Depression In The Winter

If you live in an area of the world that has an ice cold winter, you may notice you go through some changes. Winter doesn’t affect everyone, but it does for many people. I tend to become more depressed and tired during the winter months. I do not like winter one bit! This may be why my mood changes during the long winter months.

Depression in the winter is known as seasonal affective disorder, or SAD. It is an onset of depression during the late fall and early winter months when there is less natural sunlight. Studies have shown that there are about 10-20% of Americans that get the winter blues. This is a real disorder and it is mainly caused by the lack of sunlight.

I love spring and summer. I love being outdoors, having cookouts, going for walks, and swimming. I can’t stand being in the cold. I dread waking up on a winter day and having to go out and warm up my car or even worse, having to clean the snow off of my car. I try my hardest to not leave the house if there is snow outside because I can’t stand driving in the snow.

Some people love winter, the cold and driving in the snow, but since I’m not one of them, I tend to spend a lot of time indoors. If your anything like me, this can get depressing since your not able to do most of the things you enjoy. I try to make the most of my time and find things enjoyable to do indoors such as writing, reading, cleaning and watching movies. Many people do their “spring cleaning” in the spring, but I do mine during the winter time since I’m caged in.

Symptoms of SAD include fatigue during the daytime, sleeping too much, weight gain and a decrease in social activities. Women are more likely to suffer from SAD and it’s more common in areas that have a colder winter with less sunlight. If this is something that has been a problem for you talk with your doctor.

Starting antidepressants in the beginning of fall has benefited many people who suffer from SAD. If antidepressants aren’t the way you want to go, try finding activities that you enjoy indoors. You can even join a gym or a social group. You could also use the extra indoor time to get caught up on things that you’ve been behind on. If you have the extra money go on a vacation to a warmer area. Try not to let the winter blues bring you down too much!

Thanks for reading,