WENTZVILLE, Mo. – It’s easy after the hustle and bustle of the holidays to feel like what’s actually normal is a bit slow. Once the excitement has ended and strands of twinkling lights are pulled down from the rooftops, it can feel extra dark when you leave the office since the sun has already set.
However, some individuals experience a more serious low this time of year. People who persistently feel depressed around this time may suffer from seasonal affective disorder, also known as seasonal depression. SAD is a type of depression that cycles annually and it overwhelmingly affects people in the fall and winter. About 5% of Americans suffer from this type of depression, according to the National Psychiatric Association. Women are four times more likely than men to be diagnosed, and younger adults have a higher occurrence than older adults, the National Institute of Mental Health reports.
Symptoms can include sadness, irritability, anxiety and trouble sleeping.
“If it reaches that level of chronicity, what we’re really looking for is an individual who is seeing things that they would normally do that they’re not doing,” Paul Nims, LPC at SSM Health St. Joseph Hospital in Wentzville, said. “So, things that would interrupt their ability to maintain work, maintain their household, something that interrupts their life.”
He recommends getting outside to get natural light and focusing on exercise and a healthy diet.
“The thought is that the seasonal depression happens because they’re having a lowering of their serotonin in their brain,” Nims said.
If getting outside is not possible, Nims says light therapy is an option.
“What they find is that just having that light in your face—and that’s the thing—when you get the light therapy, you get the little light box—and it’s important to have it in your face,” he said. “And just having that for about an hour or two every day can really help an individual to feel a little bit more energized.”
SSM Health St. Joseph Hospital in Wentzville also offers mental health treatment programs that can be customized to the needs of each patient.
To learn more about SAD, click here.
The SSM Health Medical Minute airs Wednesdays on KPLR News 11 at 7 p.m. and FOX 2 News at 9 p.m.
