The Pittsburgh region can be dark and gloomy during the winter months. Fear not! There are myriad ways to bolster your defenses to fight the winter blues.

1. Stay active. When the sun is shining it is easy to remain active and enjoy the outdoors. But it might take a little more discipline to maintain an active state when it’s cold. Just remember the less active you are, the more your energy becomes depleted. So, get outside, try a winter sport or take a winter hike—you might marvel at how different the terrain is all covered in snow and get the extra mood boost that the outdoors provides.
2. Be very intentional in what you are consuming. During the holiday season and cold weather months we crave more fat and carbs. Those kinds of foods actually deplete our energy and cause shifts in weight and mood. Depression and energy does have a metabolic component so by consuming foods that are easily metabolized and nourishing, our energy and mood can be improved.
3. Use Vitamin D supplementation. Vitamin D has been studied as a major component in seasonal depression as well as a host of medical and mental health issues. Take a high quality supplement to increase your body’s stores of it especially during the winter months.
4. Get as much natural light as possible. Overhead lighting can actually confuse your circadian rhythm and disrupt the sleep/wake cycle. It really is the sun’s energy which increases our Vitamin D and has a major impact on our cellular and neurochemical functions.
5. Get your temperature up. Activities such as taking a hot bath, sitting in a hot tub or sauna and taking a hot yoga class can be very soothing during the cold winter months.

Is it the Winter Blues or SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder)?

It can be difficult to distinguish winter blues from Seasonal Affective Disorder. The real difference is in the severity and length of the symptoms. If you experience a shift in mood characterized by the below symptoms, you should reach out to a mental health professional or medical doctor to be screened for depression. Of course feelings of self-harm should always be brought to the attention of a medical or mental health professional.

Seasonal Affective Disorder Symptoms:

• Feeling sad or having a depressed mood
• Loss of interest or pleasure in activities once enjoyed
• Changes in appetite; usually eating more, craving carbohydrates
• Change in sleep; usually sleeping too much
• Loss of energy or increased fatigue despite increased sleep hours
• Increase in purposeless physical activity (e.g., inability to sit still, pacing, handwringing) or slowed movements or speech (these actions must be severe enough to be observable to others)
• Feeling worthless or guilty
• Feeling grumpy or irritated
• Body aches
• Difficulty thinking, concentrating, or making decisions
• Thoughts of death or suicide

As many as 10% of the population in Western Pennsylvania could meet the criteria for SAD. Treatment includes light therapy which exposes the patient to light spectrums which helps to regulate melatonin and Vitamin D levels. Of course all treatments work best in conjunction with psychotherapy.

Dealing with Seasonal Affective Disorder or Depression?

If you’re interested in treatment for Depression or Seasonal Affective Disorder,  you can reach us at 412-322-2129 or contact us here.