I’m looking out my window this mid-January afternoon and the sky is solid gray. So’s my mood. I’m no fan of winter, especially here in the city where there are no interesting, stark landscapes to enjoy.
It’s the dark I hate. From the first Sunday in November when daylight saving time ends (my least favorite day of the year) until the second Sunday in March (my favorite, except maybe for Oscar night) when it starts again, I’m ever-so-slightly depressed. The holidays have distracted me from feeling blue, but the next six to eight weeks will make me feel like I’m slogging through a gigantic sea of oatmeal.
Medically speaking, blues like mine are known as winter-onset seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a type of depression triggered by the seasons. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, some 500,000 Americans have the full-blown condition; another 10% to 20% of us experience a milder form. It’s more common in women and residents of northern states, where winters are longer and drearier. The checklist of symptoms includes:
- Change in appetite, especially a craving for sweets or starches
- Weight gain
- Fatigue
- Tendency to oversleep
- Difficulty in concentrating
- Irritability/anxiety
- Avoidance of social situations
- Increased sensitivity to social rejection (wonder how they measured that one?)
Given these symptoms, the half-a-million estimate seems pretty low, if you ask me. Every single one of my friends has at least a couple of these feelings, and I can tick off fatigue, anxiety, concentration problems, and maybe some weight gain and carb cravings.
Standard treatments for SAD include light therapy, drugs, and psychotherapy. To learn more about natural approaches to tackling mild winter-blues symptoms, I talked to one of my go-to experts: Martha Howard, MD, medical director of Wellness Associates of Chicago. She’s one of the country’s earliest pioneers in the practice of integrative medicine. Since the late 1970s, she’s been using traditional Chinese medicine (she’s a licensed acupuncturist), herbal medicine, and other natural approaches in her practice—long before doing so became fashionable. Here’s her advice.
Next page: 8 winter mood-boosters from Dr. Howard
Comments (20)
these don’t seem natural, alternative, nor herbal. 2,5, and 8 are not at all.
you should just take herbal out of the whole subject.
or you could just move to California
lol fish oil
“Full-spectrum” lights like the Lights of America lamp can provide attractive lighting, but to affect your body like sunlight does they need to put out UVB as well as UVA. Lights that say “full-spectrum” or “natural light” usually put out only UVA, which can give you a sunburn but doesn’t have the physiological benefits of real sunlight. Lights that put out UVB include tanning bed lamps, some light-therapy boxes, and reptile lamps. It’s important to make it says it puts out UVB, because if it doesn’t, it doesn’t.
Hmm- a vital option missing. Vitamin D, especially D3!! It’s the vitamin MADE by the body during sun exposure. Vital in the low light months of winter. Vitamin D3 is essential to prevent a host of deficiency diseases. I’m very surprised that Dr. Howard (and the author) neglected this important wintertime vitamin.
It’s ridiculous, offensive and sophomoric, I know. However, the highly immature comments gave me several seconds worth of a reprieve from my SAD. Try to laugh instead of getting mad. It’s liberating.
love this and we need more of this type of stuff all over the internet. I am a Nursing Student and really appreciate these kind of things.
I have feeling down lately and read this article. It made me realize that about this time of year and past years, I have felt the same way. I have most all the symtoms as well. I will take the advice and try the remedies. It sure can’t hurt.
Ya I don’t agree with the zoloft at all, but some of the suggestions I really liked.
Having read about SAD late last year I learned blue LEDs (which are very cheap) are the perfect wavelength to simulate blue sky, so I bought blue Xmas lights and put them up over our kitchen sink and near the computer.. I really did nothing else, we didn’t change behavior or anything like that, yet immediately after adding the lights we suddenly both started being more active, have lost over 10 lbs each, and just feel more normal.. it’s great!
Don’t think about the gray sky and the poor weather. Walk the dog…build a snowman…have a snowball fight…watch a movie or read a good book. Plan social activities with friends. A mind focused on groomy days will yield down feelings. Above all, those affected by SAD should keep active, & keep busy. One who is active and socially involved will fine it increasingly difficult to maintain depressed moods. Find a good psychologist if all else fails.
Levoxyl is a thyroid hormone…Lexapro is an antidepressant…The B and C vitamins and the light thing works.
I think the biggest factor here is the exercise! I always feel lethargic and cold in the winter…I force myself to go to the gym and get that blood moving! It really ups my mood,gives me more energy and warms me up! (I don’t especially like excercise but I know that it’s necessary!)
I grew up and lived for 23 years in a tropical area and it’s been 13+ years I’ve been living in the Boston area. Tell me about missing bright, warm and sunny days!!! And I consider myself a “sun worshiper” LOL…
There’s one thing I like doing to help me get at least some sunlight during the winter months (I don’t know scientifically if it actually helps with SAD on not). But, during my break from work I go to my car, I slide the sunroof open, turn the heater on blowing to my feet and there I stay for thirty minutes reading a good book (you can listen to the radio, instead). In a day that is too windy, I keep the sunroof closed and still get some sunlight through its tinted window. If your car does not have a sunroof you can try to get the sunlight through the windows, since here in New England the sun is always so low in the sky during the winter months. Another thing I like doing is to crank up the heater in the car a little bit and drive with one window on the passenger’s side partially or a little bit open (some times halfway open, depending how cold it is). That way I can’t hear the outside noises and I don’t feel myself isolated from the outside world. It helps me remember of spring days.
Hope that helps!
I recommend light boxes to anyone who says they suffer from S.A.D. The full spectrum light box I have is UVA and UVB but DOES NOT GIVE YOU A SUNBURN as it has a filter screen between the light source and your face, unlike tanning beds. I only use it for about 20 minutes a day from late November through mid February and make it through dark winters no problem, feeling great! Though a piece of technology, they don’t involve putting questionable drugs or supplements into your body or damaging your skin, so it is my opinion that they are a great “natural” alternative. Pretty inexpensive too – mine was around $90.
With the exception of the Irritability/anxiety and “Increased sensitivity to social rejection” (wtf?), the rest of those symptoms don’t sound like they warrant a diagnosis. The days are shorter, the weather’s cooler…so we eat more, sleep more, and have the tendency to stay inside. It seems totally natural to me that people feel like that. It makes me mad when people get medicated for symptoms like that.
I experience the symptoms, and would think that SAD symptoms are felt by a lot more people. They probably just end up blaming themselves or something/one else for feeling that way. I must say that exercise is definitely a necessary evil in the winters and has really kept me sane through the knarly long NY winters..
thankyou 4 your story its great and hope u get more comments
peace out****$$$$$$$$
my wife used to suffer from SAD, but now she doesn’t, because we pray together extra during the long, winter months here in the northwest.
great story, thank you.
Hello. I live in southern Brazil (latitude: 38ºS) and it’s very cold from April to October. July and August are the worst months. I have depression (which is being treated) and I notice that during these gray and cold days (below 30F), I feel even worse. Insomnia and total lack of appetite take place. Anxiety and lack of concentration are more common. And I feel hopeless as well. Anyway I’m going to see the doctor this week.