Introduction: Winter Blues Or Seasonal Affective Disorder

We generally welcome winter, but not winter blues. Winter Season is to enjoy for Choruibhati( feast with friends outside)  to spend some time. We used to roaming one shop to another in the Fair or travelling anywhere with friends and family near or far. Winter comes here after Autumn . It prevails a calming atmosphere. Naturally, it’s the best time to enjoy.


Generally, winter exists only for two months in the plain lands. They’re December and January. Sometimes it continues up to February. However, Summer and Rainy seasons are not good for any social or individual entertainment. Most ceremonies start from this Winter season, such as wedding ceremonies, fairs like Gangasagar Mela(Religious Fair) , Kumbh Mela ( Religious Fair ) , film festivals, book fairs etc.


But this season has some adverse effects on the body and mind. Winter Blues or Winter depression is one of the fatal effects which we have to face in this season. But What’s winter Blues? And why you should be cautious about Winter depression? – this is our discussion all about it. 

WINTER SEASON & WINTER BLUES


The bitter cold and the rapidly wrapping up of dark evening might lessen the excitement and the pleasant state of mind. Sometimes it deeply affects mental health. It turns out into mental depressions. This is Winter Blues in medical terms. Mainly aged people are affected by this short term depression. 

Winter Blues or Winter depression starts at the beginning of the Winter season. And it continues throughout the season. As a result, we named it Winter Blues or Seasonal Affective Disorder( SAD). It decreases at the beginning of Spring and summer. The affected people gradually become healthy. They get to feel happiness and zeal during the warm and bright light of the Sun.  

AFFECTED PEOPLE WITH WINTER BLUES?

SAD affects about 4 to 9 per cent of people. Women are a greater number affected by this disease than men. About 6 to 9 per cent of Americans are to face this kind of stuff health issue. 

Being wrapped up in Winter Blues in Winter, your symptoms start in the fall and continue into the winter months. It generally can sapping your energy and making you feel moody. These symptoms often resolve during the Spring and Summer. 

Less often, SAD causes depression in the Spring or early Summer. However it resolves during the fall of Winters. In most cases, seasonal affective disorder symptoms late fall or early winter and go away during the Sunnier days of Spring and Summer. 

      These symptoms may start mild and become more severe as the season progresses.

Now questions, What Are The Causes Behind this Winter Blues or Depression? Why You Should be Cautious about Winter Depression?

In a nutshell, the causes of Winter Blues are as follows:

1. Your Biological Clock( circadian rhythm) 
2. Serotonin Levels – A drop in serotonin brain chemical( neurotransmitter) that affects mood. 
3. Melatonin Levels – The change in season can disrupt the balance of the body’s level of melatonin, which plays a role in sleep patterns and mood. 
4. Family History
5. Having major depression or bipolar disorder
6. Living far from the Equator 
7. Low Level of Vitamin D 

The mental disorder in Winter happens due to a “phase-shift” of the circadian rhythm. The wall clock may tell you it’s time to get up. But your body’s internal clock says that you should be resting more. Bright light in the morning resets your circadian clock. 

Winter Blues or Seasonal Affective Disorder is diagnosed more often in women than men. And it occurs more frequently in younger adults than in older adults. 

Which Complications The Winter Blues Or SAP Patients Face? 

Mainly the Complications are : 

1. Social Withdrawal
2. School or official work problems
3. Substance Abuse
4. Anxiety 
5. Eating and Sleeping problem
6. Suicidal Thoughts

Here Is In Details: 

Patients suffering from recurrent depression with a seasonal pattern have insufficient levels of Vitamin D. A research investigating association suggests that daily intake of 10000 IU of Vitamin D may improve the depressive symptoms and general health. 

      The Vitamin D Council recommends that healthy adults can take 2000 IU of Vitamin D daily – even more, if they get little or no sun exposure. There is evidence that people with a lot of body fat need more Vitamin D than lean people. 

     Some Scientists think that certain hormones made deep in the brain trigger attitude-related changes at certain times of the year. Experts believe that SAD may be related to these hormonal changes. 

ANOTHER THEORY: WINTER BLUES


    One theory is that less sunlight during fall and winter leads to the brain making less serotonin. Serotonin is a chemical linked to the brain pathways that regulate moods. When nerve cell pathways in the brain that regulate mood don’t work the way they should, the result can be feelings  of depression along with symptoms of fatigue and weight gain. 

     People with Winter Blues typically sleep much more than usual and crave carbohydrates. Mainly they have some signs of depression, including: 

• Fatigue • Less Energy • Feeling sad and hopeless. • Trouble Concentrating •  Irritating  mood  • Too much appetite  •  Desire to be alone. •  Weight Gain •    Thoughts of Suicide etc. 

 WHAT SHOULD BE DONE? 

    People with Winter Blues should go outside in the morning to get more natural light. If this is impossible because of the cold weather, antidepressant medication may help. 

REGULAR DIET CAN REDUCE YOUR DOWN MIND :

 Have you serious in your regular diet?  If you not, you have to suffer a lot. A well-balanced diet can improve your energy levels. So get a well-balanced diet. This will help you to have more energy. Although you are craving starchy and sweet foods. 

   Besides, Yoga and exercise can enhance your energy levels. Exercising  for 30 minutes a day, five times a week can be helpful to overcome Winter Blues. 

  Be social. Stay involved with your social circle and regular activities. An active mind is always  far from the mental illness. So engage, engage and engage in works.

 • The Best Secrets to Get Protection : Winter Blues

WHEN SAD OR WINTER BLUES IS REPORTED AND NAMED? 

   In the early 1980s, Norman E. Rosenthal, M.D., and his associates at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) systematically first reported and named this mental illness as Winter Blues.

Rosenthal initially was motivated by his desire to discover the cause of his own experience of depression. Mainly , during the dark days of the northern US winter he had to face depression. So he tried to make a decision about winter depression or SAD . He then thought, polar night is the cause behind it.

He theorized that the reduction in available natural light during winter was the cause. Rosenthal and his colleagues then documented the phenomenon of SAD in a placebo-controlled study. They did it utilising light therapy.

A paper based on this research was published in 1984. Although Rosenthal’s ideas were initially greeted with scepticism. SAD has become well recognised, and his 1993 book, Winter Blues has become the standard introduction to the subject.

Research on Winter Blues began in 1979 when Herb Kern, a research engineer, had noticed that he felt depressed during the winter months. Kern suspected that scarcer light in winter was the cause. Eventually, he discussed the idea with scientists at the NIMH who were working on bodily rhythms.

Finally, They were devising a lightbox to treat Kern’s depression. Kern felt much better within a few days of treatment. Therefore, they treated other patients in the same way.

SIGN AND SYMPTOMS IN DETAIL: Winter Blues

Winter Blues is a type of major depressive disorder. And sufferers may exhibit any of the associated symptoms, such as :

These are the symptoms of winter blues: Feelings of hopelessness and worthlessness, thoughts of suicide, loss of interest in activities, withdrawal from social interaction, sleep and appetite problems etc. Moreover, the patient feel difficulty with concentrating and making decisions. Other problems are decreased libido, a lack of energy, or agitation.

•     Symptoms of Winter Blues often include 1. Falling asleep earlier or in less than 5 minutes in the evening, 2. Oversleeping or difficulty waking up in the morning, 4. Nausea, and 5. A tendency to overeat, often with a craving for carbohydrates, which leads to weight gain. 

Winter Blues is typically associated with winter depression, but springtime lethargy or other seasonal mood patterns are not uncommon. Although each case is different, in contrast to winter SAD.

People who experience spring and summer depression may be more likely to show symptoms such as insomnia, decreased appetite and weight loss, and agitation or anxiety.

The symptoms of it mimic those of dysthymia or even major depressive disorder. There is also the potential risk of suicide in some patients experiencing Winter Blues .

 One study reports 6–35% of sufferers required hospitalisation during one period of illness.  At times, patients may not feel depressed, but rather lack the energy to perform everyday activities.

Sub syndrome Seasonal Affective Disorder is a milder form of SAD. U.S Population, estimated 14.3% (vs. 6.1% SAD) of experience it every year.  The blue feeling experienced by both SAD and SUB-SAD sufferers can usually get free by exercise and increased outdoor activities. Particularly if they go out on sunny days and have a bath of sun rays or solar exposure, they return to normal lives.

It is sure that connections between human mood, as well as energy levels, and the seasons are well incorporated. It’s even found in healthy individuals.

According to some Psychiatrists DSM-IV criteria, Seasonal Affective Disorder is not a separate disorder. They think it as a “course specifier”. Therefore, it may be applied as an added description to the pattern of major depressive episodes in patients with major depressive disorder or patients with bipolar disorder.

The “Seasonal Pattern Specifier” must meet four criteria: 1. depressive episodes at a particular time of the year; 2. remissions or mania/hypo-mania at a characteristic time of year; 3. these patterns must have lasted two years with no nonseasonal major depressive episodes during that same period, and 4. these seasonal depressive episodes outnumber other depressive episodes throughout the patient’s lifetime.

USE OF LIGHT THERAPY:  Winter Blues: Why you should be Cautious about winter depression?  

Seasonal mood variations are believed to be related to light. An argument for this view is the effectiveness of bright-light therapy.  SAD is measurably present at latitudes in the Arctic region, such as northern Finland (64°00′N), where the rate of SAD is 9.5%. Cloud cover may contribute to the negative effects of SAD. 

There is evidence that many patients with SAD have a delay in their circadian rhythm, and that bright light treatment corrects these delays which may be responsible for the improvement in patients.

Management:  Occupational therapy in the management of Winter Blues: Why You Should Be Cautious?

Treatments for classic (winter-based) seasonal Winter Blues or affective disorder include light therapy, medication, ionising-air administration,cognitive-behavioural therapy and carefully timed supplementation of the hormone melatonin.

Read more: 1. Anxiety & Depression In Adolescent Girls. 2. Depression and Insurgency In Kashmir 3. The Best Ways to Beat Stress, Anxiety and Depression Quickly

Like many other mood disorders, you can take action to lessen the severity of the symptoms associated with  the winter blues.

While you may not be able to change the weather or amount of daylight during the winter, you can practice good self-care to help you feel better. 

Here are 10 strategies you can try to defeat the winter blues

• Let Take a Break From the News: Winter Blues: Why You Should Be Cautious about Winter Depression?

Being indoors more often means an increase in screen time. And if this time is spent consuming a non-stop news cycle, you may feel an increase in the winter blues.

To help minimise stress, sadness, and despair from the news, try to limit the amount of time you spend in front of a screen. If possible, schedule one hour for news. You can watch this in one sitting or break it up into chunks.

• Proper Diet Can Boost Your Mood :

A simple change to boost your mood is to consider the food you eat. Consuming protein with breakfast, lunch, and dinner can enhance mood and prevent sugar and carb cravings later in the day.

Besides,  foods that are high in vitamin D such as fatty fish, fish oil, and vitamin D fortified foods like milk, orange juice, breakfast cereal, yogurt, and other food sources can help balance mood.

According to one meta-analysis, researchers found that people with depression have low vitamin D levels, and people with low vitamin D are at a greater risk of depression. 

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.

• Fix  Up Your Sleep Routine: 

Sleep is a huge component of mood. Without adequate, regular sleep, psychologist Kelly Donahue, PhD, says our circadian rhythm can get disrupted, which also disrupts cortisol rhythms and impacts hormone production. To improve your sleep, Donahue recommends:

Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day.

Follow a simple bedtime routine that signals rest, such as taking a bath, turning down the lights, or drinking a cup of herbal tea.

Expose yourself to light as soon as you wake up.

Sleep in a cool, dark room.

Don’t use electronics in your bedroom.

Write all of your worry thoughts on a piece of paper before bed so that if you wake up in the night, you can tell your mind you don’t need to worry because the thoughts are captured on paper and will be waiting for you to tackle in the morning.

•  Some Physical Activity Can Do A Lot :

Physical activity has been shown to boost mood, decrease the symptoms of depression, and reduce stress.3 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.

Getting outside daily, even for a few minutes a day, can make a huge impact on your mood and help target the specific symptoms of SAD related to a lack of daylight. 

• Try To Split  Your Routine Work: 

It’s not uncommon to feel overwhelmed, lethargic, and unmotivated to exercise when feeling depressed. So, instead of committing to one longer workout, break the time up into chunks.

For example, if your goal is to walk 30 minutes a day, divide the time into three mini-workouts of 10 minutes each. Take one walk in the morning, another in the early afternoon, and one before it gets dark.

• Try to Call on Your Friends or colleague: 

Loneliness and isolation tend to make the effects of the winter blues worse. That’s why you need your  support system, which may include friends, family, co-workers, and sponsors, should be on speed dial. If 2020,2021 and on going 2022 covid pandemic taught us anything, it is that human contact and socialization is important to our mental health.

If colder weather and shorter days cause you to feel the winter blues, you’re not alone. It’s not uncommon to experience fatigue, sadness, difficulty concentrating, and a disruption in your sleep schedule during the winter season.

It’s noticeable that some can manage to this mood change easily with lifestyle modifications. But for others, the winter blues can turn into a more severe type of depression. It’s called seasonal affective disorder or SAD. But the good news is that,  there are some things that can help  you  to overcome  the winter blues. 

Winter Blues vs. Seasonal Affective Disorder:

According to psychiatrists,  the main difference between the winter blues and SAD has to do with severity and function. It’s just like “sadness” vs. “depression.”

Winter Blues and its Symptoms: 

1.Sadness during the fall and winter months

2. Some trouble sleeping

3. Lack of motivation

4. Off mood 

5.  Frequent sleep and eating issues

6.  Depression that limits normal functioning and motivation

People feel sad sometimes, and there is nothing wrong with that. In fact, having emotions is part of what makes us all human and not something that we want to extinguish.

I have expressed previously that feeling sad or down sometimes, especially during the winter months, could be a sign of the winter blues. However, when sadness interferes with your ability to function in your daily life, it could be something more serious. So it’s time to get alert. 

For many people, the fall and winter months precipitate some gloom and sadness, and a lot of that is related to the lack of sunlight. 

It’s natural that during the winter months, people leave their home in the dark, spend all day in an office rooms with no windows, and then leave work to commute home again, in the dark. That can affect most people’s dispositions.  

 During this  pandemic, If you’re working from home, and not getting outdoors before work or during your lunch hour, you may not be leaving your home at all now that it turns dark earlier. So you have to face winter Blues. 

However, Winter Blues  is a more complex disorder that is not just sadness. People with this disorder  exhibit signs of a major depressive disorder, including difficulty with sleeping and eating. Even it  can come with noticeable fluctuations in energy levels and weight. 

You may also begin to isolate yourself and experience anhedonia. What it is? It is the inability to enjoy things that typically bring happiness. This can get severe enough where you may start to self-medicate with alcohol or drugs and even have ideas of self-harm or suicide. 

If the symptoms get this severe, it’s crucial to seek professional mental health services immediately. 

• Try the 10x10x10 Plan. ( Winter Blues: Why You Should Be Cautious about Winter Depression?)

It’s not uncommon to feel overwhelmed, lethargic, and unmotivated to exercise when feeling depressed. So, instead of committing to one longer workout, break the time up into chunks.

For example, if your goal is to walk 30 minutes a day, divide the time into three mini-workouts of 10 minutes each. Take one walk in the morning, another in the early afternoon, and one before it gets dark.

• Invite Your Support System:

Loneliness and isolation tend to make the effects of the winter blues worse. That’s why your support system, which may include friends, family, co-workers, and sponsors, should be on speed dial. If 2020, 2021 and 2022 taught us anything, it is that human contact and socialization is important to our mental health.

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 may include walks outdoors, talking on the phone, or coffee dates (virtual or in person, depending on your circumstances). 

• Seek Out the Sun :

Getting outside needs to be a priority during the winter months. Since lack of sun exposure worsened SAD symptoms. Soaking up the sun—even in winter temperatures—is critical.

Being in the sunlight helps balance serotonin activity, increases melatonin production, balances your circadian rhythm, and increases vitamin D levels, which can lead to an improved emotional state.

If you cannot get outdoors, move a chair, work station, or kitchen table next to a window that gets sunlight. Aim to sit in this location for at least one to two hours a day. If one sitting is not possible, break the time into shorter chunks throughout the daytime hours.

• Light Therapy 

If you’re not finding relief from some of the more low-level interventions, you may want to consider light therapy. This form of treatment is common for people diagnosed with SAD.

• Seek Professional Help

If lifestyle modifications and other low-level interventions do not provide enough relief from the winter blues, consider seeking professional help. Psychotherapy is highly recommended to treat depressive disorders and would likely benefit any individual suffering from SAD.

More specifically, the NIMH says cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) has proven to be very effective in treating SAD.

• Consider Medication 

Your doctor or a mental health professional may recommend a medication for mood disorders if you are experiencing more than the winter blues. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are often used to treat SAD.

THE BOTTOM LINE :

The winter blues can take a toll on your physical and mental health. And while you can’t change the season, you can make choices to help minimize the effects of feeling down.

If lifestyle interventions like those listed above are not providing enough relief, it may be time to schedule an appointment with your doctor or mental health expert to determine if you’re dealing with the winter blues or SAD.Like many other mood disorders, you can take action to lessen the severity of the symptoms associated with  the winter blues.While you may not be able to change the weather or amount of daylight during

WINTER BLUES

However, Winter Blues ( Why You Should Be Cautious about Winter Depression?) is a more complex disorder that is not just sadness. People with this disorder  exhibit signs of a major depressive disorder, including difficulty with sleeping and eating.

Even it  can come with noticeable fluctuations in energy levels and weight. You may also begin to isolate yourself and experience anhedonia, which is the inability to enjoy things that typically bring happiness. This can get severe enough where you may start to self-medicate with alcohol or drugs and even have ideas of self-harm or suicide.

If 2020 taught us anything, it is that human contact and socialization is important to our mental health.

Seek Professional Help: Winter Blues

Winter Blues: Why You should be Cautious About the Winter Depression:

More specifically, the Doctors Of NIMHANCE says cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) has proven to be very effective in treating SAD.Consider Medication.  Your doctor or a mental health professional may recommend a medication for mood disorders if you are experiencing more than the winter blues.

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are often used to treat SAD. Some medical practitioners

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