Cynthia L. DeWild, BASc, MA, CCC
Psychotherapist/Counsellor
Do you feel tired all the time? Are you oversleeping often? Are you irritable and not sure why? Are you avoiding social situations? Do you have difficulty concentrating? Has your energy decreased?
If you answered yes to any of the above questions, you may be suffering from seasonal affective disorder (SAD) often referred to as winter blues or winter depression. SAD is a mood disorder. People that experience SAD in the winter months usually experience normal mental health during the rest of the year.
Common symptoms of SAD include:
- tired all the time
- oversleeping but not feeling refreshed
- needing a nap in the afternoon
- can’t get out of bed in the morning
- uncontrollable food cravings
- unexpected change in weight
- irritable often and not sure why
- depressive thoughts
- feeling guilt, anxiety, despair, misery
- difficulty concentrating
- “fuzzy feeling” in the head
- lack of desire or enjoyment
- avoid company
- loss of libido
- loss of feeling
- feel unsociable
- energy level down
- too tired to cope
- everything feels like an effort
- joint pain
- stomach problems
- lowered resistance to infection
- change in routine
- absenteeism from work
Animals react to the changing seasons with changes in mood, metabolism and behaviour. Look at the bear – he hibernates. He doesn’t want to look for food when it is blistering cold outside and the snow is blowing so hard he can’t see 20 feet in front of his face. Don’t most of us feel like hibernating at times? We want to crawl into bed, cover our heads with the covers, and stay there till spring. Many people find they eat and sleep slightly more in winter months and dislike the dark mornings and short days. However for some, changes in their mood, behaviours, and eating patterns are severe enough to disrupt their lives and to cause considerable distress.
So what do researchers say is the cause of “winter blues”?
Researchers say the changes stem from the lack of bright light in the winter months. It has been shown that bright light influences brain chemistry. Researchers aren’t sure why some people suffer and others don’t. What they do know is that our nerve centres, found in our brain, control our daily rhythms and moods. These nerve centres are stimulated by the amount of light entering our eyes. For example, as night falls and less light enters our eyes, our pineal glands start to produce a hormone called melatonin. Melatonin’s job is to tell our body to slow down and get ready to rest. So…on dull wintery days when the sun is hiding behind the snow clouds, our body continues to produce melatonin preventing us from waking up. Researchers have also linked the hormone serotonin aka “the feel good drug” to light. Therefore in the winter months with minimal exposure to light, the “feel good drug” is produced in small quantities and depression like symptoms are experienced.
Since we can’t shorten our winters, what can we do to make ourselves feel better?
Ideas to help feel better:
- live in rooms full of light;
- put in full spectrum light bulbs;
- eat a diet high in protein and low in carbohydrates;
- moderate alcohol consumption;
- eat regular meals;
- regular physical exercise during the day, not before bed; preferably outdoors in the morning hours (especially on sunny days);
- listen to music;
- go to bed at a regular hour most nights;
- make sure your sleep environment is comfortable;
- avoid caffeine, stimulants, or alcohol after 3 pm;
- avoid napping during the day;
- relax for an hour before bed;
- try to rise at a similar time each morning feeling rested or not;
- take a warm bath at bedtime;
- fight insomnia with gentle rocking or sound of water running;
- a counselor will help you change the negative thoughts and behaviours that are associated with the winter blues. Psychotherapy has been shown to have lasting positive effects and prevent a relapse of SAD symptoms the next winter;
Lastly, speak to your healthcare provider about other alternatives. Carefully timed supplementation can help beat the winter blues.
Suggested reading:
WINTER BLUES By: NORMAN ROSENTHAL, E.