Seasonal depression more than ‘the blues’;
malady produces significant mood changes

When the days shorten and weather turns cold, do you find yourself constantly lacking energy, overeating, craving carbohydrates, sleeping for long periods of time and withdrawing socially?

If so, you may be suffering from seasonal affective disorder, or seasonal depression. Somewhere between seven and 10 percent of Americans suffer from this malady, which commonly occurs during the winter months, said Dr. Teresa Gevedon, associate professor of psychology and director of the outpatient psychiatry clinic at the University of Kentucky.

Seasonal affective disorder is more than just experiencing a slight dragging feeling during the winter months, which 20 to 25 percent of people may feel, Gevedon said. It is a subset of another affective disorder, such as major depression, that causes serious mood changes.

“For example, if you are diagnosed with major depression, some folks will have a seasonal variation. In other words, although they may get depressed any other time of the year, they may notice that their depression is worse,” Gevedon said. “Or it may be that they only notice depression during certain times of the year.”

Though anyone can suffer from seasonal affective disorder, “women seem to be more susceptible. But, there are more women that suffer depression too,” Gevedon said.

When a person’s mood changes become more than just feeling a little down from time to time, and those changes begin to inhibit his or her ability to function normally, it may be time to seek help by visiting a family doctor, a psychiatrist or a counselor, Gevedon said.

“People who have significant mood difficulties are folks who find that their functioning is impaired. They’re not able to do well at work or at school. Or they maybe are not able to get things done at home,” Gevedon said.

A variety of treatments are available to help decrease the severity of seasonal affective disorder. One option is medication, particularly selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, which increase the levels of serotonin in a person’s brain.

Serotonin is “a neurotransmitter that’s very influential on mood, appetite, etc.,” Gevedon said. “It looks like serotonin is highly involved and people do respond to medications.”

Other options include light therapy and psychotherapy. With light therapy, a certain type of light must be used, Gevedon said.

Gevedon also said that exercise and eating well are helpful.

“We’ve known that intuitively, but the evidence really suggest that exercise indeed does help mood. And you don’t have to be an olympic runner to do that,” Gevedon said. “If you get in 30 minutes a day, even if it’s 10-minute walks, you’ve done a lot for yourself.”

For more information about seasonal affective disorder visit:
Healthyminds.org
Mayoclinic.com
Webmd.com

Photo by Mark Boxley.