Are you a happy-go-lucky kind of person for most the year—and then WHAM! Your mood takes a major hit and plummets at the first signs of fall or winter? Some people call it the winter blues, but like other types of depression, seasonal affective disorder (SAD) can be serious and debilitating for those who suffer from it.
Not everyone is affected by SAD the same way, but general symptoms include:
- Sad, anxious or “empty” feelings
- Feelings of hopelessness and/or pessimism
- Feelings of guilt, worthlessness or helplessness
- Irritability, restlessness
- Loss of interest or pleasure in activities you used to enjoy
- Fatigue and decreased energy
- Difficulty concentrating, remembering details and making decisions
- Difficulty sleeping or oversleeping
- Changes in weight
- Thoughts of death or suicide
I’ve suffered with SAD as long as I can remember. I often joke with my friends that if I could just hibernate like the bears till spring, I would be so much better. For me, just being mindful of the disorder and understanding why I feel the way I do during the winter has helped me control my feelings of depression to a large extent.
Additionally, I’ve learned to allow myself to just give-in and get the extra sleep my body craves as winter creeps closer. An early 8pm bedtime is not unusual for me in the least during this time of year.
I also learned to pamper myself. In the winter, I come in from work and taking a steaming hot bath, then put on my warmest, snuggliest pair of P.J.s and curl up on the couch with a blanket and hot cocoa. My friends and family became accepting of the fact that I was just not going to be near as social during the winter months as they knew me to be in the spring and summer. And it’s ok.
But I know for others the depression can go much deeper and their need for treatment can be more urgent. Aside from seeking antidepressant pharmaceuticals from your doctor, there are other ways — without side effects — to boost your mood and alleviate some SAD symptoms.
Light therapy
Light therapy involves exposure to artificial light that mimics the natural outdoor light that is sorely lacking during the winter months.
The devices are called light boxes and are made by a number of manufacturers. They can range in price from around $40 on up. Some light boxes use white light, while others use blue light. There is more research supporting the use of bright white light than blue light to help with SAD symptoms.
If you decide to try light therapy, it’s important to look for a light box designed to filter out most UV light.
The effectiveness of light therapy depends on daily use. You’d want to situate your light box in an area where you can be within two feet of it for at least 30 minutes each day, preferably in the morning. If you have an office job, you could consider keeping it on your desk and using it for the first half hour you work. At home maybe you’d prefer to put in on a coffee table or side table while you read a book.
Get plenty of vitamin D
Did you know scientists believe there is a link between vitamin D, the sunshine vitamin, and depression? It makes perfect sense when you consider the amount of natural vitamin D you get from sun changes with the seasons.
An Oregon study showed that young adult women with lower levels of vitamin D had greater incidences of depression over the course of a five-week study. The researchers concluded that some women could simply get more vitamin D and prevent depressive mood states.
The National Institutes of Health‘s recommended dietary allowance for vitamin D is 600 IUs a day. But most alterative health practitioners will tell you that is woefully not enough, and that 4,000 IUs will do you better.
Eat mood-boosting foods
One 2013 study, published in the British Journal of Health Psychology, examined the relationship between diet and mood in 281 young adults. In this study, participants who ate more fruits and vegetables felt calmer, happier and more energetic.
Junk and processed food can have the opposite effect. They stimulate short-term reward centers in the central nervous system. But over time, they can lead to dependency and mood imbalances, along with all-too-common long-term health consequences.
For a list of mood-boosting foods from Dr. Isaac Eliaz, click here.
Consider mood-boosting supplements and exercise
Dr. Michael Cutler recommends:
- Exercise and yoga. Exercise can work wonders against depressive symptoms. A study at the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, shows that exercise can drag people out of major depression.
- Taking Hypericum extract (St. John’s wort) at 300mg three times daily.
- Taking fenugreek to enhance the effects of St John’s Wort.
- Supplementing with L-Tryptophan 1,500 mg to 3,000 mg twice daily between meals.
- Taking 5-HTP (hydroxyl tryptophane): 100-250 mg twice daily.
- Taking SAMe (S-adenosyl methionine) 400 to 800 mg twice daily, starting at low dose.
Talk about how you feel
There’s absolutely no shame in letting your friends and family, even coworkers know how you feel. A strong support system is very important and an understanding ear can go a long way in making you feel better. And remember — spring will return.
