is winter blues a real thing

Symptoms of SAD range from mild to debilitating. These scientists pioneered the use of light therapy, which has since become a standard treatment for SAD. Heres how. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. Some people may experience SAD in the summer months instead, though this is uncommon. Do not reproduce without permission. National Institute of Mental Health. Besides conventional treatment options antidepressants, sun lamp therapy, vitamin D and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) functional medicine also recommends an anti-inflammatory diet, gut-healing probiotics, outdoor physical activity, and techniques to manage your circadian clock. The Link Between Sun Exposure and Winter Blues, Functional Remedies for Your Winter Blues, How To Get Rid of Gas Pain With These 4 Natural Remedies, How To Find the Best Functional Medicine Doctor for You. Book an appointment with us today to learn more. 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Short daylight hours on winter days lead to less sunlight, causing vitamin D deficiency, and by extension, insufficient serotonin synthesis. Once SAD was identified, researchers hypothesized that its typical appearance with winter had something to do with lowered exposure to sunlight. Once started, light therapy should continue every day well into spring. Reduced sunlight in fall and winter can disrupt your bodys internal clock, or circadian rhythm. But results with visors for treating SAD havent been as promising as hoped, Postolache says. Here's what you should know about seasonal affective disorder, or SAD 2:31 STOCK PHOTO/Getty Images How to fight off the 'winter blues' By Katie Kindelan Share Sign up for our newsletters to get GMA delivered to your inbox every morning! Light therapy uses a lightbox to attempt to replace the daylight hours that we miss during dark winter months. The Winter Blues are a Real Thing. Keep active. In Fact, winter Blues is a real thing and it's called SAD - A fitting acronym for a pretty sucky thing called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). "Some people are really affected by the seasonal change, and its important to say its not a trivial problem in my clinic I see that people can feel quite knocked about by it.. Studies show that certain antidepressant drugs can be effective in many cases of SAD. Light therapy is usually given daily until the warmer spring months. 2019;3(3):CD011269. His work has been published in peer-reviewed medical journals and he is a committee member of the Naturopathic Board of Gastroenterology research division. It interferes with daily functioning over a significant period of time. A key feature of SAD is that it follows a regular pattern. This form of treatment is common for people diagnosed with SAD. We try to identify activities that are engaging and pleasurable, and we work with patients to try to schedule them into their daily routine, says Rohan. . It can be a sign of a real medical condition known as seasonal affective disorder, or SAD. For some, this mood change is temporary and easily managed with lifestyle modifications. Although winter blues is a real thing, parents still need to be on the go. The winter blues usually resolve on their own. Gluten-based products, for those who are gluten sensitive, promote zonulin production [13] and increase intestinal permeability, a hallmark of leaky gut syndrome. Aside from living further away from the equator, those at a higher risk of SAD are [4]: Reduced sun exposure is one of the main causes of winter blues. Read our, Before You Buy a Light Box for Seasonal Affective Disorder, Melatonin: Your Body's Natural Sleep Hormone. Behavioral changes might include having lunch with friends, going out for a walk or volunteering in the community. When parents feel more grounded, then the thought of going through the winter blissfully is no longer impossible. Whether your triggers are the shorter days (bye, bye sunlight) or the cold weather, winter blues is a REAL thing! This reality sometimes makes winter blues even more difficult to bear. Whilst depression can occur at any time of year, people with SAD often report feeling here comes winter and here comes my low mood!, When managing Seasonal Affective Disorder, its important to do some exercise every day, even if it's just for 20 minutes. 2012;86(11):1037-1041. Darkness stimulates the production of melatonin, preparing the body for sleep. Its not uncommon to experience fatigue, sadness, difficulty concentrating, and a disruption in your sleep schedule during the winter season. I've always despised cold weather and every winter I would have random moments and days of "bleh." It's not depression but it's also not the radiant, super positive person I strive to be. SAD is generally quite treatable, and the treatment options keep increasing and improving.. National Institutes of Health Read our, How To Cope With COVID-19 and Seasonal Affective Disorder, An Overview of Light Therapy Lamps: Treatment for Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Although winter blues aren't considered a mental health disorder and don't interfere with daily functioning, you might: Lifestyle changes and self-care routines are key to improving your mood in the winter months. Light therapy is usually considered a first line treatment for SAD, but it doesnt work for everyone. Sometimes we find that the someone experiencing these symptoms actually has low iron levels, or their thyroid hormone is out of whack, or perhaps they have developed diabetes. Common symptoms include feeling down and sluggish. If you are not getting enough vitamin D in your diet or through sunlight, talk to your doctor about taking a supplement, especially in the winter months. Our website is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The medical definition of winter blues is seasonal affective disorder (SAD) [1]. Its normal to feel down, sluggish, or not quite yourself during this time. Many people are not fully back to their usual patterns or routines yet, and I think the stress and anxiety isnt just at an individual level, I think the whole community is still feeling burnt out, Blashki says. Supplementing with probiotics may help alleviate seasonal depression, too. The winter blues may not be a recognised clinical diagnosis, but it is a very real phenomenon that can be associated with serious mental health issues. The National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH) recommends sitting in front of a light box first thing in the morning for 20 to 60 minutes. (800)-335-7009*Office Contact*Inquiries relevant to the clinic only. Mental & Behavioral Health January 6, 2016 With 5 p.m. sunsets, erratic temperatures and plenty of snow and ice, winters in Chicago and other northern cities are not for the faint of heart. Color Therapy Types, Techniques, and Benefits, What to Do If You Feel Tired All the Time, Daily Tips for a Healthy Mind to Your Inbox, Small Ways to Feel Better When You're Depressed, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Conditions (DSM-V), Vitamin D Fact Sheet for Health Professionals, Bright lights, big relief: treating seasonal affective disorder, Lack the motivation to complete some tasks but be able to handle major tasks such as going to work and taking care of the house, SAD is estimated to affect 10 million Americans, SAD is four times more common in women than in men, The age of onset for SAD is estimated to be between the age of 18 and 30 and rarely affects people younger than 20 years of age, The incidence of SAD decreases as the individual ages, Six percent of individuals with SAD require hospitalization, Craving foods that contain complex carbohydrates, Depressed mood most of the day, nearly every day, Loss of interest in activities you typically enjoy, Inability to focus and concentrate on work performance and household tasks, Use it within the first hour of waking up in the morning for about 20 to 30 minutes, Keep the light box at a distance of about 16 to 24 inches (41 to 61 centimeters) from your face, You can keep your eyes open but do not look directly at the light. Medication: There are Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) that are used to treat SAD, according to the NIH. (MORE: What women should ask their doctors in their 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s). During the winter months, the later sunrise, earlier sunset, and cloudiness limit the amount of sunshine to which we're exposed. And when you are dealing with the winter blues, finding a way to spend time with supportive people is key to boosting your mood. This feeling is not like feeling depressed but rather feeling tired and flat. Blashski suggests creating a calendar for the week and maintaining a routine. Antidepressants, particularly SSRIs, are the medication of choice in the treatment of SAD. They also have many of the normal warning signs of depression, including: Feeling sad, cranky, or. We recommend triple probiotic therapy: Heres what that is and how it works. If thats the case, you might have winter blues. For those who can afford it, one way of getting more sunlight is to travel to sunny locations closer to the equator for a holiday. It usually clears up on its own in a fairly short amount of time, says Dr. Matthew Rudorfer, a mental health expert at NIH. National Institutes of Health. By Kristen Fuller, MD More Than Just the Winter Blues? Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. However, learning to acknowledge and accept that not everything is great can be a great step towards beating winter blues. it could be a sign of something more. You wont suddenly snap out of depression. Light therapy is meant to replace the missing daylight hours with an artificial substitute, says Rudorfer. Winter Blues? Seasonal affective disorder. The Paleo diet is a good starting point to reduce gut inflammation and improve depressive symptoms [21, 22]. If possible, schedule one hour for news. Its important to note that you do not have to wait for your mood to become very low before talking with your healthcare provider. Without treatment, these symptoms generally last until the days start getting longer. Follow this expert advice to stay motivated and avoid injury. The winter blues are a common condition that occur during the colder, darker months of the year. With SAD or depression, the low mood and poor motivation is usually across all aspects of life. ALSO READ:How to Improve Health and Wellness This 2021. The winter blues are different from seasonal affective disorder (SAD), which is a type of depression that occurs during the winter months and requires treatment. The "winter blues" - known to mental health professionals as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) - are associated with less exposure to sunlight. These energy-boosting exercises could be exactly what you and your students need to feel refreshed and ready to tackle any new challenge. Some light boxes resemble lamps while others resemble rectangular boxes. Managing Editor: Tianna Hicklin, Ph.D. Start slowly and build up to 30 to 60 minutes a day, five days a week, of aerobic exercise, strength training, yoga, or other fitness-related activities. Some improvement can be detected even sooner. COVID-19 and Seasonal Affective Disorder: How This Year Is Different, Color Therapy Types, Techniques, and Benefits, Daily Tips for a Healthy Mind to Your Inbox, Small Ways to Feel Better When You're Depressed, Vitamin D deficiency and depression in adults: Systematic review and meta-analysis, Seasonal affective disorder: an overview of assessment and treatment approaches, Bupropion for the treatment of seasonal affective disorder. They might crave carbohydrates, such as cakes, candies and cookies. Professional help: Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and behavioral activation are two types of therapy identified by the NIH as effective for SAD. So some people tend to stop using the light boxes after a while. And yes, that includes winter. Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. Beyond Blue Lead Clinical Adviser Dr Grant Blashki says SAD is a recurring condition associated with less natural sunlight and includes a range of symptoms. Our website is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you need further support in managing your symptoms, consider reaching out to a functional doctor, like the team at Austin Functional Medicine. This is uncommon published in peer-reviewed medical journals and he is a committee of. ) -335-7009 * Office Contact * Inquiries relevant to the clinic only, particularly SSRIs, the. Students need to feel refreshed and ready to tackle any new challenge SAD havent as. Hours that we miss during dark winter months work for everyone managed with lifestyle modifications so people... 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