WINTER BLUES OR DEPRESSION

The winter blues are often observed commonly with many of us encountering a mood change during the colder, darker long stretches of winter. You may wind up feeling increasingly passive and down in general. In spite of the fact that you may feel more sad than expected, the winter blues regularly don’t thwart your ability to appreciate life.

Be that as it may, if your winter blues affect all parts of your life, from work to connections, you might be having seasonal affective disorder or SAD. SAD is a repetitive depression that is related to the adjustment in seasons. It commonly begins in the fall and lasts all throughout the winter months.

The cause of both the winter blues and SAD is the lower levels of daylight we have in the fall and winter. Less light can cause the following issues:

  • Changes in melatonin, the sleep hormone
  • Decreases in serotonin, a chemical that regulates mood
  • Disturbances in circadian rhythms (your body’s inner  clock), which help control sleep wake cycles

SYMPTOMS

The most widely recognized symptom of the winter blues are sadness and an absence of energy. Different symptoms of the winter blues may include:

  • Difficulty sleeping
  • Feeling less social than usual
  • Difficulty taking initiative
  • Sleep too much
  • Overeating
  • Mood that is down or depressed most of the day, nearly every day
  • Loss of interest in activities you typically enjoy
  • Withdrawing and isolating yourself from friends and family
  • Struggling to focus and perform at work or home
  • Feeling constantly fatigued and lethargic
  • Feeling hopeless about the future
  • Having suicidal thoughts

DIAGNOSIS

In case you’re encountering depression, you should  converse with your physician or psychologist to examine your alternatives.

Frequently, individuals with the winter blues first go to their physician since they aren’t feeling normal. They feel weak, exhausted and aren’t feeling like themselves.

Tests like a blood test to check your vitamin D levels or a complete blood count can preclude different reasons for these manifestations.

From that point onward, your physician will have a few inquiries to know whether you’re having winter blues or SAD. Do your symptoms meddle with your functioning at home, work and relationships? If they do, you should get treatment.

TREATMENT

While manifestations of the winter blues and SAD may disappear in the spring, you should not bear them on your own.

Both the winter blues and SAD can be relieved by treatments that are effective for your symptoms. Some of these treatments may include the following:

  • Sunlight
  • Light therapy
  • Exercise
  • Cognitive-behavioral therapy
  • Medications like antidepressants

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