Winter Depression and Seasonal Affective Disorder

Have you ever experienced winter depression? Winter depression is the common term for Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD. The two terms, however, aren’t necessarily synonymous. Seasonal Affective Disorder can occur any time of year, especially during the changing of the seasons, while winter depression, as the name implies, is associated with the winter months. When you really think about it, it’s no wonder so many people suffer from winter depression. In the autumn, there’s usually a lot going on – fall festivals, football games, county fairs, Halloween, and Thanksgiving. Also, the weather in much of the United States is glorious in the fall, with bright blue skies and colorful leaves. December is usually exciting, too, with all the activities and festivities surrounding Christmas and New Year’s. Once those are over, however, we have to face January and February, and lots of folks find themselves fighting depression. All the buzz of the autumn holidays and Christmas has died down, and it seems like spring is years away. I don’t about where you live, but the weather in the southern U.S. is terrible in January and February. We don’t normally get snow – we get rain, clouds, and cold weather that might last for weeks. Actually, I’m sometimes surprised that more people don’t suffer from winter depression.

Winter depression and season affective disorder are both types of major depression. Even people who don’t usually suffer from depression throughout the rest of the year might be affected by winter depression during the months of winter, or by seasonal affective disorder during other seasons or when the seasons change. Someone suffering from these types of major depression experience the same symptoms year after year, during the same season.

Humans and animals have been experiencing some sort of winter depression for eons, although it wasn’t given a name or even studied until just a few decades ago. In the winter, the weather is colder, there’s less sunlight, and there’s less food for animals. Before modern farming methods and grocery stores, winter meant less food for man, too. Metabolic rates decreased as a defense mechanism to conserve calories. Some animals hibernate through the winter in order to expend fewer precious calories and to address the problems associated with winter survival.

To illustrate this more fully, I'll share some information I got from a local prison guard who is one of my ex-students. He told me they keep the temperature and the lights in the prison cells low all year, as it makes the prisoners less active. It makes them sleep a lot, according to my source. I suppose napping prisoners are easier to handle.

This type of depression wasn't actually given a name until 1984, when Dr. Norman Rosenthal applied the name "seasonal affective disorder." He and other doctors and scientists were themselves affected by the "winter blues," so they set about to study the causes and effects.

Winter depression symptoms – seasonal affective disorder symptoms

Specific winter depression symptoms and Seasonal Affective Disorder symptoms can be very different, depending on the season and on the individual. For example, many people with winter depression become less active during the winter months, and they might feel an almost constant fatigue. They might tend to sleep more, find it difficult to get motivated, and have problems focusing their attention. They might also overeat regularly, have an increased desire for alcohol, experience bouts of nausea, and lose interest in sex. Winter depression symptoms might also include feelings of despair and isolation from family and friends. Activities that are normally enjoyed might not be pleasurable any longer.

Seasonal affective disorder symptoms for those suffering from major depression in the warmer months of the year can be very different from winter depression symptoms. They might include hyperactivity, restlessness, and anxiety. Other seasonal affective disorder symptoms for spring and fall could include irritability and loss of appetite. Some victims might find sleeping difficult, and they might also experience a heightened sex drive and be more argumentative.

Winter depression symptoms and Seasonal Affective Disorder symptoms can both include a diminished feeling of self-worth and thoughts of suicide. This is a serious condition, a form of major depression, and it should be taken seriously.

In the northern states of the U.S., as many as one in five people might experience a mild form of winter depression, while major depression associated with seasonal affective disorder affects about 6% of the population of the U.S. Most of these people are much more affected by winter depression than they are by depression in the summer and spring months. Also, women are more often affected than men. It can, however, affect men, women, and even children.

Winter depression treatments – fighting depression with light therapy

There are several winter depression treatments that might prove effective in fighting depression. One of the most common is light therapy. How are light therapy and winter depression related? The way we feel emotionally is affected by both external and internal causes. You can feel sad because of something external, like having a fight with your spouse or being passed over for a promotion at work. These feelings are usually temporary, and it’s easy to understand how they affect your mood. But have you ever felt sad or depressed for no apparent reason?

Our moods can be influenced by internal causes, too, especially by chemicals that function as hormones and neurotransmitters. Our bodies function, in part, according to circadian rhythm and two chemicals – serotonin and melatonin. When the sun rises each morning, serotonin levels begin to increase, causing us to wake up and become alert and active. When we’re exposed to bright light, serotonin increases even more. Serotonin also elevates our mood, and in fact, it’s often called the “feel good” chemical. With the fading sun, serotonin decreases and melatonin levels increase, making us feel drowsy. At daybreak, melatonin decreases, completing the cycle. This is a simple explanation of the 24-hour circadian rhythm of humans, which partially explains seasonal depression.

To keep your circadian rhythm working properly, you need a certain amount of sunlight. I’ve experienced this firsthand. I often suffer from insomnia in the fall, winter, and spring, but in summer, I don’t normally have any problem sleeping at night. I’m convinced that this is due to my circadian rhythm working correctly in the summer. Why? In the summer, I spend a lot of time in my swimming pool, and I get a lot of sunlight. The sun elevates my mood during the day and helps me to sleep better at night. Obviously, in the cold months, most of us don’t get nearly as much sunlight, which is a major reason for winter depression. Light therapy can solve the problem of winter depression, and it can often do so relatively quickly.

Many physicians believe that just a few minutes of light therapy a day can have a profound impact on winter depression. Even if it’s too cold to go outdoors, try to bring as much sunlight into your home as possible. Open the drapes, lift the blinds, and spend some time sitting next to a window that has sun exposure. Some doctors suggest that even turning on more indoor lights and lamps will help.

Another form of light therapy can be induced by a light box. A light box typically contains soft white fluorescent tube bulbs that provide at least 10,000 lux. If you choose a light box with a UV filter, your skin and eyes will be protected.

Another form of light therapy that’s used in winter depression treatments is a dawn simulator. Most dawn simulators use full spectrum lights to mimic a natural sunrise. Typical dawn simulators are programmable and can be used as alarm clocks – with or without an audible alarm. They’re a good way to trigger your serotonin to increase, while signaling your melatonin levels to decrease.

Winter depression treatments – seasonal affective disorder treatment: antidepressants

Other winter depression treatments and seasonal affective disorder treatment might include antidepressants, including SSRI medications, or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. These drugs make more of the serotonin produced naturally by your body to be available for binding to nerve receptors. SSRIs are commonly used to treat several types of major depression, along with panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, and some eating disorders.

If you have winter depression or seasonal affective disorder, please try light therapy for fighting depression before you turn to prescription drugs. I’ve been taking an SSNRI for several years to help with nerve pain, and I’m totally addicted. If I miss a single dose, I absolutely cannot function – my brain just doesn’t work. I don’t think these drugs are something you can go on and off of at will, so I think it would be hard to take them for only a couple of months during the year and then not take them for the rest of the year. If you’re experiencing winter depression or seasonal affective disorder, try getting some fresh air, some exercise, and some sunlight every day before you ask your health care provider for an antidepressant.