Therapist Offers Tips on Dealing with Winter Depression

The lack of sun, shorter days and colder temperatures can affect you both mentally and physically.

And before you write it off as the “winter blues,” health experts said it could be Seasonal Affective Disorder, otherwise known as SAD.

SAD is a form of depression linked to the changing seasons.

“It’s far more common than we think,” Marin Rieger, a licensed clinical marriage and family therapist with Jonah Green and Associates, said. “Particularly in locations like ours where there’s a major seasonal change in temperature and light.”

Symptoms of SAD include a decrease in mood, lack of energy, lack of desire to participate in activities that one used to find desirable, excessive sleeping, increased appetite, and weight gain.

To be diagnosed with SAD, the symptoms need to repeat for two years in a row consistent with the season changes.

The best way to cope with SAD is to first, find a therapist to help with behavior changes, according to Rieger.  Soaking up the sun and adapting to the cold temperatures by walking outside on sunny days are also a way to cope with SAD.

“If you avoid going out, it exacerbates depression symptoms,” Rieger said. “Not going out, not exercising, and not seeing friends and family tends to create a lower mood.”

About Mitti Hicks

Mitti Hicks is a multimedia journalist and community engagement specialist with Montgomery Community Media. She is passionate about telling stories that impact our community and may be reached at MHicks@mymcmedia.org and on Twitter @mittimegan.

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