Seasonal Affective Disorder and "The Holiday/Winter Blues"

The "Holiday Blues" or "The Winter Blues" are temporary feelings of anxiety, isolation, sadness, associated with winter and stressful holidays, or memories of loved ones who have died or are no longer in our lives. These feelings are fairly common, and are usually mild. Seasonal Affective Disorder is different.

Some people have more serious mood changes year after year, lasting throughout the fall and winter when there’s less natural sunlight. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a type of depression characterized by a recurrent seasonal pattern, with symptoms lasting about 4−5 months out of the year. The signs and symptoms of SAD include those associated with depression as well as disorder-specific symptoms that differ for winter-pattern versus summer pattern SAD.

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Symptoms of depression can include:

● Persistent sad, anxious, or “empty” mood most of the day,
nearly every day, for at least 2 weeks
● Feelings of hopelessness or pessimism
● Feelings of irritability, frustration, or restlessness
● Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, or helplessness
● Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities
● Decreased energy, fatigue, or feeling slowed down
● Difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions
● Changes in sleep or appetite or unplanned weight changes
● Physical aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive
problems that do not have a clear physical cause and do
not go away with treatment
● Thoughts of death or suicide or suicide attempts

For winter-pattern SAD, additional symptoms can include:

● Oversleeping (hypersomnia)
● Overeating, particularly with a craving for carbohydrates,
leading to weight gain
● Social withdrawal (feeling like “hibernating”)

Treatments are available to help people with SAD. They fall into four main categories that can be used alone or in combination:

● Light therapy
● Psychotherapy
● Antidepressant medication
● Vitamin D

Light therapy and vitamin D are treatments for winter-pattern SAD, whereas psychotherapy and antidepressants are used to treat depression in general, including winter- and summer pattern SAD. There are no treatments specific to summer pattern SAD. Talk to a health care provider about the potential benefits and risks of different treatment options and which treatment is best for you.

Sources: NIMH, Seasonal Affective Disorder, www.nimh.nih.gov/sites/default/files/documents/health/publications/seasonal-affective-disorder/seasonal-affective-disorder-508.pdf

Beat the Winter Blues, NIH News in Health, https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2013/01/beat-winter-blues