Winter Depression: Dealing with Seasonal Changes

Are you feeling SAD this winter? For some, this could be a sign of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), or winter depression. This problem is more likely to affect women than men and runs high during dark and cold months of the year.

According to psychologist Dr. Seema Hingorrany, via The Times of India, the sunlight makes the brain work harder to produce melatonin-a hormone that's linked to depression, along with other side-effects.

"In addition, what happens is when you have more sunrays on you, you tend to be outdoors and more active. The opposite then happens in the absence of this. I have had cases where the person's whole outlook changed when it got dark early in winter and the grey evenings only added to his/her depression, so the cause is hormonal and environmental-induced. Plus, the body clock also gets affected as the activities affected - you may not be able to enjoy that walk at 7 pm in the evening light as it gets dark early." She adds that SAD can happen to anyone. "It can affect anyone at any age and for those already going through trauma or suffering from genetic depression, this can be a trigger. To an office-goer, the biggest hindrance is, it can badly affect a person's work life as he/she shows cognitive decline with the mental deficiency being reduced."

Fortunately, there are many ways to address this health issue-from taking antidepressant medication to cognitive behavioral therapy.

Other tips to lighten spirits during the winter months may include working out and eating healthy. For information on the disorder, click here.