Dr. Janet Seabrook
Last month, we set our clocks back one hour in accordance with Daylight Savings Time. In a matter of days, winter will officially be here. With the change in time and temperature, are you feeling unusually tired, groggy, sad or just not the normal you? Well, what you are feeling is not just your imagination.
The term “Winter Blues” is really a thing, and this column is dedicated to sorting through the definition, signs and identifying ways to deal with this condition that affects so many this time of year.
According to the Mayo Clinic, the medical term for “Winter Blues” is Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD.
“It is a type of depression that occurs during certain seasons, usually fall or winter. If you’re like most people with SAD, your symptoms start in the fall and continue into the winter months, sapping your energy and making you feel moody. These symptoms often resolve during the spring and summer months. Less often, SAD causes depression in the spring or early summer and resolves during the fall or winter months.”
While the specific cause for SAD is unknown, some factors include the reduced amount of sunlight disrupts one’s body clock which may trigger depression. The change in season can also disrupt the balance of the body’s level of melatonin, which plays a role in sleep patterns and mood.
Symptoms of SAD can include the following:
• Mood and behavior changes
• Increased sleep and daytime drowsiness
• Loss of interest in activities
• Social withdrawal
• Grouchiness and anxiety
• Feelings of guilt and hopelessness
• Excessive tiredness
• Decreased sex drive
• Decreased ability to focus
• Increased appetite for carbs, weight gain
It is normal to have days when you feel down or exhausted. However, if any of the above symptoms apply to you more often than usual, please don’t write them off as a seasonal condition that you should just tough through. In some cases, there may be other underlying conditions that deserve diagnosis by a medical professional.
If you find yourself unmotivated to do activities you normally enjoy, turn to alcohol/substances for comfort or have suicidal thoughts, make an appointment with your doctor right away. Be sure to keep an eye out for these signs with loved ones, keeping in mind that Winter Blues affects women more than men.
May you and yours have a safe and healthy holiday season! Remember, your health matters!
Dr. Janet Seabrook is the CEO of Community HealthNet Health Centers and the Health Commissioner for the City of Gary. Follow her on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn and visit www.DrJanetSeabrook.com.