Winter and Holiday Blues

Winter and Holiday Blues

The winter time and holiday blues, causing you to eat more, sleep more, and just feel blah. Around the holidays people usually attribute these feelings to stress, but what happens when they symptoms go beyond this simple explanation?

Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, is a recognized depressive disorder that affects millions of people worldwide. This disorder usually presents in early adulthood and generally affects women more than men.

Symptoms

Symptoms of SAD may include social withdrawal, feelings of depression, lethargy, headaches, changes in eating patterns (either excessive eating and weight gain or lack of desire to eat), and irritability. Some people describe a craving for sweets or starches and a lack of ability to concentrate in the afternoon.

Causes

Doctors and scientists are still trying to discover the true causes of SAD, but heredity, age, and chemical makeup all seem to play a part in your susceptibility to the disorder. The short days and long nights of winter result in decreased exposure to sunlight, decreasing the production of the sleep-related chemical melatonin. Scientists theorize that this chemical, which is also linked to depression, is at the heart of the disorder.

The reduced sunlight also disrupts th e body’s circadian rhythms which regulate your internal clock, letting you know when it is time to sleep and when it is time to wake up. This has also been linked to depression and SAD.

Researchers have also suggested that SAD and winter depression is caused by a lack of serotonin, a neurotransmitter triggered by sunlight. Studies have shown that levels of serotonin in the brain of depressed people are often lower than normal.

A similar and related problem is depression associated with the Christmas and New Year holiday period. This form of depression is related to stress, fatigue, as well as many of the financial and commercial pressures that are now a part of the holiday season. Those living abroad, who might not be able to travel home and spend the holidays with their families are especially susceptible to these holiday blues. The social isolation of being apart from loved ones can make the problem worse. While China is continually developing a sense of the holiday period, the overall cultural heritage of family, friends, and religious celebrations is missing for many foreigners living here.

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Diagnosis and Treatment

SAD is often misdiagnosed because of its similarity to depression. Talk to your doctor if you have:

Cyclical depression, occurring only during the winter months which you have experienced for at least two consecutive years followed by non-depressed

seasons with no other reasonable explanation for the change in your mood or

behavior.

For both SAD and Holiday Blues, exposure to sunlight helps. Formal light therapy, well-known in Northern Europe, Alaska, and Canada consists of sitting in front of a special lamp outfitted with lights 10 to 20 times brighter than ordinary indoor lights. Patients are advised to sit in or in front of these lights for at least 30 minutes a day, usually in the morning and can eat or read while doing this. Approximately 80 percent of SAD sufferers who took part in light therapy reported a reduction in symptoms. For those thinking a tanning bed would fit the bill, that unhealthy habit was not shown to have any effect on symptoms. Since formal light therapy can be hard to come by, try to increase the amount of light in your home by opening curtains or get outside and take an hour long walk in the winter sun. Regular exercise helps eliminate feelings of stress and anxiety, and feeling good about your appearance helps you feel better about yourself. Ultimately, any activity that gets you out of the house or office helps.

Mostly, this is a time when people need people. Socializing and doing things with others is very important; being around caring and supportive people makes a difference too. Above all, be optimistic and look to the future; use the New Year to see light not dark. As always, some concrete suggestions apply. Avoid excessive eating and drinking. Alcohol is a natural depressant and will make depression, in any form, worse. Alcohol and heavy meals also mess up sleep patterns. Try to get the same amount of sleep every day, even on weekends, going to bed at a certain time every night will make waking up easier. Too much sleep, however, can have the opposite effect, enhancing lethargy. Remember to rest, exercise, eat well, and talk to your physician if your symptoms subsist or worsen.

Watch your friends and family. Know the signs of serious depression and possible suicide. If you see significant behavior changes, social withdrawal or other tell-tale signs, don’t ignore the situation. Get advice and do something to help them get professional advice.

Finally, it's a good idea to make an appointment to talk to your healthcare professional to get an accurate diagnosis and together develop a customized treatment plan to take care of that pain in your back.