Seasonal affective disorder: How to deal with those winter blues

CEDAR RAPIDS - As the days grow shorter and colder over winter, some may find themselves feeling gloomy or out of sorts.

Many chalk it up to the weather. But for some, that yearly low mood could be a sign of major depression with a seasonal pattern and should be taken seriously, said Michelle Takes, a family therapist at UnityPoint Health St. Luke's Hospital in Cedar Rapids.

Major depression with a seasonal pattern - which also is called seasonal affective disorder - is a form of depression that is related to the change in seasons. Typically, patients see symptoms start in the fall.

'In those affected, you see mood deteriorate in the fall and winter, and improve in the spring,” Takes said.

Takes said there are rare cases in which symptoms switch and appear in the spring.

Dennis Dozier, a therapist with Foundation 2 who runs the organization's depression and anxiety support group, said he sees depression with a seasonal pattern in people who attend the group's weekly meetings.

'I think (seasonal depression) does affect everyone to some degree,” Dozier said. 'However, for someone who's prone to depression, that brings them lower.”

Takes said professionals at the hospital typically see an uptick of patients with the disorder in February.

Some researchers - such as those who conducted a study through the U.S. National Library of Medicine published in November 2015 - have theorized that the seasonal disorder deals with the amount of sunlight an individual receives.

As the days shorten, the study contends, the lack of sunlight causes an individual to decrease production levels of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that helps balance mood, and increase production of melatonin, a hormone that causes sleepiness.

'Some people, from what I can tell, definitely, their symptoms will be worse,” Dozier said. 'I think there's a correlation with sunlight and darkness. People (in the support group) talk about the dread of it in the fall. I think everyone I see in there are certainly affected by the lack of sunlight.”

However, some researchers contend depression is not affected by the seasons at all. An analysis published in January 2016, based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's annual study of the U.S. population, 'revealed no evidence for seasonal affective disorder.”

Dozier recommends those affected by the disorder exercise, including going to the gym, and to continue to socialize.

He also recommended individuals look into purchasing a light box - or a product that produces UV light - that can be found online or in some retail stores.

'Some people really think that helps a lot,” Dozier said. 'I hear that from everyone who comes to my group.”

Takes said anyone with suicidal thoughts should seek help immediately.

People can seek help by reaching out to the Foundation 2 Crisis Chat at www.foundation2crisischat.org.

They can also call crisis line at the Crisis Center of Johnson County at (319) 351-0140 for immediate assistance.

SYMPTOMS

Here are some symptoms of major depression with a seasonal pattern, according to Mitchell Takes, family therapist at UnityPoint Health-St. Luke's Hospital, and the Mayo Clinic's website:

' Feeling depressed, hopeless or worthless

' Low energy or tiredness

' Hypersensitivity to rejection

' Losing interest in activities you once enjoyed

' Change in sleep pattern

' Change in eating pattern

' Difficulty concentrating

' Thoughts of death or suicide

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