts to shift downward into depression as the fall and winter approach? The more cold, dark, and gray the days become, the more you can feel a heaviness set in over your thoughts or in your body. At Evanston Counseling, we get that! If you see your moods shifting at this time, you may want to look into therapy for Seasonal Affective Disorder.

Sometimes, we can feel the same blues creeping in as the last quarter of the year approaches. What is Seasonal Affective Disorder all about and how does it differ from general depression?

Last year in this blog, we encouraged you to brave the cold to combat the heaviness that winter weather can bring. Hopefully, you found some fun things to do in Evanston during the holiday season to boost your mood. In that blog, we briefly mentioned Seasonal Affective Disorder. Let’s do a deep dive into this disorder that affects more than 3 million Americans every year. (You’re in good company!)

What is Seasonal Affective Disorder?

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a form of depression that occurs in late fall as winter arrives and usually ends as spring begins. You may find your thoughts, feelings, and daily life activities affected by the change in seasons. Johns Hopkins Medicine describes how SAD works:

It is thought that shorter days and less daylight may trigger a chemical change in the brain leading to symptoms of depression. 

With depression, we can’t just maneuver our will to unload the weightiness that this time of year causes us to feel. If you can relate to feeling this way, you may want to seek treatment. Our therapists at Evanston Counseling are here to work with you to devise strategies to befriend the depression and determine how to help you to feel better.

What are the causes of Seasonal Affective Disorder?

Doctors and therapists can’t answer this question with certainty since the exact cause is unknown. Yet this mayoclinic.com article identifies 3 key players:

• Your biological clock (your circadian rhythm)
• Serotonin levels
• Melatonin levels

Each of these factors is affected by the changes in the amount of daylight. Less sunlight may throw your biological clock off balance and cause a shift in your mood and behavior. Your body’s level of serotonin (a brain chemical or neurotransmitter) drops as the daylight decreases. This change might be the start of seasonal depression. Melatonin helps to regulate your sleep and mood. The variance in daily sunlight may alter the body’s melatonin levels. The downstream effect could be a change in your emotions.

You might be wondering about the signs indicating that you are troubled by Seasonal Affective Disorder. Is it depression or just the winter blues? Keep reading below.

Do I just have the winter blues or is it a more serious form of depression? Signs and symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder

You might have heard of the winter blues. SAD is different. Instead of feeling a little down from the cold weather restricting your outside activities, the shorter days and lower temps impact your entire life and activities.

Have you dreaded the start of winter and noticed how it shifted your mood? If so, take a look at the symptoms associated with SAD.

• Sadness, feeling depressed most of the day, almost every day.
• Anxiety.
• Carbohydrate cravings and weight gain.
• Extreme fatigue and lack of energy.
• Feelings of hopelessness or worthlessness.
• Trouble concentrating.
• Feeling irritated or agitated.
• Limbs (arms and legs) that feel heavy.
• Loss of interest in usually pleasurable activities, including withdrawing from social activities.
• Sleeping problems (usually oversleeping).
• Thoughts of death or suicide.

Have you experienced many of these symptoms?

You might start to see the signs begin in late fall or early winter. Rarely do people experience a type of Seasonal Affective Disorder triggered by the bright longer daylight hours of the beginning of summer. SAD affects more women than men. Doctors are not sure why this is true. Having a family history of SAD, bipolar disorder, or other mood disorders, you could be at a greater risk for developing SAD. If you live in cloudy regions or regions further from the equator, you might be more prone to developing SAD.

One bright light in the SAD darkness is that this form of depression is highly treatable.

What can you do if you have SAD?

If you jump into any of the social media sites or forums on Seasonal Affective Disorder, you’ll find recommendations on the best lamps to purchase or the “right” supplements to take.

Yet, the three most common ways of treating Seasonal Affective Disorder are cognitive behavioral therapy, phototherapy (light therapy), and medication.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy – At Evanston Counseling, we have found that cognitive behavioral therapy is effective in lowering the depression you may be feeling as the seasons change and winter sets in. Therapy can help to improve your relationships and the ways you manage stress associated with SAD. Contact us so that we can pair you with one of our therapists, someone who will walk through this season with you and hold your hand through the anticipation of the cold months ahead.

Sun exposure –  Your doctor may recommend that you increase your sun exposure. You could up the amount of time spent outside or sit near a window most of the day.

Light Therapy – Many people report relief from their SAD symptoms by sitting under lamps specifically designed to treat SAD. Your doctor will advise you on the number of hours of light exposure needed. This article offers helpful advice for choosing the best light source for phototherapy.

Northwestern University has found this form of therapy so important that its Wellness Suite has offered light therapy to students, faculty and staff for over seven years. This Northwestern Daily article describes research findings on light therapy like this

…white light therapy can reduce serotonin transporter binding in the brain, leaving more serotonin available to boost mood levels.

Medication – Antidepressants may help to shift any chemical imbalance contributing to your SAD symptoms. After a thorough mental health and medical check up, your physician may determine that antidepressants might help to lessen the effects of your symptoms. Our Evanston therapists work closely with psychiatrists who can prescribe medication to help take the edge off, while you work on cognitive behavioral therapy for the depression.

Takeaway – You don’t have to suffer through this dreary season of the year. Seek medical help to determine if the reduced daylight and cold weather are negatively impacting your mood. Check in with one of our therapists to get tools for managing your thoughts and anxiety this winter.

If you’re feeling stressed and depressed about getting through the cold months ahead, call us at (773) 983-8444 for a free, 15-minute phone conversation with one of our Evanston Therapists. We will listen and direct you to the right person to help you with the depression. Or you can schedule a time to chat with us here to learn  how  therapy for depression and Seasonal Affective Disorder can help you reclaim your life..

P.S. Last year about this time, we shared a post with you about how to handle holiday stress. As the end of December edges closer, you may want to take a look at this post to help you manage the end-of-the-year anxiety and find greater joy.