Do You Have The Winter Blues?

By Jan Howard

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a form of depression, may affect over 10 million Americans, while the milder “Winter Blues” may affect a larger number of individuals.

While most people enjoy the change in seasons in the northeast and anticipate the holiday season, there are others who have a difficult time adjusting to the colder months because of the shorter days and decreased sunlight.

Amy Singer, MSW, LCSW, a staff therapist at the Family Counseling Center of Newtown, discussed typical symptoms of the disorder and how it can be treated during a workshop session January 16 at the C.H. Booth Library.

“A doctor from South Africa noticed a change in how he reacted to the change of seasons when he came here,” Ms Singer said. After noticing a seasonal pattern in his own mood when he moved to New York, Dr Norman E. Rosenthal, a chief in the psychobiology department at the National Institute of Mental Health, conducted research into the anti-depressive effects of light on human beings.

“Most mammals slow down or hibernate in the cold months,” Ms Singer said. “It’s time to crawl into bed when it’s dark. We’re fighting this. Our life styles don’t follow that pattern anymore.”

“It’s a pretty strong message the body is giving you to stop,” she noted. “In New England, though, we have to keep going, going, going. If you stop and read for an afternoon, you feel like you’re lazy. You think you should go on and on.”

SAD is characterized by periods of depression, beginning in October and subsiding in April. Typical symptoms of SAD are similar to those of other forms of depression. These may include increased irritability, disturbed sleep patterns, a lack of energy and motivation, fatigue, inability to concentrate, craving carbohydrates, weight gain, anxiety or despair, increased appetite, feeling overwhelmed, and a general feeling of being sad. These symptoms are specifically worse during winter months and usually subside when daylight hours grow longer in the spring.

There can be feelings of isolation, frustration, and hopelessness. “You can believe in your own helplessness,” Ms Singer said.

“If a person has a huge number of these symptoms, it can affect their day-to-day life,” she said. “If a psychiatrist diagnoses SAD, the person would be experiencing these symptoms for more than one year.” Prior to diagnosis, a psychiatrist would first rule out other circumstances that might cause depression, such as the loss of a loved one or a family history of depression, she added.

Ms Singer suggested people should be kind to themselves. “Give yourself permission to take it a little easier in winter,” she said.

Years ago people stayed inside in the winter, she said. “It gave them more time for sharing, more time to do personal things. There was time to do that.

“We don’t give ourselves time for that now. There are parts of us that want to create, so our body sometimes rebels,” she said.

The holiday season sets the stage for seasonal depression, she said. “The holiday mania starts earlier and earlier each year. You work yourself up to get presents, to get the house perfect for guests.”

But depression sets in after the holidays. “We set ourselves up for it,” she noted.

The holidays are also the time of year when people get depressed thinking about loved ones who have died. “There’s a rise in suicides. It’s a time when you’re supposed to celebrate with your family. If you’re alone, it’s a sad time of year.”

“SAD does not usually lead to suicide, but could make a depressed person worse,” Ms Singer said.

Treatment includes a combination of light therapy, balanced diet, and exercise.

Treatment is concerned with the interaction of light on the eyes, not the skin. “Light is absorbed through the eyes,” Ms Singer said. “It sends a message to the brain to produce serotonin, a neurotransmitter.”

This may account for the increased desire for carbohydrates, which temporarily raises the level of serotonin in the brain. It may also account for the success of drugs such as Prozac or Zoloft in treating SAD.

 “An increase in carbohydrates sends a message to your pleasure zone and releases more serotonin,” Ms Singer said. “It’s like self-medicating.”

For many people, treatment with Light Box Therapy a few hours a day along with outdoor activity can eliminate the need for drugs. “Go out on lunch hour when it’s sunny or do some activity outside. Take a walk,” Ms Singer suggested.

It is believed that light is transmitted through the nerve tract that connects the retina to the hypothalamus, which contains the body’s biological clock. When days with shorter periods of light decrease the serotonin levels, light therapy increases the levels back to a normal range. “Even a fluorescent bulb with an intensity of 10,000 lux is just as affective as a full spectrum light,” Ms Singer said.

Talk to a physician before undertaking light therapy, she said.

Eating well and exercising is also helpful, she said. “Find something you enjoy doing, such as walking, going to a gym, Yoga, or Tai Chi. It’s important to keep your spirits up. The mind has a great deal to do with how the body responds.”

St John’s Wort or the vitamin B6 may also be helpful, but check with a physician or nutritionist to determine how much to take. “Start off slowly,” Ms Singer said.

“Treat yourself well. Enjoy a bubble bath with candles or a night off by yourself,” she said. “Go to the library and get a book.” She suggested that a husband and wife get a babysitter and go out to dinner or a movie.

“Think about what you can do for yourself. Start with something small. Take a class. Winter is a perfect time to do something you enjoy doing,” Ms singer said.

The Family Counseling Center is a licensed and accredited non-profit mental health agency in Newtown that offers counseling for families and individuals in the Greater Danbury area. For information on future workshops, call the Family Counseling Center at 426-8103.