SALEM, Va. – If you find yourself feeling more down or blue during the wintertime than in other seasons, you could have seasonal affective disorder.
Medical Director Norah Silver with Lewis Gale Behavioral Health said seasonal affective disorder is a type of depression but it only comes in a seasonal pattern.
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“So, if you’re depressed and you’ve seen that you’re a little more depressed in the fall and winter and it gets better in the spring and summer, that would be a good indicator that you have a depressive disorder that might fall into a seasonal pattern,” said Silver.
Some of the symptoms are low energy or poor mood. You might even sleep more, gain weight or have an increased appetite.
She said seasonal affective disorder can happen during any season, but it’s more common in the fall and winter. It can also happen in the spring and summer.
It also affects certain people more than others.
“It affects women more. Usually, you don’t see it before the age of 18. People who have pre-existing disorders of depression or bipolar are far more likely to have seasonal components to their depression,” said Silver.
Silver said it’s about 25% for people who are bipolar and around 10 to 20% for major depressive disorders.
She said a good first step is to speak with your primary care doctor because they can prescribe you anti-depressants.
You also need to make sure that you’re getting enough sleep, eating healthy and exercising as much as possible.
Also, Silver said an effective treatment option is using a lightbox. She said sitting in front of a lightbox for about 15 minutes, typically in the mornings, can help. She said usually that can be more effective sometimes than antidepressants.
“If it’s getting to a point where you’re feeling like you can’t get out of bed, or you want to hurt yourself, then absolutely that would be a time to seek help, such as calling 911, visiting the local emergency department, still even reaching out to your primary care doctor to see if they have any advice for whether you need to be seen immediately or if you should go to the hospital,” said Silver.